The long road to parastatal reforms
Friday, December 01, 2023 | 740 Views |
Sign of the times: Air Botswana has been cash-strapped for years, relying mainly on government subventions
Despite the numerous voices that have spoken and are still speaking, there’s no debate about where the economy should be headed. Government policy, priorities and strategies echo the advice and recommendations of entities such as the World Bank, IMF and locally, the Bank of Botswana and the Botswana Institute of Development Policy Analysis.
The post-diamond future for the country, the sustainable solution to breaking out of the middle-income trap, lies essentially in private-sector led growth anchored by a suite of structural reforms in the economy.
Acting Agriculture Minister, Edwin Dikoloti, is right in saying opening an export-ready facility whilst Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is still spreading would risk getting the whole country blacklisted before a single carcass leaves the door.A ban like that would break the already stressed nation. So, the postponement, painful as it is, is the right thing to do. The local economy is being squeezed from both ends. FMD has already slammed the door...