25 Sep 2022

Batswana have been urged to expand their businesses through exploitation of value chain opportunities within the agricultural sector.

Speaking during the Tlokweng Sub-district open day on Friday, Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA) acting Chief of operations Mr James Moribame said value chain development in the agric sector was a priority for Botswana.

“Government has imposed a number of restrictions in the importation of some agricultural produce in order to help grow the horticultural sector, which had been supported by the Horticulture Impact

Accelerator Subsidy and funding from other financiers such as NDB. These are government’s efforts that have been put in place to reduce the import bill,” he said.

Mr Moribame said government was committed to transitioning the country to a high-income economy with export-led growth.

He said this would in turn lead to Botswana being a diversified, competitive and productive economy with sustainable employment.

“In an effort to provide opportunities for all, government provides funding through different empowerment projects and programmes aimed to uplift the livelihoods of Batswana and ultimately end poverty.

We at the agency provide differing financial products in the form of loans, trade finance products, guarantees and equity funding among others,” he said.

He urged participants to utilise the open day initiative which would increase access to government services and programmes aimed at enhancing livelihoods.

For his part Security Systems Managing Director Mr Gabriel Nkgetse urged entrepreneurs to have a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve.

He said adhering to customer needs was vital.

“We have special sessions whereby we randomly choose clients and meet them in a designated place and debate on issues they are not happy with and then come up with a strategy to implore to improve the service,” he added.

He said business was not without challenges and appealed to participants not to be derailed by such trials.

He said challenges in business were an opportunity that one had to learn from.

Senior Assistant Council Secretary Mr Isaiah Odirile said the event was a three-tier initiative aimed at taking services to the people, health and wellness day as well as market day for government funded small, micro and medium enterprises.

He said the initiative was meant to create a one-stop shop for government and other stakeholders. ENDS