The manufacturing industry: An integral cogwheel in Botswana’s future
Friday, August 02, 2024 | 3430 Views |
Coming up: The country’s manufacturing sector has been growing in fits and starts over the years PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
According to the World Bank, Botswana's manufacturing sector contributed approximately 5.6% to the country's GDP in 2023 and remains modest due to a limited domestic market and heavy reliance on imported supplies. The Botswana government has however implemented several initiatives to stimulate growth in manufacturing sector and enhance competitiveness.
The Industrialization policy coupled with the Economic Diversification Drive focus on diversifying the economy away from mining dependence and includes measures to support the manufacturing sector. There are various training and capacity building interventions such as the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum, which supports many an Industry including manufacturing.
When the State cannot rely on its own machinery to pursue suspected wrongdoing, repairing that machinery must become a national priority.The establishment of a Special Investigations and Asset Recovery Task Force may help government respond to the immediate challenge. However, Botswana cannot afford to leave the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) struggling whilst building...