Deficit reaches P2.4bn at fiscal year halfway point
Friday, December 06, 2019
Finance and Economic Development ministry statistics published by the Bank of Botswana this week show that while the first quarter of 2019/20 enjoyed a P2.2 billion surplus, the second quarter sank to a P4.5 billion shortfall, resulting in the cumulative deficit of P2.4 billion.
The numbers indicate that over the two quarters, revenues amounted to P30.5 billion while expenditure reached P32.9 billion. The game changer between the quarters was a once-off P4.3 billion windfall received by government from the central bank as residual income in April 2019 which helped the first quarter to a surplus.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...