News

The University of Botswana (UB) hosted its second UB Budget Dialogue at the UB Campus Indoor Sports Centre recently. The event, themed “UBudget: Turning Thoughts into Action,” brought together academics, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the 2025 national budget, its allocations and impact on various sectors of the economy.

Discussions centred on key economic concerns including the P65 billion recurrent budget, which represents a 3.5% increase from the previous year and the P23 billion development budget which saw a 21% decline. Speakers expressed concerns over Government inefficiencies, budget sustainability and accountability while also highlighting opportunities for economic growth and policy reforms.

Giving an overview, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Enterprise, Professor Doreen Ramogola-Masire, underscored UB’s role in fostering meaningful dialogue that bridged academia, industry and policy-making. She observed that budget speeches were often technical, making it crucial for platforms such as the UB Budget Dialogue to simplify complexities and ensure inclusive engagement. “The national budget is not just a financial statement but a reflection of our country’s priorities, challenges and aspirations,” she noted.

Deputy Secretary for Development Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Ignatius Oarabile, explained that the budget was structured around the new government’s aspirations with a focus on improving quality of life and modernising public services. He acknowledged inefficiencies in service delivery and emphasised the need for stricter accountability measures to prevent financial leakages.

Meanwhile, Professor Happy Siphambe and Dr Godisang Mookodi noted that while the budget priorities remained largely unchanged from the previous administration, there was a welcome shift towards gender-responsive budgeting and efforts to address issues such as gender-based violence (GBV). Botswana Economics Society Vice President, Mr Thulani Mpete, raised concerns over youth unemployment which stands at 40%, criticising the lack of concrete solutions in the budget speech.

The event concluded with a call for greater transparency in government procurement processes and a more strategic approach to addressing economic challenges. The acting Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Tachilisa Balule, stressed that oversight and accountability must be strengthened to ensure that public funds are used effectively.