The speech will take the nation into much awaited NDP 10 and comes seven years before the expiration of Vision 2016. Last year's speech's theme was "Accelerating Achievement of Vision 2016 through NDP 10". With the current world economic recession it will be seen whether the theme will be changed to suit current situations even though it seems likely to be continued. The speech will inform us of what is happening internationally
Of course the situation has long been forecast and the minister prepared the 2008/09 budget well informed even though he had hoped the situation will not worsen to its current scenario. The worrying factor of this recession is that it is rendering this developed world incapable of having a spending power, especially the US, which makes up 20 percent of the world economy and imports more than 50 percent of Botswana' s diamonds. We have heard a lot locally how the recession has started to affect us with our diamonds not being bought as expected, BCL retrenching more than 300 employees, Debswana suspending its operations for weeks which may drag to months or later resort to retrenchment unless government could announce financial bail out for this struggling and yet very important mining giants; Tswana steel in Ramotswa closing down, Activox closure, DTC Botswana and its polishing companies facing tough times (I think they are regretting coming to Botswana), department of Student Placement and Welfare's (education ministry) inability to sponsor students admitted this year at technical colleges and many other unreported and expected effects which will unfold as time passes especially from the seemingly quite private sector.
