Textile sector reaches breaking point
Friday, March 23, 2018
From 13 firms exporting under the AGOA provisions prior to the global recession, the number dropped to just one, Carapparel Botswana, which last year gave up and relocated to Lesotho.
Lesotho is a top textile exporter under AGOA, shipping off $290.4 million to the US last year. Local exports, by comparison, were measured at $993,000, a 75% drop from 2016 and the continuation of a slide over the years from a peak of $30 million in 2005 (P289.2 million).
The fees have been doubled from the previous amounts and raise concerns about political participation accessibility and democratic representation principles.This significant fee increase prompts questions regarding its impact on grassroots democracy.On one hand, the fees act as a filter, ensuring only serious contenders enter the race, potentially reducing frivolous candidacies and generating crucial campaign funds. The BDP argues that aspiring...