Gaborone — Government is keen to get different stakeholders' input into the National Employment Policy (NEP), says the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs (MLHA), Ms Anna Mokgethi.
Talking to BOPA on the sidelines of the NEP Stakeholder Dialogue Session at Phakalane Golf Estate on July 25, Ms Mokgethi said the policy was meant to unlock sustainable employment opportunities.
"We are here to solicit ideas from all the stakeholders to get inclusive activity that will feed into the implementation plan of the policy," she said.
In a keynote address, Ms Mokgethi noted that Statistics Botswana's Quarterly Multi-Topic Survey of 2022 put Botswana's unemployment rate at 25.4 percent, and youth unemployment at 33.5 percent.
"While these have recorded slight decreases compared to 2021, they still indicate high levels of unemployment in our country, a challenge that must be addressed head-on and expeditiously," she said.
The dialogue sessions, themed "Unlocking Sustainable Employment Opportunities", will feature talks expected to promote productive, gainful and decent employment. The theme is also aligned with Pillar I of Vision 2036, through which Botswana seeks to achieve high-income status reinforced by an export-led economy that is supported by a diversified, inclusive and sustainable growth driven by high levels of productivity.
"These aspirations require a robust policy framework that will enable them to achieve high impact deliverables in the lives of poor people," she said. "There is therefore an urgent need to determine holistic strategies that will mobilise multiple actors to play a meaningful role in addressing the challenge."
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The Minister added that addressing labour market challenges requires interventions at macro and micro-levels across multiple sectors and necessitates that there must be coherent and coordinated efforts across sectors of the economy.
Giving an overview of the NEP, Deputy Permanent Secretary in MLHA for Employment and Productivity, Ms Tshepho Nkwadi, said since NDP 10, the economy has experienced high levels of unemployment, with annual growth rates in employment not exceeding 1.5%, pointing out that both the government and the private sector experienced a decrease in growth rates of employment.
The NEP is a response to the labour market challenges facing the country.
Among the stakeholders represented at the engagement were representatives of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), labour federations, parastatals, and the private sector.
BOPA
