Economic Inclusion Act not yet implemented
Acting Minister of Entrepreneurship Mabuse Pule says the Economic Inclusion Act is yet to be implemented. He said the Ministry is still working on the finalisation of the regulations. Pule announced that the Coordinator was appointed two weeks back and his name is Thatayaone Molefhi. He stated that with this key action now in progress, the next step is to finalise the regulations in consultation with the Attorney General’s Chambers.
He stated that the term 'targeted citizen' is defined in the Act as a citizen whose access to economic resources has been constrained by various factors, as may be prescribed by the Minister from time to time. This, he said is made up of systemic barriers that limit their access to economic resources and opportunities. He explained that these barriers can be historical, social, or economic in nature. According to Pule, in applying the definition, without necessarily being exhaustive, fall within key characteristics of a 'targeted citizen'. He said among them is the marginalised or disadvantaged, a person who faces, or has faced historical or ongoing economic exclusion based on factors like gender, disability or socio-economic background, limiting their access to resources and opportunities.
“Limited access to economic resources is a person who has faced or continues to face difficulty accessing capital, land or training needed to participate meaningfully in the economy. This could include limited access to education, health care or financial services. Constrained development capacity: a person who has had, or has limited ability to improve their economic well-being or is hindered by the aforementioned factors,” he told Parliament.
The minister indicated that the spirit of the Act is used to uplift the lives of Batswana who have either been previously economically or financially disadvantaged. He pointed out that the thrust is to ensure that any elements that caused undue or inequitable exclusion are tackled with affirmative action, among other corrective interventions.
“In the meantime, and on the assumption that no one has difficulty with the Act’s spirit, the following measures are being implemented in favour of the target groups: Prioritisation in procurement- Government and large private entities are being actively encouraged to give preference to businesses owned by targeted citizens in their procurement processes, through intensified application of existing policy instruments like the preferential schemes, local procurement schemes etcetera. This creates new and direct economic opportunities. Ensuring access to resources and support: the ministry is actively promoting the spirit of the Act and encouraging all procuring authorities
(Accounting Officers across the public sector) to use their legislated powers to uplift the targeted citizens when procuring and executing any other transactions of economic or financial consequence.”
Pule, who is also MP for Mochudi East said the mandate of the Ministry entails a number of functions that help narrow the inequality gap. He revealed that these include among others: Education and mind set change campaigns; these are aimed at promoting entrepreneurial mindset to take advantage of opportunities around them; Business promotion: through institutions like the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), the ministry enhances entrepreneurial skills, business incubation and mentorship programs with a focus on empowering previously disadvantaged individuals and communities; and Capacity building: this is providing training and capacity development on various fields to enable a 'targeted citizen' to own, manage and control their businesses, breaking cycles of economic exclusion.
Pule stated that the Ministry of Entrepreneurship recognizes the importance of working with other stakeholders for them to embrace the objective and spirit of the Act for its smooth implementation. "Our approach, therefore, is that of constructive engagement and collaboration with all stakeholders, education and more education is key in this endeavor," said the minister.