The Mid Term Review of the National Development Plan 11, which runs from April 2017 – March 2023, was presented in the July 2020 Session of Parliament. This document’s primary purpose is to look holistically at the past 3 years of the Botswana economy, what we’ve achieved, challenges and adjust the trajectory of the NDP11 as is necessary. In this article I therefore try to bring out some snapshots in the document and possibly offer some insight and advise into some of the issues at play. Due to the sheer breadth of the document, I will strictly stick to issues related to the economy and the potential transformation of it.
REVIEWING THE REVISED CEDA GUIDELINES
On July 16th 2020, His Excellency Dr MEK Masisi, launched the revised Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) Lending Guidelines and Requirements. These guidelines were a revision of the guidelines that were launched and approved in 2008. Since then the Botswana economy has changed drastically and this necessitated a revision of the guidelines to ensure they are still relevant to the market and clients.
WITH CHALLENGES, COMES OPPORTUNITY: HOW BOTSWANA CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE COVID19 PANDEMIC
The COVID19 Health Crisis has proved to be an unprecedented once in lifetime crisis that has devastated countries across the world and challenged every country to respond in a bid to stave off the worst Depression the world has ever seen. The pandemic has threatened our very way of life and has forced the most extraordinary responses and disruptions to everyday life not seen since probably the World Wars.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THE INFORMAL SECTOR AND POSSIBLE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS
In the past 2 months since the world was gripped by the Covid19 pandemic, governments across the world have responded in various ways to control the health crisis and to also minimize the potential economic catastrophe. Social distancing and lockdown rules, whilst necessary for the control of the virus, are detrimental to many economies and more so an economy like Botswana which is reliant on sectors such as hospitality, travel, tourism, mining and the informal sector.
POSSIBLE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON BOTSWANA: RISKS, FIGURES AND POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS
(Employment data sourced from Statistics Botswana Quarterly Multi-Topic Survey for Q3 2019 released in January 2020 and The Formal Sector Employment Survey December 2018)
As at the time of writing the article, Botswana registered 4 confirmed cases of COVID-19 but the effects and disruption to normal life were already being felt for the past 3 weeks. The aim of this article is to therefore try to investigate the different economic effects that will arise from this disaster. I will look at individual industries, possible effects on unemployment, possible effects on the Government budget and possible mitigating strategies the Government can employ to try cushion us against this disaster.
BUDGET SPEECH 2020/21 REVIEW: THICK IN RHETORIC, WORRISOME IN REALITY
(This article must be read in conjunction with the previous article previewing the Budget Speech to avoid me repeating concepts here)
Listening to the Honorable Dr Matsheka, Minister of Finance on Friday on Duma FM, I had quiet hope that the budget would be different from previous budgets. It turned out not to be so; in fact this budget could be worse, with a potential of undermining the growth path the country needs to embark on. I will note however that Dr Matsheka was appointed extremely late in the budget process and therefore could have changed very little.
A DECADE OF BUDGETS IN REVIEW: WHERE DO WE COME FROM AND WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?
With the first Budget Speech of the decade set to be delivered by the Honourable Minister of Finance Dr Thapelo Matsheka on the 3rd February 2020, we have been provided with a good opportunity to look backwards, review and then dream forward. A new decade, coupled with a new Presidency, provides us with the perfect opportunity to assess how our economy has evolved in the past decade and where we would like it to go in the coming ten years. A renewed excitement on prospects of transforming our economy exists in large part to the His Excellency Dr MEK Masisi’s championing of transforming Botswana into a knowledge based economy by taking advantage of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
PPPs: JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED FOR BOTSWANA’S PROCUREMENT CHALLENGES?
With more than P100 billion worth of infrastructure projects targeted for NDP11 (2017/8 – 2023/4) Botswana cannot afford the wastage and failed projects that characterized the last 15 years. Procurement has been a challenge with corruption, cost overruns and failed projects a norm. This has impacted on service delivery and the life of the average Motswana. This has also meant the Government purse has been stretched and therefore other projects deferred also adding to poor delivery of promises. This state of affairs has forced the Government to look at alternative systems of procurement and PPPs are widely touted as a good alternative to traditional procurement.
RETRENCHMENTS, SUICIDE AND A CASE FOR BOTSWANA TO DO BUSINESS DIFFERENTLY
A few weeks ago I travelled to Selebi Phikwe to bury a friend I had known and grown up with since 1990. Whilst he didn’t leave a note explaining why he had decided to take his life, we cannot downplay how him being retrenched last year played a part in his decision.
THE MIDDLE CLASS NEEDS A HUGE PARADIGM SHIFT ON WEALTH, MONEY AND WHAT CAUSES INEQUALITY
In light of April 23rd being World Books Day, I’ve decided to post a break away from the investment series I’ve been writing to share some ramblings and thoughts about something I feel strongly about and feel we need more in the public discourse. This article could be long and possibly initially boring but please do read and get to the end because the insights could be life changing to your attitude with money and wealth.
Why Leave my Cushy Corporate Job to become an Educator?
This article first appeared in Millenial Magazine in their December 2016 issue
I took a decision at the end of 2015 to quit a fairy lucrative job working as a fixed income specialist and structurer at one of the biggest financial services firms in the country to become a lecturer at the University of Botswana. I left my decent annual salary, my consistent annual performance, sacrificed my stock options in the company and even gave up my corporate contract phone. Why?
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