Investment in Botswana needed
2005-05-19 14:59
Gabarone - Botswana President Festus Mogae asked visiting German MPs on Wednesday to increase investment in his country to help it create jobs and fight the scourge of HIV/Aids.
Mogae told the five MPs, who were in Botswana as members of the German parliamentary Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee, the country needed help in expanding its water resources and in increasing its nature conservation initiatives.
He said greater investment was needed in small and medium enterprises and in science and technology education.
The diamond-rich nation has a growing unemployment problem. Diamond mining is capital intensive and the industry employs only 6 000 of the 600 000 workforce.
The country also needed help in fighting HIV/Aids.
Botswana has one of the largest incidences of HIV infection, with 18% of the entire population and 35% of the economically active 25 to 49-year-olds infected.
- SAPA