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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
A promising step for public schools, but...

For too long, the state of many public schools has been a source of shame. We have all seen the pictures and heard the stories of broken windows, unreliable water and electricity, topped by classrooms that are not fit for proper learning. The establishment of the Education Infrastructure and Management Company Ltd (EIMC) signals that authorities are finally ready to take this problem seriously. We must commend the government for this initiative....

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