The Government of Lesotho has on Wednesday announced M19.9 billion worth of private investment and new job opportunities of over 30 000 for Basotho as committed in the National Strategic Development Plan Plan (NSDP) II 2018/19-2022/23 .
NSDP II is developed to achieve inclusive growth and reduction of poverty through private sector-led employment creation. In order to achieve the objectives of the NSDP II, four key priority areas have been identified and they define the core strategic framework of the plan.
The key priority areas are: Enhancing inclusive and sustainable economic growth and private sector led job creation, strengthening Human Capital (health, education & skills development, nutrition and migration issues), building enabling infrastructure and strengthening national governance and accountability systems.
NSDP II views productive and job creating sectors as Agriculture, Manufacturing, Tourism and Creative Arts and Technology and Innovation.
In his keynote address during a Job and Investment Summit held in Maseru, the Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Motsoahae Thomas Thabane asserted that the government is ready, and its ambitions are bold and necessary to address the biggest challenge of unemployment facing Lesotho, saying the targets may seem of Olympian magnitude today, but are achievable with the support and confidence of the private sector, development partners and the public.
Speaking at the same occasion, Minister of Development Planning, Dr. Tlohelang Aumane said every project will be implemented and monitored under a Ministerial Delivery Unit (MDU) that will be established under all ministries involved, whom he revealed will report directly to the PM’s office, explaining that in this way, every lead minister will be accountable for the progress of each project in meeting the targets.