It was a gloomy year for business and consumers alike

Although falling fuel prices offer some cushion, this is hardly enough aginst the plethora of other challenges.Oil prices started at around US$100 in January, picking to an all-time high of US$147 per barrel in July and threatening to hit the US$200 mark before the end of 2008.Fuel prices were largely responsible for spiralling food prices globally.

The financial crisis and high fuel prices pushed Botswana's inflation to a record high of 14.5 percent in August, but it has since eased off largely to falling fuel prices.