Former Vice President Dr. Ponatshego Kedikilwe has urged Grant Thornton and Business Botswana, the organizers of Private Business Growth Awards (PBGA), to add to their selection some awards that will empower Botswana businesses. He cited as an example, an award for companies that procure from local businesses in order to promote local production for sustainable growth.
“Given that membership to the voice of the private sector, in the form of Business Botswana is also a pre-requisite, I wish to urge all, especially, non mining companies to participate in large numbers, for diversified businesses to add value and volume to enhance sustainable growth.”
Another criterion for eligibility, Kedikilwe said PBGA should consider an award to businesses on how they have addressed the mismatch between training and the world of work through programmes offered by organizations. The former Vice President said the PBGA initiative complements a promising trend of collaborative and coordinated effort. “This trend should foster networking, research and information sharing to avoid fatal business assumptions and bad decision,” Kedikilwe said, urging businesses to pay attention to the basic elements that form the selection criteria. He pointed out that this would not only entail running a successful business but also grow the economy and create employment for fellow citizens.
Kedikilwe further urged businesses to prepare themselves, as the prospects and possibilities provided by the recently announced economic stimulus package are enormous. He said in order to boost economic growth, various opportunities will be made available in different sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure development, transport and communication, agriculture, health care, reskilling of youth, tourism, energy and water as well as establishing special economic zones.
In his welcome remarks, the Managing Partner at Grant Thrnton, Jay Ramesh said the PBGA awards was capsuled into categories of Innovation, market development, people and culture, strategic leadership, and financial performance. Ramesh stated that specific recognition to economic diversification drive; corporate social responsibility, citizen empowerment, training and development were all products of their tailoring the award criteria to the country’s needs and requirements. “This also recognized the call of our government to the private sector to focus on these areas,” he said.