Ramotswa — Ramotswa District youth have been urged to align their proposed business ideas to the national development plans (NDP's).

Giving a motivational talk during the Ramotswa constituency Youth Development Fund (YDF) orientation Saturday, Minister of Entrepreneurship Mr Karabo Gare urged young people to explore business plans that were in sync with NDP's mandate of optimizing job creation.

He said the fundamental objective during the implementation of the current development plan would be to achieve diversified private sector led growth.

Mr Gare implored young people to propose ideas in line with several projects lined up under the two-year transitional development plan.

He encouraged youth to understand and explore many opportunities available for funding and take advantage.

Minister Gare said he was recently in talks with local financiers and urged them to consider NDP projects aligned ideas before supporting any business.

He said the construction industry was a viable source of job creation as government was undertaking some internal roads projects.

Mr Gare said government was aiming to help grow local businesses in terms of citizen inclusion, mindset change and value chain development.

Area MP Mr Lefoko Moagi told budding entrepreneurs that agriculture and its value chains were a low hanging fruit.

He asked them to be passionate and realistic about their intentions to avoid failure in their plans.

Mr Moagi said consistency was key in realising their potential.

Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture District Coordinator, Ms Minkie Bokole said since its inception YDF had funded 235 projects at a cost of over P22 million.

She said since commencement the district had funded 63 small stock businesses at a cost of over P6 million and some faced operational challenges.

She said the current orientation workshops reached out to an impressive number of participants.

BOPA