- Since the inception of the Debswana Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme in 2019, a total of eleven thousand two hundred and thirty-three (11, 233) direct and value chain jobs have been created. So far, Seventeen Billion Pula (P17 Billion) against a target of Twenty Billion Pula (P20 Billion) by the end of 2024, has been spent on fuel, lubricants, drilling, crushing, repairs and maintenance of equipment by Batswana.
- Sixty-four percent (64%) of Debswana’s suppliers are citizens who have access to finance through its partnership with local banks. As a result of the arrangement, One Billion Two Hundred Million Pula (P1.2 Billion) has been advanced to finance citizen-owned companies with Debswana. This is testimony that our diamonds are truly for development, they do not just sparkle but catalyse our development.
- Morupule Coal Mine has as of September 2023, supported six hundred and forty (640) jobs from their citizen spend of Three Hundred and Forty-Two (324) Million Pula. Since inception in January 2022, the citizen spend stands at Four Hundred and ninety-one (P491) Million Pula.
- In the past two years, we have seen the establishment of diamond cutting and polishing companies increasing from 23 to 46 in the country. This has increased employment in the sector from two thousand two hundred and seven (2 207) to four thousand two hundred and thirty-nine (4,239), as at September 2023. This is a growth of almost 93 percent. Citizen participation in the upstream, mid and downstream diamond industry is still Government’s priority.
- Tshukudu Metals Botswana has secured the extension of their mining lease in September 2023, and will in 2024 embark on the expansion of the mining project, including the upgrading of the ore processing plant capacity from 3.2 million tonnes of ore to 5.2 million tonnes of ore per annum. The expansion project is estimated to cost One Billion and Two Hundred Million Pula (P1.2 Billion) and will create more job opportunities.
- Currently, Tshukudu Metals Motheo Copper Project has a total of one thousand five hundred (1,500) employees and contractors, 97 percent of whom are Batswana. The project has an initiative to empower communities through training and upskilling, and has thus facilitated employment of one hundred and sixty (160) persons from communities around the mine, particularly Gantsi and the surroundings areas.
Increase in Jobs Created by Diamond Cutting & Polishing Companies
2207
Growth in Number of Diamond Cutting and Polishing companies
23
AGRiCULTURE HIGHLIGHTS
- It is indisputable that no nation can stand dignified if it cannot feed itself. Our aspirations continue to be for a sustainable, technology-driven and commercially viable agricultural sector, aimed at attaining food security.
- In the context of the need for the country to feed itself, let it be noted that the decision to restrict the importation of selected vegetables and fruits in 2022 is bearing fruit. The intervention has resulted in the decline of the fresh produce import bill from Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million Pula (P634 million) in 2018 to One Hundred and Eighty-Two Million (P182 million) in 2023.
- This has reduced the fresh import bill by Four Hundred and Fifty-Two Million Pula (P452 million), which is 71 percent reduction. We achieved this, while simultaneously increasing our national capacity to produce the food we need daily at both household and national levels. This demonstrates the positive impact of the import restrictions on the country’s import bill.
Fresh produce import bill
BWP634 Million
BWP182 Million
