Mmegi

Public debt pile nears domestic limit

Fiscal headquarters: The Finance Ministry has difficult decisions to make going forward around spending and new revenue lines
Fiscal headquarters: The Finance Ministry has difficult decisions to make going forward around spending and new revenue lines

Government’s debt pile is nearing its limit for domestic borrowings, being at P42.6 billion or about 18.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product, just under the 20% ceiling, a senior Finance ministry official has confirmed.

Under its own statutory rules, government constrains its debt to 20% of GDP for domestic funding and 20% of GDP for external funding.

However, government, through the Bank of Botswana, has been on a flurry of debt raising activities in recent months, as the prolonged diamond downturn has eaten into public revenues, whilst commitments such as salaries and outstanding invoices have pressured the public purse.

Editor's Comment
Two-tier education system demands action

Whilst we join Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and other stakeholders in commending the rise in top grades, a testament to the unwavering effort of many teachers and pupils, this progress is fundamentally shadowed by a failing that shames our society. The stark, persistent urban-rural divide is not just a statistic, but an active betrayal of thousands of young Batswana.The figures are a damning indictment. When pass rates in...

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