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Gov’t fiscal crunch squeezes business confidence

Slowing down: Government’s fiscal challenges are the biggest concern facing local firms PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Slowing down: Government’s fiscal challenges are the biggest concern facing local firms PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

Business confidence is being hit hard by worries over slow government spending, with most firms expecting a tight operating environment through to the first half of next year, a Bank of Botswana survey has revealed.

The Business Expectations Survey (BES) for the second quarter of this found that long-term expectations of the business environment are skewed to the downside, with the main worries fuelled by the government's limping revenues and spending.

The researchers found that businesses were wary of market conditions following a series of government announcements to cut spending and halt an array of planned and budgeted expenditure.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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