BY MBONGENI NDLELA
MBABANE – Eswatini is aligning more and more with the first world in the bid to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Today, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo launched a Sustainable Development Goals Investor Road Map.
The roadmap is a digital market intelligence tool aimed at assisting investors identify sectors to invest in, in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The portal, https://sdginvestorplatform.undp.org/country/eswatini, has been developed in collaboration with UNDP, which aligned Investment Opportunity Areas covering six sectors; Food and Beverage, Renewable and Alternative Energy, Infrastructure, Financials, Healthcare, and Education – according to an official statement on Government social media pages.
Speaking during the launch, Minister Khumalo said “Within these six priorities sectors, the Eswatini SDG Investor Map identifies 14 Investment Opportunity Areas to leverage our fullest potential in the area of digitalisation and technology, waste and environmental management, and development financing with private sector partners. The current dispensation of global economic crises has taught us that for any country to be truly resilient and prosperous, we must be self-producing, self-sustaining and attract varied investments to service local and international markets.”
Minister Khumalo also highlighted that His Majesty’s Government has long realised the importance of a private sector-led economy and has made various strides in improving access to opportunities and support for the private sector, from the credit and export guarantee schemes to pending instruments like the Citizens Empowerment Bill, which seeks to improve the business environment for a thriving private sector.
Minister Khumalo added that “In keeping with our vision of a private sector-led economy, today we are launching the SDG Investor Map of Eswatini. We have a window as a country, with support from our partners like UNDP, to showcase Eswatini’s investment projects to wider networks of investors to spur growth in our economy. We are now well prepared to leverage and showcase our value proposition to the world.”
Echoing the Minister’s words, UNDP Resident Representative Rose Ssebatindira said that “To achieve the aspirations of SDGs, a concerted effort is required to increase investments in key sectors that propel the economy. However, despite the potential that private sector investments offer, many developing countries attract low levels of domestic and foreign investment in SDGs because of limited data and insights about investment opportunities and risks; limited capacities and networks; and high real or perceived policy and regulatory risks that impede progress. Eswatini is no different.”
The launch was held earlier today at Esibayeni Lodge, and was attended by the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA), the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Trade, the UNDP, as well as Business Eswatini amongst others.
