Africa-Press – Botswana. In recognition of Botswana’s transformation agenda and the ambition to achieve high income status, Business Botswana will host the 17th biennial National Business Conference on August 25 – 28 in Francistown.
With President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi expected to give a keynote address, the high-level event will provide a platform for interactive dialogue, views exchange, and policy review on the country‘s economic transformation agenda.
Briefing the media on Tuesday, Business Botswana Director of Policy Advocacy, Mr Mpaphi Tsholofelo, said the conference would set opportunities to remove impediments towards achieving a private sector led economy.
Themed, Invigorating Economic Transformation Through the Private Sector Participation, Mr Tsholofelo said the conference aimed to explore innovative and practical ways to achieve private sector-led economy, therefore accelerating Botswana’s drive to high income status.
“Business Botswana is keen to play a meaningful role in invigorating economic transformation through the private sector, thus we are hopeful for the conference to avail a perfect platform for the business community,” he said.
Mr Tsholofelo said the private sector should be identified as key in driving the economic growth and employment creation. He said private sector growth was widely acknowledged to be an essential component in the alleviation of poverty as a means of providing more and different economic opportunities in any given society.
He said government should recognise the private sector as the engine of economic growth and job creation, thus adopt multifaceted approach to support and empower small businesses in Botswana, adding that economic growth prospects lie in the private sector.
He said it was disturbing to note that the contribution of the private sector to the development of the domestic economy was still considered to be below its potential.
“There are a number of bottlenecks that have been hindering the growth of SMMEs in Botswana and their contribution to a private sector-led economy, threfore government should facilitate the ability of the private sector” he said.
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