Small businesses are crucial to MDGs - businessman

KENNETH BANDA
Correspondent | Wednesday November 7, 2007 00:00

Speaking at the official opening of a Planners Seminar which started in the copper-nickel mining town on Monday, Palalani Moitlhobogi said most small businesses were sidelined when it came to tender awards.

Moitlhobogi, who is a member of the Small Business Council, said the issue of tenders in local authorities across the country was disturbing.

'I have, with colleagues from the Small Business Council, had the opportunity to visit all the local authorities in Botswana, consulting on issues relating to problems afflicting small businesses and at each local authority, the issue of tender awards was raised,' said Moitlhobogi, who is also the Chairman of the Selebi-Phikwe Diversification Committee.

He said it was imperative for local authorities to support small businesses. 'Our small businesses, whose majority are citizens, feel sidelined when it comes to tender awards. I therefore implore you, as planners and as people who are involved in the implementation process, to ensure that our people get the lion's share of all the work that has been outsourced.'

Moitlhobogi suggested that each local authority should set up an office dealing with small business issues, adding that if small-scale businesses were not supported, achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) like eradicating extreme poverty and hunger would not be possible by 2015.

This year's theme for the Planner's Seminar is 'Millennium Development Goals Based District/Urban Development Planning - Keeping the Promise'.

Moitlhobogi was presenting on the topic 'Experiences of Public/Private Enterprises Cooperation Towards Diversification of the Economy - The Case of Selebi-Phikwe'.

He said Phikwe's case was a clear example of what the public and private sectors could achieve if they worked together at the level of Local Economic Development (LED).

LED brings together all actors of the economy to devise strategies to foster sustainable economic and institutional development at local, district or regional level in a collaborative effort.

Moitlhobogi said in Selebi-Phikwe, LED efforts were undertaken primarily by the private and the public sectors, while organised labour had not shown much commitment despite numerous invitations.

Taking a practical approach to private and public sector collaboration, Selebi-Phikwe had  come up with initiatives which the mining town forwarded to government and the European Union (EU) for consideration.

The initiatives were now being implemented after their integration into the national planning agenda following their acceptance by government and endorsement by the EU.

'This was the initiative of the private sector that was endorsed by the public sector at local level, as represented by the economic planning unit of the Selebi-Phikwe Town Council,' Moitlhobogi said.

He added that the town's Diversification Committee played a role in these initiatives to diversify Selebi-Phikwe's economy from mining in a sustainable manner.

These efforts could be replicated in other parts of the country and is evidence that locals can develop their own programmes.

Commending the excellent relations between the private sector and the local authority, Moitlhobogi said however that there were still challenges 'to be dealt with as we move forward'.

He said the private sector was consulted when district development plans were designed, but it was not subsequently informed which ideas had been accepted or rejected.

'As partners in economic development, I believe the communication lines can be improved and information shared more freely if we are to achieve all the national goals that we have set ourselves,' he said.

Infact, local authorities should consider 'hiving off' some of the development programmes to the private sector for implementation.

'Neither the public sector nor the private sector has all the required skills; therefore, collaborative efforts could provide effective programme implementation.'

Also speaking at the Planners Seminar, the Mayor of Selebi-Phikwe Benjamin Bagayi said strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources was crucial to attaining the MDGs.

Bagayi urged planners to 'think globally while doing their utmost to act locally'. The objective of the on-going seminar, which ends tomorrow, is to create an opportunity for local authorities to express collective views concerning their ideas for planning, implementation and future development, among others.