FINANCE MINISTER TO PRESENT 2026/27 BUDGET AMID ECONOMIC STRAIN

Article By: Diana Motsu Minister of Finance Ndaba Gaolathe is set to present the 2026/27 national budget against a backdrop of economic uncertainty caused by a downturn in the diamond market and global financial instability.

The budget, the second for the new administration, signals a shift toward economic transformation through the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme and National Development Plan 12, as government grapples with declining revenues and tightening fiscal space.

Gaolathe says Botswana can no longer rely on diamonds as the backbone of its economy and has called for a stronger role for the private sector, with government focusing on creating an enabling environment.

He has urged Parliament to ensure public spending is sustainable, productive and focused on long term stability, warning that the country faces a defining moment of economic transition.