Cooperating through Co-operatives
13/06/11
In an effort to attain the Vision 2016 pillar of being “a prosperous, productive and innovative nation”, the Ministries of Trade and Industry (MTI), and Local Government (MLG) are cooperating through the use of co-operatives societies, to engage communities in business enterprises, as a means of developing and empowering communities.
In an effort to attain the Vision 2016 pillar of being “a prosperous, productive and innovative nation”, the Ministries of Trade and Industry (MTI), and Local Government (MLG) are cooperating through the use of co-operatives societies, to engage communities in business enterprises, as a means of developing and empowering communities.
In this context, these respective Ministries held a workshop on the 7-8 June, which was characterized by the attendance of Youth Officers from various LAs. Thus the aim of the workshop was to sensitize participants on the advantages of co-operatives and to hear the challenges Youth Officers face with regard to this form of business enterprise in their respective localities.
According to Mr. B. Gabanamotse Head of Banking and Research at the Department of Co-operatives, “co-operatives have the ability to uplift the standard of living of all people in the citizenry”. He said this with reference to misconception that co-operatives are geared at the older generation and are limited to a few products.
Gabanamotse went onto say that “in developing countries people between the age of 16-35 years constitute 70% of the population”, thus he recommended that youth start co-operatives, as they constitute the largest part of the nation, and as such have the potential to contribute to the economy in a big way.
In his address at the workshop, the Commissioner for Co-operative Development, Mr. J. Matsheng, said “co-operatives serve as an empowerment tool for the disenfranchised members of society, who are mainly the youth.”
Furthermore, Mr. Matsheng noted that Youth Officers in attendance should disseminate the gospel of co-operatives amongst their localities as they (co-operatives) are geared at encouraging under-privileged people to join the business community as a means of sustaining, and developing their livelihoods and those of the communities they reside in.
In closing it can be said that with cooperation between government Ministries, Local Authorities and the public, the Vision pillars can be achieved as such; Motswana a re kgetsi ya tsie e kgonwa ka go tshwaraganelwa.
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