Govt boosts project spending as growth slows

Balancing the books: Serame's proposed budget carries a P7.6 billion deficit and continues a string of shortfalls seen in recent years PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
Balancing the books: Serame's proposed budget carries a P7.6 billion deficit and continues a string of shortfalls seen in recent years PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

The Finance Ministry is proposing a development budget of P21 billion for the 2023-24 financial year, P6.3 billion more than it had originally planned last September, in order to maintain the country’s growth momentum.

The economy rebounded strongly after the 2020 COVID-19 shock, recording 11.8 percent growth in 2021-22 and a higher than expected 6.7 percent for 2022-23. However, the continued recovery is threatened by the possibility of a slowdown in the global economy, a fact acknowledged by the Finance Ministry which expects the key mining sector to shrink by 0.1 percent in the 2023.

Growth in 2023-24 is forecast at four percent, before rising to 5.1 percent in 2024-25. Both figures are below the 5.7 percent level required to reach high income status by 2036.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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