Molao advocates for green economy
26 May 2024
Business Botswana has gone all out to ensure acceleration of the development and adoption of sustainable technologies as well create green jobs that contribute to preserving the environment.
Officiating at the 28th Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair in Francistown recently, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao said there was need to embark on a journey of discovery, collaboration and action towards a more sustainable future.
He said as the planet faced environmental challenges, it was essential to prioritise sustainable practices and technologies to mitigate the impact of climate change, reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.
Therefore, Mr Molao said collaboration between the government and businesses was essential in driving sustainable innovation forward.
He said the primary objective of the trade fair was to bring together businesses from across sectors to not only enhance their businesses and trading skills, but also to provide a platform for them to market themselves to optimise growth opportunities.
Furthermore, he said government was proud to have Batswana attend the trade fair as innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers and stakeholders from across industries to showcase their cutting-edge initiatives and products.
He acknowledged that there were challenges in every sector of the economy, therefore he encouraged Batswana to play an active role in the green economy by making it a must to plant a tree and for every yard to have a backyard garden.
Meanwhile, Business Botswana president, Mr Neo Nwako said his organisation intended to advance wealth and economic growth in Botswana.
He added that the fair in Francistown was strategic as the northern region was endowed with abundant natural resources, a skilled workforce and strategic geographic positioning, making it a prime destination for investment and economic development.
Mr Nwako added that Business Botswana had a vision to build a diverse, vibrant and robust private sector led northern trade fair to provide for dynamic engagements and interactions amongst businesses particularly small medium enterprises.
He added that this would help businesses to connect, network and collaborate on business enhancements.
For his part, Francistown mayor, Mr Godisang Radisigo, said through Business Botswana, the private sector and chamber of commerce managed to establish a good working relationship with the city council.
He said the trade fair had served as a testament to the mission of solidifying foundation for fostering economic growth and development of Francistown. Mr Radisigo noted that in the recent decade, Francistown had experienced remarkable growth, largely driven by the expansion of the commercial and industrial sectors.
He said Francistown had potential to become a prominent investment hub as it had been declared a special economic zone in mining, transportation and logistics by the Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA). ENDS
Source : BOPA
Author : Lechedzani Morapedi
Location : FRANCISTOWN
Event : Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair
Date : 26 May 2024