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Gov’t pursues P5bn in budget support loans

Watching the books: Serame sought Parliament’s fast-tracked approval of two loans this week PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
Watching the books: Serame sought Parliament’s fast-tracked approval of two loans this week PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

The Finance Ministry this week sought to push through legislative approvals for $211 million (P2.8 billion) in loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the OPEC Fund, debt which authorities say is required to plug the budget deficit and fund transformation going forward.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) separately says its board has approved a $179.7 million (P2.3 billion) loan to help Botswana “restore post-pandemic fiscal stability and economic recovery”.

While the AfDB loan is the second tranche of a facility that disbursed $137 million last year, the JICA and OPEC Fund facilities are new direct budget support for Botswana.

Editor's Comment
The time is now to relax adoption laws

Over the years, there has been many reports of infants being abandoned by parents. Many factors can contribute to child abandonment, some of which may stem from mental health issues and lack of support, but other reasons may be that one could have made better choices with proper education. Some parents abandon their infants due to financial difficulties and the fear of having to provide for a newborn. Many developed countries have come up with...

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