Kenyan PM urges private sector take lead in economic development
- Source: Xinhua
- [11:20 July 10 2009]
- Comments
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday expressed fears that the country may never realize the Vision 2030 dream unless the private sector takes centre stage in wealth creation initiatives.
Odinga said the goal could only become a reality through the successful partnership of both the private and public sectors to fight poverty through creation of opportunities that are likely to economically empower the society.
"We will not be able to achieve the Vision 2030 goal unless the private sector takes a central role as the public sector acts as a facilitator in wealth creation endevours," he said.
The PM told the country's business community during a breakfast meeting that the government was determined to achieve the goal within the set time frame and only wanted to play a facilitator role towards the dream.
The PM was speaking at a meeting called to strategize on Kenya's bid to host next year's World Economic Forum after the country received a clean bill of health in the preliminary assessment.
Odinga said the input of the private sector was crucial in winning the bid in which Tanzania and Ghana have also expressed an interest and urged the business community to effectively play their part in marketing the country.
He assured the gathering that the government would meet its obligation in offering security and other services the delegates may need during their stay if the country won the bid.
Kenya made a bid to host the annual event which has previously only been held in South Africa in the continent which made the premier raise a concern and recommendation that the event be held on a rotational basis among member countries.
Odinga said poverty remains a major impediment to industrialization and the general development of the nation. " There was no other way to deal with poverty than to create wealth and wealth can only be created if the private and public sectors work together in unison," he added.
Kenya has formally launched its bid to host the African chapter of the World Economic Forum in Nairobi next year. Odinga said a four-member team from the World Economic Forum Secretariat in Geneva will be jetting into the country next week to asses the country's ability to host the forum.
"A preliminary team has already been in the country to asses its capability to host this meeting and I'm informed that the first report was good," he said. He said the country required 76.9 million shillings (one million US dollars) to host the event and appealed to the private sector to partner with the government in making this pitch a success.
"The World Economic Forum Secretariat in Geneva is convinced that the government is keen on hosting the event but what they are more curious to establish is whether the private sector is interested too," Odinga said.
The east African nation is in competition with Ghana and Tanzania for the June 2010 event. Trade Minister Amos Kimunya said the business environment in the country was unfavorable but such an event would boost Kenya's image. "If we make it work it will give us the boost we need to take our businesses back to what we had in 2007," Kimunya said.