CIPA disburses P24m to creative industry
Pauline Dikuelo | Thursday March 23, 2017 16:24
The programme, which has been going on for nine years, has accumulated around P52 million.
Speaking during the launch recently, assistant minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Biggie Butale said government has begun to place emphasis on creative industries as a sector that has a potential to create employment, eradicate poverty, diversify the economy and compete with other well established industries.
The minister said the Levy on Technical Devices Fund is one of the many initiatives the government uses to promote the creative industries.
“The main aim of establishing this Fund was to provide financial support to creative industries so that they can help develop and grow into contributors for sustainable socio-economic and cultural growth and diversity of the country.”
“It is my hope that in the long run, we will see the return on investment of utilising this fund,” he said.
In addition he said as the Fund grows and its administration matures, people should expect to see funded projects that form part of Botswana’s journey to competitiveness through creativity.
Further he applauded the talent that the country has, noting that the quality and diversity of the submitted proposals have also improved adding that the projects announced this year are geographically spread across the country and a significant number of them have promising impact.
“I challenge the Levy on Technical Devices Fund committee to ensure that the mix of funded projects should include the elderly, people living with disabilities and rural communities and many others who do not always easily access government programmes,” he said.
The minister also said in a continued effort in recognition of the potential value of the creative industries, the Economic Diversification Drive, CIPA and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development will collaborate to develop a National Creative Industries Strategy aimed at informing policy, legislative and operational decisions for the development of the creative industries.
The 24 beneficiaries included categories such as the film and television, book publishing, theatre, application software development and capacity building.