Furniture manufacturers seek protection
Furniture manufacturers are mooting plans to lobby government to close borders on import furniture to protect locally produced goods.
The sector claims that closing borders will help prop up the sector, as already observed with impact of such action on agriculture’s fresh produce and bottled water through statutory instruments bans.
Players in the sector wants government to achieve growth of the industry through putting in place a barrel of measures to ensure local manufacturers are protected.
Some of the suggested actions include introducing additional levy for imported furniture and ensuring that furniture retailers’ application to renew trading license is accompanied by proof of the amount and value of business procured from local manufacturers versus the value of imports for comparable products.
In addition, the retailer would also be required to attach blueprint on supporting the local manufacturer, indicating potential local manufacturers. Manufacturers also wants government to introduce permit requirements for importation of goods, where there is a local manufacturer. Botswana Exporter and Manufacturers Association ( BEMA) echoed the same concerns. “The sector is currently facing challenges that have compelled it to go on survival mode, as a result reducing employment levels at furniture factories,” said BEMA Chief Executive Officer, Mmantlha Sankoloba. She said the main problem facing the furniture manufacturing sector is premised on the inadequate government support and protection. Botswana has a plethora of policies in place; policies that exist to serve the sector, however there seems to be a gap when it comes to implementation which has proven to be very costly for the sector,” said Sankoloba. She further highlighted that the furniture industry is one of the sub- sectors under the manufacturing sector that hosts the potential for value addition to the economy.
“There is quite a handful of office, household and school furniture manufacturers in the country. It is a sector which is not in its infancy stage as it has been well established for years,” said Sankoloba, highlighting that the sector employs over 500 locals. “Furniture businesses have employed masses of Batswana and improved the livelihoods of communities. It is sad to witness the lack of support towards them; most of the local entities are barely surviving, meaning they could shutdown at any moment and this drives towards an even higher unemployment rate. “We often converse the notion of support local, this notion is not an option, it is mandatory especially if we want to see the country thrive,” said Sankoloba. She said furniture manufacturers have demonstrated actual tangible capacity to supply the domestic market and across the border, reiterating the need for government support. “We do not dispute the doing business of international companies in Botswana, however awarding of lucrative business to them instead of considering locals who are able to deliver great quality and with the right capacity, is something we do not stand for.”
Meanwhile, indications are that Botswana’s manufacturing sector has got the most tremendous potential compared to other sectors and such is the nature of the sector across the world. Academia, deriving data from UNCTAD, OERD and the World Bank, has cited on numerous publications the unmatched value addition share contribution that the manufacturing sector hosts in several countries.