Botswana: The recent introduction of the Statutory Instrument (SI) on the restriction of the importation of School Uniforms is one of the interventions by the Government geared towards promoting sustainable textile business growth.
In his address, the Minister in the Ministry, Honourable Mmusi Kgafela, said the implementation of the SI has since presented a huge market for the local textile sector to tap into.
The Minister said this during the Textile Sector capacity building workshop for manufacturers, retailers and other key textile players in Gaborone organized by Botswana Exporters and Manufacturers Association (BEMA) yesterday.
He said Government recognized the urgency of supporting the textile industry as it has the potential to employ graduates who are annually generated by tertiary institutions. He said this is expected to grow and expand the textile factories and certainly the rise in job-creation and improvement of Batswana’s livelihoods.
The Minister urged the textile ecosystem not to be unsettled by the ongoing market disruptions but to be hopeful of the anticipated results in the long term and assured the textile sector of the Ministry’s unwavering support to ensure that the sector moves in the right path without any impediments.
He encouraged the sector to make full use of the current instrument to ensure a consistent supply of quality products for the domestic and foreign markets.
For her part, BEMA Chief Executive Officer Ms Mmantlha Sankoloba said textile is the backbone of the industry as it has the potential to create employment for multitudes of Batswana, supply domestic market and export.
“Government is not only fighting for the domestic market but also fighting for export markets,” Sankoloba said.
Moreover, The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) Departments and Parastatals are bringing their services to the people of Selibe Phikwe and surrounding villages on the 2nd March 2023 at Selibe Phikwe Town Hall at 0800hrs-1630hrs. Honourable Beauty Manake will deliver the keynote address for the day.