Botswana: The Minister of Trade and Industry of Botswana, Mmusi Kgafela, says that Government initiated the next step towards welfare as they created avenues for the business community to thrive, and those avenues include trade agreements managed under his Ministry.
Officiating at the Ghanzi Business Council Seminar networking dinner held in Kalahari Arms Hotel recently, Minister Kgafela said the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) provides an African market population of over 1.3 billion people.
He said that this agreement is going to create the opportunity for small, Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) so they can grow more,
“Agreements provide an opportunity for our Small, Medium, Enterprises (SMMEs) to grow and export their products and services into Africa. SMMEs in Botswana play a major role in driving the economy and contribute more than 50% of the output in agriculture,” he said.
Minister Kgafela also highlighted that the Government remains committed to ensuring economic diversification, employment creation and food security and thus will do everything to ensure that this continues to happen in different sectors.
He said his Ministry’s primary role is to ensure that policies and regulatory reforms continue to remain conducive for the sector to continually thrive and grow.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Business Botswana, Norman Moleele, pleaded with members of Business to always share their ideas to take Botswana forward. Moleele also commended the Government of Botswana for creating a conducive environment for them as a private sector.
Moreover, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mmusi Kgafela, earlier today toured stalls set up at the first ever the pop-up market in Ghanzi, where he interacted with local Ghanzi based companies who had exhibited locally produced goods and services. The exhibition was at the open space opposite Ghazni’s main bus rank and opened to members of the public.
He is taking the initiative in order to support businesses, especially the small ones which come under SMMEs.