Food imports reach P7.8bn
Monday, October 24, 2022 | 850 Views |
Steep: As at September, cooking oil prices were on average 44 percent higher than the same month in 2021
Comparisons with the trends over the same period are difficult to make as data for two months in 2021 is missing.
However, numbers made available this week by Statistics Botswana indicate that from a figure of P871.4 million in May, the country’s food import bill ballooned to P2.3 billion in June.
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...