The government said it seeks to ensure that the three key national priorities of sustainable employment creation, eradicating poverty and reducing inequality, are achieved through the Wealth Creation Programme.
This is according to the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Karabo Gare when officiating at the graduation of the 51 beneficiaries of the programme on Wednesday in Moshupa.
Gare said the government is fully committed to addressing the poverty scourge and believes that abject poverty can be eradicated.
“I firmly believe that the best route to improving our livelihoods is the creation of sustainable enterprises,” Gare said in Moshupa where he is also an area Member of Parliament.
“These create employment, hence income for facilitating improvement in livelihoods,” the politician said.
This week’s graduates are a motivation to others and a testimony that the programme; as a whole, is a stepping stone towards a transformational agenda and eradication of extreme poverty.
“I wish to encourage graduates and Batswana, in general, to take advantage of any available opportunities,” he advised.
“Go ahead, and exploit these for the betterment of your livelihoods and your businesses.”
The minister further advised the graduates to consider expanding and augmenting their businesses as well as to enroll with the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) so that the Authority can guide them in their growth journey.
The Wealth Creation Programme, previously known as Nyeletso Lehuma has seen over 5,000 enterprises funded across six districts, since its inception in 2011.
Gare said as much as this is a commendable achievement, a significant number still awaits funding.
“It is in this regard, that the Moshupa region endeavored to fund at least 300 new beneficiaries in the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year,” he said.
“To this end, 230 beneficiaries have already been funded. I will be providing some beneficiaries with the equipment and items they require to start their enterprise, as a way of demonstrating to you all how this is done.”
