Analysis paralysis and the approaching fiscal storm
Friday, May 23, 2025 | 1370 Views |
Raising the alarm: Mogae was amongst the earliest Finance Ministers to signal serious concerns about the undiversified economy
The gap between knowing what to do and doing it, has been the proverbial thorn in the side of public sector policymakers and the reforms they have attempted to make over the decades since the discovery of diamonds.
For those tracking the numbers, the current fiscal challenge is not about the past months. The fiscal crisis now manifesting in reports of government delaying to settle some payments, parastatals postponing paydays for employees and rising public debt, can be seen as far back as a decade ago, when mineral revenues entered a downward slide.
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...