<p>The Minister of Finance and Economic Development and Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe has promised a budget that prioritizes inclusive growth, aiming to uplift vulnerable groups through social programs while creating opportunities for SMEs via infrastructure, regulatory reforms, and access to global markets.</p>

Vice President delivers a Budget that Aims at Growth and Protection of Vulnerable Groups

Deploy the national budget to lift the economy

<p>Botswana's President Duma Boko has announced an agreement with Qatar's Al Mansour Holdings, aimed at addressing immediate national challenges, with the Gulf firm committing to $12 billion in investments in various economic sectors.</p>

Botswana Development Corporations signs a $12 billion Deal with Qatar's Al Mansour

Attract at least P100 billion annually in domestic and foreign investment

<p>The parliament of Botswana has adopted the Cannabis bill that will allow the cultivation of the crop in the country. The Bill seeks to unlock the economic, scientific, and industrial potential of cannabis in a controlled and responsible manner.&nbsp;</p>

Parliament Approves the Cannabis Act of 2025

Intensify the adoption and access to high-yielding,  appropriate crop varieties/hybrids and livestock breeds

Establish the Botswana National Research and Development Council (BNRDC) to facilitate the commercialization and scaling of production in niche areas

Develop a Comprehensive and Inclusive Tourism Plan which will empower Batswana to participate and benefit in the sector fully

Launch a fund for an accelerated Green Economy Program driven by new state-owned enterprises in partnership with the private sector

Promote the manufacture of school, prison, police, and army uniforms in Botswana, including retail shops and private security companies through SMMEs

Stop outsourcing of services and instead will start a process of in-sourcing some of the services

Establish a national research and development fund

Establish a Creative Arts Fund for the youth to access for self-employment and business growth

Review the whole Financial Services Act to ensure that citizens play an active role

Develop and encourage the creation of citizen-led and dominated financial institutions such as the savings and credit associations

Establish an independently managed fund by devoting 1% of the annual national budget to Nongovernmental organization(NGO) or civil society organization(CSO) and Retired persons development programs

Implement without delay, an independent beef and other meat products regulator that will issue export licenses and ensure the uptake of livestock from smaller farmers as well

Improved tax collection coverage and re-negotiated agreements such as the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU)

Large-scale servicing of plots especially around high growth rates

Provide adequate transport to supervision and visits to farmers

Intensify the supervision to extension staff by introducing 1:15 supervisor to extension workers in order to improve farmer contact and interaction

Provide a conducive policy environment to encourage investments in agricultural production and manufacturing by the private sector including farmers

Provide water for irrigated agriculture targeted at export market

Promote climate-smart agriculture to mitigate challenges

Provide targeted input subsidies in compliance with the Agriculture under the World Trade Organisation for food security, rural development and poverty eradication

Heavily invest in Research and Development (R&D) to generate demand -driven appropriate bio-chemical technologies

Align Research and Development in agriculture with the 4th Industrial Revolution for Commercial Agriculture

Strengthen joint peer review mechanisms, especially between farmers on one hand and service providers of farm produce on the other to maintain good customer service and quality of goods and service

Promote and intensify irrigated agriculture in potential areas of the country

Invest in critical infrastructure (roads, energy, information and communication technology/digital technology, water etc.) to access production and market areas

Align Human Resource Development for extension services  with STEAM Education to provide applied relevant skills and knowledge to transform farming

Intensify investment in human resource development in extension services and management including working out a farmer/extension worker ratio of 1 to 100

Intensify and expand the commercialisation of potential farmers through effective and efficient extension, research and appropriate Farmers Commodity Groups

Classify farmers according to their environmental/geographical and socio-economic conditions to target appropriate technical and financial support

Triple our cereal yields per hectare

Ensure that the economy possesses strong export-orientation (outside diamonds)

Encourage  unionization of both public and private sector workers including those in retail and tourism industries

Ratify all critical regional, continental, and international labour conventions and resuscitate the bargaining council

Enable the growth of unionism and the full empowerment of the labour movement  across all sectors of the economy

