BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, has expressed his sincere gratitude to the Eswatini Government for the generous budget allocation of E150 million for factory shells.
Out of the E150 million, E140 million will be dedicated to the construction of the actual factory shells, while the remaining E10 million will be allocated for building what are known as factory cottages. The Commerce Ministry has been tasked with the responsibility of constructing 10 factory shells each year.
During the 2025/26 Budget Speech debate in the House of Assembly, Khumalo elaborated on the significance of this budgetary allocation for the capital project. “We are thankful to the Minister of Finance for recognising the importance of our Ministry by allocating E140 million for the construction of factory shells,” he stated.
The minister highlighted that the factory cottages, to be built with the E10 million, would serve to support small business owners within various constituencies and chiefdoms. These cottages are intended to assist these entrepreneurs in growing their businesses by providing the necessary resources to enhance productivity in their respective areas.
While Khumalo expressed a desire for an expanded budget allocation to facilitate the construction of additional factories, he acknowledged the reality of competing national needs that require attention within the limited budgetary resources. He indicated plans to initiate construction of factory shells in locations such as Mantambe, Sigwe, Bulandzeni, and other regions, though these projects would rely on next financial year’s budgetary provisions.
The Minister urged the Government to keep his Ministry in mind for future budget allocations, emphasising that more structures would lead to increased job creation. He also called upon community chiefs to collaborate with his Ministry to ensure the successful implementation of these projects within their communities.
