Phikwe attempts to shake off BCL�s demise
Onalenna Kelebeile | Thursday February 23, 2017 17:48
Speaking at a full council meeting yesterday, town Mayor Amogelang Mojuta provided details on three projects at the frontline of Selebi-Phikwe’s attempts to survive.
According to the Mayor, one of the projects involves is a private-sector led textile investment which will create 400 jobs in its first stage, before ramping up to 1,800 within five years.
Mojuta said the company had secured three factory shells from the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) providing 6,000 square meters.
“One factory shell has been refurbished and operations of business, which are specifically manufacturing clothing for export markets, will start by end of March this year,” he said.
Another project involves a pharmaceutical plant that will create 900 jobs during construction and 400 during operation.
“The plant is progressing well and public consultations have already been concluded,” he said. Selebi-Phikwe is also due to see the establishment of an air separation plant, which will create employment for 65 people during construction and 140 at full operation. The project entails the capture of air in the atmosphere and converting it to pure oxygen and other gases needed for health and industrial uses.
Meanwhile, correspondence from the council shows that SPEDU is working closely with the interim committee of the recently formed Voice of Business, a chamber of commerce for the SPEDU region, to create and enhance multi-level stakeholder linkages within the private sector.
The project aims at developing and implementing a private sector strategy, structure and framework for the SPEDU region and this includes the handholding of the chamber during its formative years.
The project also looks at conducting a study whose intention is to enhance participation of the informal sector into the mainstream economy. The initiative aims to ensure that linkages around business and economic sectors at different stages of development work together for mutual benefits.
SPEDU is working with a number of stakeholders in its efforts to revitalise the economy of Selebi-Phikwe. The stakeholders, according to the correspondence, include the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency, BDC, Botswana Tourism Organisation as well as the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).