GDP numbers sparkle, but household and business struggle

Pic. KAGISO ONKATSWITSE
Pic. KAGISO ONKATSWITSE

The economy is seen growing by a healthy 4.7% this year up from an equally satisfactory 3.7% last year but the situation on the ground does not paint a picture of such a ticking economy with many businesses and households remaining under pressure.

In September, the Ministry of Finance officials revised the 2017 growth estimate to 4.7% from 4.2% projected in February as higher output from the services sectors and the end of a drought eased pressure on major industries.

But numbers show that households and business are increasingly playing a lesser role in driving the economy and analysts believe the anomaly between the sparkling economic growth numbers and the struggling household is a reflection of Botswana’s economic structural set up.

Editor's Comment
Botswana must not be a flag of convenience for rogues

‘A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle’.- George William CurtisAccording to the report carried in this publication, the fraudsters operating the so-called “dark fleet” have selected Botswana’s flag as their cover of choice. This is a direct assault on our country’s most valuable asset, the good name.For decades, Botswana has...

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