After BCL, Phikwe starts to pick up the pieces

The Mine may have closed and uncertainty over its reopening is rife, but not all is lost for the SPEDU region. SPEDU is currently involved in 14 projects covering nine citizen-owned companies in information and technology and manufacturing, three government projects and two foreign-owned in the agricultural sector. These companies according to the chief executive officer, Mokubung Mokubung are expected to invest approximately P277.5 million. The Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) and other funding agencies will part-finance with an amount of P17. 5 million.

Targeted employment creation is anticipated to be 1,560 in 12 months, 2,480 in the next two years and 5,800 in the next three years. Mokubung said during the recent stakeholder engagement meeting to date 569 jobs have been created against the target of 1,170.