GOVT LOOK TO EU FOR JOB CREATION
EU pump P64 million into three-year project
In an attempt to improve the ease of doing business in Bots, while simultaneously seeking to ease the country’s crippling unemployment levels, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry are working closely with the European Union (EU).
The three-year initiative, dubbed ‘Support Programme for Job Creation and Investment Climate’, is fully funded by the EU to the tune of five million Euros (approximately P64.5 million).
It has been running since last June, when unemployment reached a staggering 24.9 percent - that’s almost one in four!
Speaking on the sidelines of the programme’s technical launch in Gaborone last Thursday, the Ministry’s Deputy Director-doing Business and Investment, Tebo Motswagae, revealed the scheme addresses two main objectives: to improve ‘doing business’ environment and the development of the eco-tourism value chain.
“In addition to these two broad aims, we have decided to add another sub-objective under doing business, which is development of e-government because information communication technology is part and parcel of doing business. We want government to be able to be reached through technology because we are dealing with people outside the country - imagine having to be here physically just to fill a form to apply for a business licence,” he said.
Motswagae told Voice Money they are also looking at easing things in areas of judiciary (courts’ ability to transact
online), investment climate, licensing regime, cross border facilitation and capacity building in various arms of government.
“We are basically trying to align this programme with government priorities such as Vision 2036, Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan, Reset Agenda and National Development Plans. So these activities are coming from government based on our priority areas as well as our ambitions. This is because at the end of the day we have to make sure we are able to attract investment and make the doing business environment less costly as compared to our competitor economies. We want to lower ways of doing business in Botswana such that we can compete with the rest of the world, more so that we are recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he continued.
Warming to his theme, Motswagae explained they intend to build strongly post the pandemic with regards to government systems. The ultimate aim is to attract more investments in different areas, which will in turn push job creation and add further value to the country’s resources.