New wine in an old bottle

In a statement released on Wednesday, Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) CEO, Maria Machailo-Ellis said the speech did not deal decisively with some transformational issues that continue to impede the business environment and job creation. She stated that her organisation was concerned that while the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo had proclaimed that the private sector was the engine of economic growth, wealth creation and employment, bureaucratic inertia continued to afflict the business environment, and by implication, the economy’s ability to grow and generate employment opportunities.

“We are therefore disappointed by the gulf between proclaiming the private sector as the engine of growth and the impediments that those at the coal ace of business have to contend with regularly,” she said.