Permanent Secretary Mokotedi says, there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology Dikagiso Mokotedi
 

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology Dikagiso Mokotedi said he was pleased to notice that the majority of attendants at the Mobile Innovation Stakeholders Roadshow Workshop were young people. He said it was encouraging to see young people actively participate in initiatives that sought to improve the lives of Batswana. Inspired by the palpable spirit of youth that prevailed at the workshop, Mokotedi drew the audience attention to the analogy between the participant’s youthfulness and his Ministry’s fledgling phase. He said the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology (MIST) is fairly young having been established in 2009. At the time of its inception, the Ministry was besieged by a growing number of young artisans and builders who were unemployed and roamed the streets despite governments massive spend in the construction industry. “We took a deliberate decision to hand-hold these passionate but inexperienced tradesmen and give them an opportunity to get a foot in the door of the cut-throat construction industry,” he said. Today these budding entrepreneurs are the toast of the industry running thriving businesses.   

Mokotedi said he was immensely impressed by the youthful enthusiasm of the ICT sector and pledged to personally ensure that the same benevolent gesture that his Ministry extended to the construction industry is accorded to the ICT sector. “You are assured of government’s commitment to walk the talk and assist start-up businesses in the ICT sector. Governments commitment is demonstrated by an eight figure Innovation Fund that will be announced soon,” he said. He said the Ministry was tying the loose ends for the administration of the fund and that BIH through its subsidiary technology entrepreneurship programme, First Step Venture Centre, will identify, develop, and nurture viable technology oriented start-up businesses with a potential to grow into international markets. The announcement was received with a round of applause and assured mobile app entrepreneurs of the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.