Trade deficit eases as diamond sales pick

3 July, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi
BRIAN BENZA
Staff Writer

Botswana’s trade deficit has started to ease-off as diamond sales pick-up on the back of renewed hopes of an economic recovery.

The Central Statistics Office has reported that for the first time since October 2008, Botswana recorded a trade deficit of less than P1 billion in April. The April figure stands at P204.3 million. Total exports were valued at P2 billion during April 2009, having increased by 26.9 percent from P1.5 billion recorded in March.

The increase in total exports were largely attributed to higher diamond sales of P1.5 billion from P823.4 million in March as confidence starts to come back to the market that has been ravished by the global economic recession.

Botswana registered a P2.6 billion trade deficit in 2008 as [continue reading]