20 Nov 2023

Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) has financed 116 businesses in the Nata/Gweta Constituency.

Answering a question in Parliament, Minister of Entrepreneurship Mr Karabo Gare said of the 116 businesses funded by CEDA, 104, valued at over P47.9m were operational with the remaining 12 businesses valued at close to P4.1 million having failed.

He said the ministry was aware of shortage of staff not only in the Masunga Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) office, but also in some of the 15 LEA branches countrywide.

“LEA went through a restructuring process in the 2018/19 financial year, which resulted in some staff members being retrenched and during the process the Authority rationalised its functional structure from a staff complement of about 360 to 190 maximum,” he said.

Mr Gare also stated that the unfilled positions were a result of the moratorium on recruitment whilst the issue of SOEs was being rationalised and addressed.

He further stated that the Authority had identified places which include Nata, Tutume, Bobonong, Good Hope, Jwaneng and Rakops for consideration to open either additional branches or satellite offices to bring their services closer to SMMEs.

He said in the last three years, LEA had managed to establish only two satellites offices at Letlhakane and Hukuntsi. 

“In addition, LEA and CEDA have signed a collaboration framework where each authority’s desk officers or consulatants will be able to operate from each other’s offices in the districts where either may not have local presence,” he said.

He also reminded the House of the pending rationalisation and merger of LEA and CEDA, adding that the process should help deal with a number of service delivery related issues.

Nata/Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga had wanted to know the number of businesses financed by CEDA in his constituency and how the businesses were performing.

He also asked whether the minister was aware of acute shortage of staff at Masunga LEA offices and what hinders the Ministry from setting up a LEA satellite office in Nata/Gweta Constituency for easy monitoring of entrepreneurs. ENDS