Gov't increases stake in liquor industry
Friday, May 22, 2020
This week, state investment agency, Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) announced that it had taken up a 24% stake in Kamoso Africa, whose subsidiaries include Liquorama, the country’s biggest alcohol retailer with 53 outlets.
In a deal reportedly worth P200 million, the BDC this week announced that it had snapped up equity in Kamoso, a manufacturing, supply and distribution titan linked to Choppies CEO, Ramachandran Ottapathu. Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) records on Wednesday indicated that Ottapathu still holds about 15% shareholding in Kamoso, having sold most of his equity in a P452 million deal in 2015.
The Ministry of Agriculture, local producers, retailers, and industry associations must work together to overcome the obstacles hindering vegetable production and distribution.This collaborative approach is essential to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of vegetables in the market.Firstly, the Ministry of Agriculture should provide support and guidance to local farmers to enhance their productivity and efficiency. This could...