Government has appointed the immediate past acting Minister of Youth Sports & Culture Vincent Seretse the new Minister of Trade and Industry as well as the Lobatse Legislator SadiqueKebonang assisting Seretse effective this past Thursday.
Seretse took over from the immediate past trade minister Dorcus Makgato-Malesu who has been assisted by Keletso Rakhudu who recently lost his parliamentarian seat.
Seretse for some time was the assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, under Kenneth Matambo while Kebonang is running his law firm based in Gaborone. Kebonang previously was the Legal Consultant of Choppies Group, the market leading mass grocery retailer in the country, listed at the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE).
Both Seretse and Kebonang are now expected to come up with new reforms aimed at improving the business environment with a view to ensuring that Botswana becomes globally competitive. Their other role is to coordinatethe ministry which has more than six departments, including Industrial Affairs, International Trade, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Cooperatives and Office of the Registrar of Companies, amongst others.
Furthermore, Seretse and his assistant Kebonang are mandated to create a conducive environment for the development of sustainable industries and trade with a view to diversifying and growing the economy, in order to create wealth and employment, so that the lives of Batswana can be improved.
The parastatals that fall under the ministry are Botswana Investment and Trade Investment (BITC), led by Letsebe Sejoe as the CEO, Local Enterprises Authority (LEA) led by Dr Tebogo Matome, Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBs) led by Masego Marobela, Botswana Development Corporation where Bashi Gaetsaloe is the MD, Competition Authority where ThulaKaira is head the authority. There is Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA) where Thabo Thamane is the Chief Executive and also Gambling Authority overseen by Thuli Johnson and the Companies Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA), led by the Registrar General who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Conductor Masena.
In the corporate space, Seretse held various plum posts. He also had a stay at Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC), another parastatal before taking over as CEO of BTC, the giant landline telephone monopoly, which then came back to profitability.
Meanwhile the appointment of the Vice President (VP) of Botswana has been withheld pending the endorsement of the Vice President by the National Assembly, a matter that is currently before the Courts. Carter Morupisi is the newly appointed Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) and Secretary to Cabinet.
