The overall portfolio responsibility of the Ministry of Trade and Industry is to enhance socio-economic progress, the development of trade, industry and commerce. The Ministry is also responsible for promoting the optimal  use of locally available raw materials for producing goods and provide efficient trade and commercial service to all sections of the community particularly those in rural areas; and thus create  employment opportunities for both urban and rural areas.

Specifically, the Ministry of Trade and Industry is responsible for the following:-

• Administration and enforcement of trading laws

• Betting and gaming operations 

• Bilateral, regional and multilateral trade arrangements

• Business consultancy and advisory services

• Business counseling and mentoring

• Consumer affairs, education and protection

• Consumer co-operatives development

• Domestic trade

• Entrepreneurship development and coordination

• Fair business practices

• Fairs and exhibitions

• Formulation, implementation and monitoring of industrial development  policy and programmes

• Formulation of Botswana Investment Policy

• Import and export control, facilitation and promotion

• Industrial extension services co-ordination

• Integrated support to small, medium and micro-enterprises

• Intellectual property issues related to:

• industrial property

• Copyright

• geographical indications

• layout designs (topographies) of integrated circuits

• trade secrets and undisclosed information

• International trade

• Promotion of trade and business linkages

• Registration of business names

• Registration of companies

• Research permits:   sector specific

• Thrift and loan co-operatives

• Trade and industrial licensing

• Trade and investment incentives

• Statutory authorities supervised by the ministry and other organizations with portfolio responsibilities related to the ministry:
  

• Botswana Export Development and Investment Agency (BEDIA)

• Bureau of Standards