Use procurement as a lever to create sustainable and subsequently, export-oriented business

Build a comprehensive national distribution system that covers key villages that are water starved

Build at least 2 mega-companies in the areas of manufacturing medicines and energy development

Build a fast train between Gaborone , Johannesburg, Lusaka and Harare

Build airport with a global pull of transit traffic across continents

Modernize alternative transport modes in the Gaborone cosmopolitan area that include Ramotswa, Molepololole, Lobatse, Kanye, Mochudi, and Gabane. These will include light rail, overhead carts, and others

Build dual carriageway linking Gaborone and Francistown

Transform Botswana into a transport hub for the 363 million-strong SADC market

Implement long-standing plans to build rail links to either Namibia or Mozambique including one through to Kasane and Zambia

Promote collective bargaining and unity among labor unions

Promote decent work, continuous professional developmentary-skilling and investment, and re-deployment of misplaced skills

Build an economy that can sustain average salaries of P10 000 or more

Set up a grant fund system for the informal sector

Create an equitable, dynamic, and diversified economy with an annual growth rate of at least 10 %

<div class="ewa-rteLine">The government of Botswana has suspended 70 ongoing projects that were under the Development Manager Model (DMM) to address concerns about its effectiveness and cost-efficiency.</div>
<div class="ewa-rteLine">The affected projects include road construction, office buildings, institutional housing, hospital facilities, schools, stormwater drainage systems, and development of the Leather Industry Park in Lobatse.</div>

The government of Botswana Suspends 70 projects under the Development Manager Model

Improve project management and assured early cancellation of wasteful projects in different sectors

<p>The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development organized a budget pitso for the youth and later for local authorities with the aim of consulting the public and stakeholders and take their input and interventions in the Budgetary process.</p>

Government Organises Youth and Local Government Budgets Pitso's

Monitor and evaluate the impact of public interventions and support

<p>The Minister of Finance and and Economic Development and the Vice President of Botswana in presenting the 2025/2026 Budget Proposals informed the nation that the government has started the process of creating a sovereign wealth fund that will invest in sustainable domestic and foreign assets.&nbsp;</p>

Government Starts the Process of Creating a Sovereign Wealth Fund

Initiate and build a Sovereign Wealth Fund: which will invest locally, continentally, and internationally

<p>The Minister of Finance and Economic Development and Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe says his government will increase income tax for the highest tax bracket by 1.5%. The Minister of Finance and Economic Development also says Corporate Tax will also be increased by the same percentage points.</p>

Government Introduces 1.5% tax Increases for High Income Earners and Corporate Tax

Introduce progressive taxation through fewer or even no taxes for the very low-income groups and gradually increasing taxes with the highest levels of taxes lower than regional taxes

<p>President Duma Boko on November 14 met with DeBeers executive led by Chief Executive Officer AL Cook. After the meeting, the president and the CEO both promised that a new diamond deal between the 2 parties is almost complete. The new deal will allow Botswana through the Okavango Diamond Company to increase its trade value to 30% and rise gradually to 50% in the next 10 years.</p>

Position Botswana as a Leading Diamond Trade Centre

Position Botswana as one of the top 10 diamond trading centres globally and the top 3 in the EMEA (Europe ,Middle East and Africa) region

<p>The government of Botswana has announced a decision to lift the import vegetable ban that the previous government introduced. The ban restricted retailers and buyers from sourcing vegetables from across the border. The Vice President in announcing the ban pointed out that this will allow a broader for buyers and sellers of farm produce especially with neighboring countries.</p>

Government Lifts Vegetable Ban

Establish regional crop and agricultural markets for all farm-related products

<p>Botswana Development Corporation (BDC), the government&rsquo;s main investment entity has officially opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility called Delta Automotive Technologies in Lobatse</p>

Delta Automotive officially opens

Create 450 000 to 500 000 decent, sustainable, and well-paying jobs within 5 years across new and existing sectors

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Vice President delivers a Budget that Aims at Growth and Protection of Vulnerable Groups