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Gov't greenlights new Sovereign Wealth Fund

Advising: Bank of Botswana governor, Cornelius Dekop. The central bank had advised government to restructure the Pula Fund PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
Advising: Bank of Botswana governor, Cornelius Dekop. The central bank had advised government to restructure the Pula Fund PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

The Minister of Finance, Ndaba Gaolathe, on Monday announced plans to create a “fully-fledged” Sovereign Wealth Fund, moving in line with recommendations by the IMF and the Bank of Botswana which have called for the establishment of a strong generational fiscal reserve.

Whilst the country currently has the Pula Fund acting as a fiscal buffer and a store of reserves for future generations, experts have said the fund has structural weaknesses, which include the lack of commitments around deposits and poor control of frequent withdrawals.

Delivering his inaugural budget speech, Gaolathe said government was committed to ensuring long-term macroeconomic stability and fostering intergenerational equity by preserving sufficient assets and wealth for future generations.

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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