Seretse urges private sector to create more jobs

Lindiwe Mozola | Thursday April 23, 2015 18:09

 

“The private sector has a key role to play especially in industrial development and employment creation. Therefore, the effective partnership between the government and private sector is very essential in the implementation of the industrial development and economic diversification,” he said.

Seretse emphasised that the government’s central role is the creation of an enabling policy environment for accelerated industrialisation with a particular focus on tackling the binding constraints of infrastructure, skills development and industry financing.

He noted that the purpose of the meeting, which was attended massively by the business community of Francistown, is the government’s commitment on engaging and supporting the private sector on moving the economy forward. He added that at his ministry, they have continuously engaged the private sector, but are now they are looking for a new beginning in fostering and rethinking their partnership with the private sector which will expedite their ability to achieve their national priorities as well as the same time ensuring that the private sector is fulfilling it’s role.

The managing director of Allied Engineering Services, Emmanuel Paradza, attributed the poor economic performance to lack of necessary skills and the high number of graduates who do not fit in the trade industry. He also noted that the registration with Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) is time consuming, as they have to travel to Gaborone to process it.

Members of the business community on the floor, reiterated Paradza’s sentiments, decrying that lack of development in Francistown that hinders their growth, considering that most major services are located in Gaborone.

In his response, Seretse said that the Ministry is working with the government to make improvements on laws and regulations that hamper business growth in the country.

He said their aim is to boost the ease of doing business in Botswana, to make it comparable to some of the best ranking countries in the world like Singapore, Malaysia and Scandinavian countries. Seretse added that the Ministry of Education has taken steps to try and transform brigades into institutions that will train students to be equipped with skills that will make them an indispensable part of the mainstream workforce.