2. These budget proposals are the first under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, whose roadmap is anchored on the cardinal principles of good governance and respect for the rule of law. The proposals also fall within the same year as the national general elections, scheduled for October 2019. Indeed, holding of regular general elections every five (5) years demonstrates the commitment of this Government to the rule of law, as this complies with the Constitution of the Republic of Botswana. In addition, holding of regular elections in a constitutional democracy like ours is part of good governance, as it gives the citizens an opportunity to renew their social contract with the political leadership. It is because of this Government’s adherence to good governance that the country continues to be ranked among Africa’s best performers in various areas such as economic management, political leadership and governance.
3. Madam Speaker, as part of the 2019 Budget Speech, I will provide a synopsis of the development path that we have traversed as a country over the past years. Before I do that, I wish to indicate that the global and domestic economic situation underpinning the 2019/2020 budget proposals was covered in detail in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by His Excellency, the President three (3) months ago in November 2018.
