Struggling F/town unexcited over budget

Barely breathing: Cross-border traders were Francistownu00e2u20acu2122s economic lifeline  PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG
Barely breathing: Cross-border traders were Francistownu00e2u20acu2122s economic lifeline PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

FRANCISTOWN: Former Francistown mayor and prominent economic commentator, Iqbal Ebrahim says he does not anticipate that the upcoming budget speech will have much to offer in terms of resuscitating the economy of Francistown.

Ebrahim shared his views this week in an interview with Mmegi. The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Thapelo Matsheka is expected to deliver the country’s budget speech for the 2021-2022 fiscal year on Monday.

The second city’s economy took a knock several years ago when Tati Nickel Mine closed its doors as part of the group-wide collapse of BCL Ltd. The city’s other important economic pillar, retail trade, has since suffered as the purchasing power of Zimbabweans and Zambians has dwindled due to frequent border closures. There has been little activity with some retailers saying their sales have gone down by 50%.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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