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Government has a long-term Rural Electrification Programme, which began in 1975 and has been the cornerstone of the country’s rural development strategy. By last August, 462 out of 565 villages were connected to the national grid, with detailed...

“Debswana is currently in the process of sourcing for a consultant for the provision of anti-fronting investigation for Debswana,” Agatha Sejoe, senior Corporate Affairs Manager (Brand and Stakeholder Relations) said in a written response to...

Whilst the country currently has the Pula Fund acting as a fiscal buffer and a store of reserves for future generations, experts have said the fund has structural weaknesses, which include the lack of commitments around deposits and poor control of...

Local banks’ collective profits have broken historic records in two of the three years since the pandemic year of 2020, defying COVID-19 impacts and downturns in the economy. Nearly all entities in the sector are digitising and boosting their...

Currently, MRI is owned by Botswana Medical Aid (Bomaid), the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, and individuals. Bomaid, through its investment arm, Southview, holds the majority stake of MRI at 94%, whilst MVA Fund owns four percent and the individual...

The diamond group, whose activities are the backbone of the country’s economy, has been battling a prolonged global downturn in demand for the precious stones. The slump, dating back to the third quarter of 2023, has placed operational pressures on...

Last year’s performance is the worst since COVID-19 when sales dropped to P23.7 billion. However, in terms of percentage drop, the 46% fall in 2024 appears to be amongst the steepest on record.Debswana accounts for more than 95% of the country’s...

Excerpts from the late Baledzi Gaolathe’s last budget speech are strikingly similar to the themes and statements made in more recent years by the country’s finance ministers when describing the generally leaner budget and economic trends.At the...

The 2025-26 budget estimates released in December are just that – estimates. The figures are precariously based on best, worse and base case scenarios for key revenue lines such as mining, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) receipts and other...

De Beers and the Government of Botswana this week announced the finalisation of long-drawn out talks for a new diamond agreement. Dating back to 2019, the talks were, at various points, fraught with tensions to the point where, reportedly, both...

Bank of Botswana (BoB) figures show that by November, the pension funds held total assets of P151.3 billion.Under the updated Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) Pension Fund Rules, local pension funds are required to...

Mark Twain’s famous quote about an umbrella, the bank and rain, is in the minds of some sectors as the economy endures a difficult period.“A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it...

Addressing journalists in Cape Town at the Mining Indaba, Minerals and Energy minister, Bogolo Kenewendo, said the negotiations formally ended on Friday, about six years after they first began.“We have concluded the talks towards a new sales...

The Public Investment Programme (PIP), which is the core of every National Development Plan (NDP) and which details the projects to be developed in each NDP, the expected cost and the source of funding, has for decades been funded solely by...

Under government’s domestic note issuance programme, the BoB floats bonds and Treasury Bills each month to raise debt for government in the capital market. The programme’s ceiling was raised to P55 billion early last year after the previous P30...