Africa-Press – Botswana. The Tuesday launch of Association of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises has been described as an opportunity to create an enabling environment for the fledgling private sector to create jobs and thrive.
“Government is on record saying we cannot do it alone and we therefore need to build strategic partnerships with the private sector,” said Minister of Entrepreneurship, Mr Karabo Gare about the association, which was formed at a meeting convened by Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) on May 25, 2022.
He said smart partnerships would further the beneficiation of the relationship.
The minister said government had often talked about public-private partnerships in the construction sector, and ‘this association here officially launched was established in very much the same spirit,’ he added.
Mr Gare said the association’s duties included campaign for the promotion and development of markets, for SMMEs both locally and abroad and also to source and channel capital and technical assistance to them.
He said the association would also identify education and training opportunities for entrepreneurs and support the development of infrastructure (factory shells, incubation units etc) and also advocate for the strengthening of supportive institutions for the promotion of SMMEs activities.
He said it would also forge strong links and networks with other national associations or unions and groupings to ensure mutually beneficial interactions to enable SMMEs to graduate to large-scale industries.
He said he believed the association’s work complemented that of the ministry he was leading and was looking forward to continuous engagements to see what they could do together.
Mr Gare said he was happy that the association had interacted with stakeholders such as Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS), LEA, Letshego, First National Bank Botswana, ABSA and CEDA, to share information about their work and look for possible areas of collaboration.
SMMEs association chairperson, Mr Sello Motseta said he embraced government’s decision to stop the importation of certain produce from South Africa, including tomatoes, carrots and beetroots, among others.
He said this was creating an important opportunity for small agricultural farmers to participate in the value chain.
Mr Motseta said though agriculture only accounted for about three per cent of GDP, it had enormous potential, especially if market access issues could be addressed.
“That is why we as an association are very excited about the Pridemark registration process initiated by BITC, as it will help to close this gap,” he said.
He said the theme for the launch, which was; Strengthening Support Mechanisms and Structures for Locally Owned SMMEs to Improve their Market Access and Competitiveness in Local, Regional and Global Markets, sealed what they believed in.
The chairperson said he believed such organisations as theirs, which aimed to advocate for SMMEs, would help government in exploring employment opportunities.
He, however said SMMEs were experiencing challenges including lack of finances, the prohibitive costs of acquiring and effectively utilising appropriate technology and limited managerial skills, as well as little business acumen, among others.
The association’s treasurer, Mr Goboletswe Sepapane said membership was open to anyone who owned or managed an SMME operating in Botswana, at a P500 annual fee.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
