03 Nov 2022

Local Economic Development (LED) remains the surest way to improving local economies and eradicating poverty. Tutume Sub-council senior assistant secretary, Mr Milton Keitshokile said this in Tutume during training of council staff on LED yesterday. 

The training was intended to make the employees aware of as well as to empower them on the government initiative, as the subdistrict is poised to transform into a full district. Mr Keitshokile said government placed much emphasis on LED as it promised to improve and spur on rural development, bringing economic benefits and better quality of life to communities and individuals. 

To that end government departments and agencies were expected to identify and harness resources and opportunities from among communities and from within their localities. In that regard, they were expected to account for their procurement practices and relationship with the business community in those areas. “We are going to have a roundtable with the business community to see what they also can bring to the table,” he said. 

This, he said, was to ensure that procurement was done locally so as to stimulate rural economies and create employment opportunities for locals as well as help businesses to remain viable. Mr Keitshokile regretted what he said was misconception within government that LED was the responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development alone. He emphasised that every government department was expected to fully and meaningfully participate in the initiative. 

To ensure this happened, a strategy committee, which included government departments and agencies, among them CEDA and LEA in the district, had been formed to drive the initiative. 

The committee would among others, mobilise resources and identify investment prospects as well woo investors to the district, he said. A report of the committee’s performance would be presented and made available to critical government platforms such as sub district council sessions. “The ultimate goal is to see improvement of local communities and eradication of poverty through this bottom-up development approach,” said Mr Keitshokile. ends