Browsing Economics by Title
Now showing items 1-12 of 12
-
Setlhare, L. (John Wiley, www.wiley.com, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper examines how monetary policy was actually conducted in Botswana, by specifying and estimating a monetary reaction function for the Bank of Botswana (BoB). Basically, a monetary reaction function (MRF) for a central bank is an equation that is intended to establish the goals that have actually been influencing the actions of the central bank. A MRF would exist if the monetary authorities (or BoB in particular) have been purposeful and reasonably consistent in the policy-making process. Thus, a study of a MRF provides a test on whether the monetary policy-making process has been characterised by systematic (if it exists) or random (if it does not exist) changes in the policy instrument(s). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/992 Files in this item: 1
Setlhare_SAJE_2004.pdf (983.8Kb) -
Motlaleng, G.R. (Botswana Society, http://www.botsoc.org.bw, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper aims to show trends and variations in the Botswana Pula exchange rate before and after the introduction of the crawling-peg exchange rate system. The survey indicates that previous devaluations not accompanied by the crawling-peg exchange rate system were short-lived. It is shown that since the adoption of the crawling-peg exchange rate system the Pula has been depreciating. Additionally, the variance and the standard deviation revealed that variations in the nominal bilateral Pula exchange rates have been minimal since the adoption of the crawling-peg exchange rate system. To corroborate the foregoing, both the variance and the standard deviation are computed for the nominal and real effective exchange rate of the pula against major currencies using quarterly data. The findings also suggest that the variations have been minimal after the crawling peg. This is shown by small variance and the standard deviation of both the nominal and real effective exchange rates. This implies stability in the Pula exchange rate and positive results of the crawling-peg exchange rate policy regime. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1008 Files in this item: 1
Motlaleng_BNR_2009.pdf (4.632Mb) -
Siphambe, H.K. (Taylor & Francis (Routledge), www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: Regional integration is a necessity for sustainable development and the generation of dynamic growth amongst SADC countries. For real integration to be achieved, there is a need for deep integration, which allows countries to surrender part of their sovereignty to a supranational power that will be responsible for bringing in uniformity amonst member nations in terms of policies and action. Countries in the region, even those like Botswana that have done well economically, share problems of poverty, high unemployment and disparuty in income distribution. Botswana, however, has some lessons to offer to the region, coming mainly from its prudent management of the economy, democracy and peace. As regional integration may lead to underinvestment in skills development if not properly coordinated, countries need to pursue employment creation more vigorously. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/885 Files in this item: 1
Siphambe_DSA_2004.pdf (701.0Kb) -
Siphambe, H.K. (University of Botswana, http://ub.bw, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper brings out the various theoretical measurements of poverty and looks at Botswana's performance in terms of these measures. In terms of income poverty, Botswana's poverty has been declining over time and predictions are that it will continue on the downward trend even though the reduction is not at an adequate pace to achieve the Vision 20I6 goal of zero poverty levels by 20I6. Until the advent of HIV/AIDS, Botswana was doing extremely well in terms of capability poverty as was shown by improving human development indices such as life expectancy, infant mortality, primary school enrollment and illiteracy rates. The health indices have however started to decline due to HIV/AIDS. Botswana has had a system that allows for equal participation of all individuals, even though in practice women and minority tribes are excluded from participation in decision-making processes. The paper also looks at the various poverty reduction programmes and argues that even though some of them have been successful in reducing poverty, there is a need to move away from welfare programmes that created a dependency syndrome of Batswana on government. Lessons learnt from the past programmes are useful for designing better future programmes for poverty reduction. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/993 Files in this item: 1
Siphambe_PBJAS_2003.pdf (470.3Kb) -
Siphambe, H.K. (Taylor and Francis (Routledge), NaN, 2000)[more][less]
