IMF sticks to dim Botswana forecast
Friday, November 08, 2024 | 1030 Views |
In the news: The next finance minister has their hands full guiding the fiscus back to stability while protecting the most vulnerable from shocks
In the April edition of its World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF had projected 3.6 percent growth for Botswana in 2024, whilst government at the time of the February budget speech, expected a 4.2 percent expansion.
In a September update, after meetings with local fiscal and monetary authorities, the IMF revised this down to one percent, noting the impact of the diamond downturn and the risk that recovery could take longer than expected.
That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...