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World Bank approves further P2bn loan

Going green: The World Bank’s funding is designed to improve post-pandemic economic resilience and also help the country’s renewable energy transition PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
Going green: The World Bank’s funding is designed to improve post-pandemic economic resilience and also help the country’s renewable energy transition PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

The World Bank’s board has approved a $150 million (P2 billion) loan for Botswana, aimed at supporting the country’s efforts to rebound from the pandemic, boost the private sector’s contribution and also drive sustainable development initiatives.

In a statement on Wednesday, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, the World Bank country director for Eswatini, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa, said the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global shocks had made the need to diversify the economy, create more jobs, and rebuild fiscal buffers more urgent.

“We are pleased to support the government’s efforts to put Botswana on a more inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon growth path,” she said.

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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