Page 26 - Woman to Woman Magazine: Special Edition 2020

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Resuscitating SMMEs

LEA To Facilitate and Monitor

Citizen Empowerment

Through Public Procurement

n a continued effort to empower
citizen owned businesses
and accelerate their growth,
Ithe Government has made a
pronouncement that all Government
and State-Owned Entities will procure
goods and services from citizen owned
businesses in their regions. The Local
Enterprise Authority (LEA) announced
their role as the facilitator in this
national empowerment project during a
launch on 1 December 2020.

“Citizen Economic Empowerment is
part of Government commitment to
employment creation, diversification
and the overall growth of the economy.
This move is expected to resuscitate
the Small, Micro and Medium
Enterprises (SMME) sector after being
negatively affected by the COVID 19
and lockdowns. The initiative will also
increase SMMEs participation in public
procurement through market access
opportunities, resulting in SMME
sector growth, employment creation,
import substitution and economic
diversification,” said Racious Moatshe,
LEA Chief Executive Officer.
Government listened and we are institutions such as Office of the
“Any sustainable economic development responding,” added Moatshe. President, Ministry of Investment, Trade
should be accompanied by citizen and Industry, Ministry of Agriculture,
participation in the economy. Even He further explained that LEA will also Ministry of Local Government and Rural
though Citizen participation has always identify the capacity development needs Development, Public Procurement and
been at the Agenda of our Economic of the SMMEs operating in various Assert Disposal Board and others.
Development. This was partly done parts of Botswana, with the intention to
through the enforcement of Section address their challenges and transform
72 of PPAD and Section 38 of LAPAD their businesses into innovative, “This move is
Acts. However, COVD-19 has clearly competitive and sustainable businesses. expected to
and urgently revealed the gaps in our During the launch, there were SMMEs resuscitate the
quest for sufficiency in the growth of who exhibited their products. Small, Micro
economy. Some of the challenges that and Medium
are facing our economy in our objective The Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) has Enterprises (SMME)
of Citizen Empowerment has been therefore been assigned by Government sector after being
in the procurement processes which to lead this national project, and monitor negatively affected
have proved cumbersome for SMMEs. its implementation and progress. LEA by the COVID 19
The Citizens raised the concerns and will work in partnership with stakeholder and lockdowns. ”

26 Noble Magazine // 2020 Special Edition