Budget could need P8bn cut – Econsult
Friday, August 09, 2024 | 420 Views |
Juggling act: Serame has difficult decisions ahead due to the downturn in diamonds
In their most recent economic review, Econsult researchers, Keith Jefferis and Sethunya Kegakgametse, said the government’s approved spending for 2024–2025 of P102 billion would likely produce a deficit as high as P17 billion, due to the contraction in mineral revenues this year.
Jefferis, a former Bank of Botswana deputy governor, completed a posting to the Finance ministry as a senior policy advisor, a few years ago.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...