Botswana: New textile and clothing association formed
Textile and clothing businesses from diamond-rich southern Africa country Botswana have formed a new industry group to boost the sector's efforts to fully utilise dutyfree
incentives under the US's African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The new Botswana Textile and Clothing Association (BTCA) anticipates AGOA will be renewed by the US congress before it expires in 2015.
BTCA founding president Shahid Ghafoor said the association, which was officially launched last month, is ready to help members with solutions to day-to-day challenges.
Ghafoor said the BTCA - based in the capital Gaborone - wants to promote growth and sustainability within the sector, while increasing Botswana's regional and
international textile and clothing market share.
"BTCA will promote entrepreneurship in the industry as well as assist clothing businesses access finance [from] financial institutions" and other sources, said Ghafoor,
speaking in Gaborone, stressing that the association will also work to enhance the capacity of the Botswana industry.
Ghafoor said Botswana's clothing and textile sector has failed to take full advantage of AGOA, struggling to make export sales to the competitive and demanding US
market.
A report by the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) has noted that while the country's textile and garment industry has previously benefitted from
trade preferences (also including the European Union), it has performed weakly during and after the global recession.