SMMEs are essential to economic growth

Speaking at a seminar designed to encourage procurement by SMMEs last Thursday, Mphetlhe said for Botswana to reduce reliance on other countries, mechanisms to promote SMMEs must be put in place.

"One such mechanism is local procurement which will grow SMMEs financially and also help them improve the product quality," he said, noting that Botswana was a net importer of consumer goods because local manufacturing was still at an infant stage.