Africa-Press – Botswana. The Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) has embarked on a nationwide roadshow to unpack its mandate to better serve Batswana.
Speaking during a roadshow in Serowe on Tuesday, BITC’s corporate affairs manager, Mr Leatile Bakwena said the nationwide initiative was geared to reach Batswana to get first-hand information on challenges faced by those who wished to set up and grow their businesses.
He said the roadshow was used as a platform to raise awareness about BITC’s services and promote Global Expo Botswana 2025, pointing his organisation was also using the show to strengthen engagement with small, medium and micro enterprises, retailers, hotels and producers, among others.
However, Gaborone would take centre stage as the capital would hosts the annual Global Expo Botswana from October 8-11 under the theme: Unlocking Botswana’s potential: partnerships for sustainable growth.
Moreover, he said, the roadshow would involve a number of stakeholders as emphasis had been put on economic diversification, investment promotion and export opportunities.
BITC’s export promotion manager, Ms Itumeleng Teseletso, spoke of the need to produce quality commodities that were able to compete in the international domain as well as the need to brand such products for identification purposes.
She said the COVID-19 era exposed the need for self-sufficiency, quality products and services by local entrepreneurs, thus urging locals to heighten efforts to meet demand quota and supply specifications.
She said there was need for product certification to ensure it met specific quality, safety and performance standards to build consumer trust, ensuring compliance with regulations and providing a competitive edge for manufacturers.
She encouraged businesses to grow so as to employ more people and meet market requirements.
“Product profiling and company profiling enables more informed decision making and helps businesses understand their competitors, identify market opportunities and ultimately gain a competitive edge,” she said.
She said company profiles provided valuable insights into competitor’s strategies, market positioning and strength and weaknesses, noting it helped businesses understand their own competitive landscape and identify areas of improvement.
For his part, Chairperson of Local Empowerment Committee in Serowe, Mr Moreri Nthobatsang, said roadshows were critical in encouraging people to venture into businesses, arguing such a move created employment opportunities for Batswana.
He also said local empowerment committees played a crucial role in local governance and citizen engagement.
Mr Nthobatsang, who is Councillor for Dithowa Ward, said they served as advisory bodies that helped councils make decisions and also facilitated local governance and democracy. He said these committees were chaired by councillors who ensured diverse perspectives were considered in decision-making processes on various matters thus promoting social welfare and economic empowerment.
On other issues, he said, Serowe slaughtering facility owned by Serowe District Council would open doors to the public in the near future as it was expensive for Batswana to use private slaughtering facilities.
He assured the public that all slaughtering requirements would be met, noting the opening of the facility was a welcome development.
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