Economy grew by 3% in 2019

Gaborone CBD PIC. BASHI KIKIA
Gaborone CBD PIC. BASHI KIKIA

The local economy expanded by three percent last year, compared to 4.5 percent in 2018 due largely to lower output in the fourth quarter from the mining sector, particularly diamonds, coal and soda ash. 

Figures released by Statistics Botswana this morning show that 2019’s growth was the lowest since 2015, when the economy shrank by 1.7 pecent due to an across the board slowdown in the mining sector. Government had expected the economy to grow by 3.6 percent in 2019, while the International Monetary Fund had projected 3.5 percent. 

The economy grew by 1.6 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to 3.1 percent in the third quarter, three percent in the second and 4.2 percent in the first.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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