25 Aug 2024

Over P60 million has been awarded to 81 projects varying from the film and television, software IT, music, book publishing, broadcasting, animation, visual arts as well as theatre and performing arts categories through the Levy on Technical Devices Fund (LTDF).

Speaking at the LTDF 2023 Open Call award ceremony in Gaborone on Thursday, Minister of Trade and Industry, Honourable Mmusi Kgafela applauded LTDF beneficiaries and implored them to deliver and produce quality.

He said it was a rare privilege to benefit from the limited resources that the country had.

“Therefore, be aware that the government expects prudent financial management and adherence to set standards and delivery of global standards. Prove to Batswana that it was not a miscarriage of dreams to select you from the 1 180 applicants that submitted funding proposals for the 2023 LTDF Open Call,” he said.

He said LTDF should be held accountable and that no shady jobs should be entertained.

Minister Kgafela called on CIPA and the management committee to ensure that monitoring and evaluation of funded projects was comprehensive, adding that the monitoring should be done without fear or favour.

Minister Kgafela further said government continued to recognise the creative industry as a sector that contributed to the economic development of this country.

He said government endeavours to develop the sector to create employment, alleviate poverty and diversify the economy as well as promote inclusive economic involvement in line with the transformational aspiration for Botswana to become a knowledge-based economy.  “Government desires to see an increase in the contribution of the creative industry to the economy from 5.46 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product and an increase to employment from 2.66 per cent, which were recorded during the study on the Economic Contribution of the Copyright Based Industries of 2019,” he said,

He added that the ministry’s mandate was to create a conducive environment for the promotion of investment and development of sustainable industries and trade.

 He also said the ministry was charged with ensuring that the diversification and growth of the economy leads to the creation of wealth and employment.

Caretaker Registrar General of CIPA, Duke Ramaphoi said the decision by government to use the LTDF to develop the industry had potential to pay off.

Ramaphoi said the industry players, therefore, need to meet the dedication of the government with the same level of commitment.

“The first Open Call was in 2003 and 41 projects were funded at an amount of P34.8m.

Of the 41 funded projects, 31 were successfully completed, whereas 10 projects were terminated mainly due to misappropriation of project funds,” Ramaphoi said.

He said despite the challenges, there were projects that they were proud of, which included Signed International, which unearthed actors who were engaged by South Africa dramas, among them being Maxwell Dichi, who is engaged in Muvhango, and Now TV’s Drama Series, Lights Off, Botswood, which was funded to produce a television drama titled Botshelo Jo! Season 3.

Ramaphoi said the Botswood production created 150 jobs during production, adding that the drama was televised on Btv and commissioned by Btv to produce subsequent seasons currently airing.

 He also said books had been produced and found space in shelves of book distributors such as Exclusive Books.  ENDS