Khama�s Job Opportunities Pledge Reassuring

Monitor Editor | Monday October 5, 2015 11:15

He put the time frame for this as this financial year and also elaborated that it was only recently that his cabinet approved what the President termed an accelerated programme for job creation.

Indeed we need an accelerated programme for job creation and hopefully it will trigger a lot of positive spinoffs for Botswana and Batswana.

This accelerated programme of job creation will be targeting specific areas namely Agriculture, Tourism, Construction, including roads and land servicing, special economic zones and Economic Diversification Drive. 

We welcome this urgent, well thought out programme and wish to believe that it will go on to be government’s legacy and not turn out to be a monumental failure. This would dash the hopes and confidence of everyone in this country, at a time when we need this sort of redemption to restore our dignity as individuals in a land where opportunities of employment have been heavily stifled in the last couple of years, mainly due to stagnant growth across a wide spectra of sectors of the economy.

It also gives potential entrepreneurs the confidence to prepare for this windfall, while for existing enterprises this may present opportunities for growth, consequently resulting in improved benefits to the workers as the bottom line improves.

We hope it is the determination and zeal of everyone involved, especially at the top, to ensure that the envisaged urgent redemption by government achieves exactly what it is intended for. Indeed it can also be seen as the opportunity of government to  re-position itself as capable.

Such a programme is a welcome development for Batswana and its success is paramount.

President Ian Khama’s government deserves  a pat on the shoulder for making job creation a priority, especially at a time like this when many Batswana are roaming the streets, unemployed.