Inside the social welfare programme overhaul :: Mmegi Online

The economy rebounded by a strong 8.7% in the second quarter, while diamond sales in the United States, the biggest market, rose 8.8% in the first half. As the country marks its Diamond Jubilee, budget experts are cautiously optimistic and to ensure more fiscal stability going forward, key actions are ongoing. These include a full-scale overhaul of social safety programmes which cost about P10bn annually. Authorities say the review will root out double dippers and enhance sustainability of spending to reach more of those who deserve but are currently not being covered. MBONGENI MGUNI & PAULINE DIKUELO write

Fiscal authorities and the nation at large received a surprise Independence Day gift on Tuesday, when Statistics Botswana revealed that the economy grew by 8.7% in the second quarter compared to a contraction of 5.2% over the same period last year.

The figures represented two consecutive quarters of growth, the first time the trend has occurred since the third and fourth quarter of 2023, a feat that underlines the distress the economy has been in, in recent years.

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Inside the social welfare programme overhaul

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