This year, Botswana’s fiscal deficit would drop to 2.3%, a release from the country’s finance ministry informed today September 18, 2018.

According to the information reported by Reuters, this new forecast is higher than the 1.8% previously forecasted. This would be due to a downward revision of the mining revenues which are the country’s main source of revenue.

Upon his arrival in April 2018, the new president Mokgweetsi Masisi (photo) announced that he would stop this dependence on the mining industry and diversify revenue sources.

Let’s note that Botswana expects its economic growth to stand at 4.5% in 2018, lower than the 5.3% previously announced in February 2018, according to statements from Kelapile Ndobano, vice secretary of microeconomic policy at the finance ministry.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou