12 Feb 2014

Parliament has been told that cabinet approved the proposal to merge the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) and the Rural Industries Promotions Company (RIPCO B) into a single entity under the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology in 2009.

The Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Keletso Rakhudu said this was done under a Presidential Directive Cab 37(B) 2009, following the presentation to cabinet of the strategy for the rationalisation of certain parastatals and Public Enterprises to Cabinet by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.

Mr Rakhudu said his ministry was aware that that while going through a transition to implement this decision, an alternative for service provision to entrepreneurs who used to get the technical and business advisory services from RIPCO was necessary.

He explained that the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology was in consultation with various ministries who expressed their interest to take over the activities at the centre under a separate arrangement.

Mr Rakhudu said it was expected that once these have been concluded, the operational of the centre would continue although there might be different operational modalities to the current set up. In this regard, he said, operations of the centre were expected to continue to offer assistance.

Furthermore, he said, whilst the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) could not do anything that RIPCO was doing, it was currently assisting with some training and mentoring of entrepreneurs through its 13 branches across the country.

He noted that LEA did not have the technological development expertise that RIPCO had, neither did it have actual practical fitting/installation and servicing of client equipment. However, he said in that case, entrepreneurs that required equipment servicing were referred to LEA’s accredited Business Development service providers.

He told Parliament that the absence of RIPCO presented yet another opportunity for the private sector to play a more active role in an endeavour to grow and diversify the economy.

MP for Kanye North, Mr Abraham Kesupile had asked the minister to explain why and by whom the technological and business advisory support to local entrepreneurs would be maintained now that the RIPCO had closed shop. ENDS