Abstract: Using primary data from a 1993/4 Household Income and Expenditure Survey in Botswana, this article presents empirical results on occupational attainment, its determinants, and the extent of filtering down in Botswana's labour market, given changes in labour market conditions over time. It was found that the Botswana labour market has been characterised by some ‘filtering down’ of educated workers into less skilled jobs as the supply of skilled manpower exceeded demand. Those who entered the labour market earlier, those with more education, those located in the urban areas and male workers are more likely to occupy jobs that are higher up in the hierarchy than to be in an unskilled blue-collar job. Jobs higher up in the hierarchy are also more rewarding financially. The article shows that there is occupational segregation of workers by gender in Botswana's labour market in that female workers are generally confined to a narrow range of occupations. The policy implications are that employment creation has to be pursued vigorously and the issue of gender discrimination investigated further URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/884 Files in this item: 1
Siphambe_DSA_2000.pdf (652.9Kb) -
Rathedi, M. (Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, www.thuto.org/pula/html/, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: Poverty is a complex problem and reducing it depends upon many interconnected factors. It cannot be attributed to one main cause. Its reduction is possible only by achieving economic growth. An indirect causal connection between growth and poverty reduction can be seen because governments will have greater scope for action through suitable policy measures that can take care of the interests of the poor. In spite of the efforts of most of the developing countries, where the levels of poverty are high, to reduce the magnitude of poverty, the percentage of people living below the poverty level has not been reduced significantly. Of course, international financial institutions have been extending the necessary assistance by setting the goals. But poverty reduction lies in the nature of the growth process itself, as determined by the set of economic policies that are being pursued by governments to justify actions targeted towards the poor. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/883 Files in this item: 1
Rathedi_PBJAS_2003.pdf (574.5Kb) -
Acquah, B. (Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: The need for productivity increases in the agricultural sector in Botswana in order to help improve farm incomes, especially incomes of resource-poor farmers, has been an important concern in the poverty alleviation effort in the country. Appropriate technology generation and dissemination in both the crop and livestock production sub-sectors hold the promise of improving agricultural productivity. This paper discusses how the farming systems approach (FSA) can contribute to the successful generation and dissemination of appropriate agricultural technologies. The paper concludes that prerequisites for success in the technology generation and dissemination process include the political will to do so, adequate funding, the provision of relevant technical personnel and the willing participation offarmers in the technology generation process. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/770 Files in this item: 1
Acquah_PBJAS_2003.pdf (480.9Kb) -
Mukras, M.S. (Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: Although Botswana is clearly one of the richest countries with one of the most vibrant economies in Africa, available statistical evidence suggests that the problem of poverty has recently caused a lot of concern in the country. Numerous attempts already made to deal with the problem have not yielded encouraging results, as the incidence of poverty continues to persist. Drawing from the experiences of three other African countries, this paper recommends a strategy based on strengthening small and medium enterprises (SMEs)for poverty reduction in Botswana. After discussing the constraints facing the SMEs in the country, the paper presents a set of six recommendations designed to ameliorate, if not eliminate, these constraints, thereby strengthening the employment and income generating capacities of the SMEs and consequently reducing poverty in the country. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/783 Files in this item: 1
Mukras_PBJAS_2003.pdf (672.9Kb) -
Siphambe, H.K. (Blackwell Publishing Ltd, www.blackwellpublishing.com, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Using the most recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey data (2002/2003), this paper presents current rates of return to education for Botswana. The results show that the rates of return have in general declined by one percentage point on average between the periods as shown in Table 2. If we, however, look at the averages for the different school cycles, the fall in the average rates is quite significant at about six percentage points between the periods. The biggest fall is for secondary education, especially upper secondary education, which fell by 28 percentage points between the periods. The rates of return to tertiary education, however, rose by more than 50 percentage points. Ignoring upper secondary, the pattern of rates of return has remained similar to the results of the study based on the 1993/1994 data. Rates are higher for tertiary education and lower for secondary than for primary education. This results are still consistent with rates of return generally rising with level of education. At policy level, the results continue to support sharing of costs between Government and beneficiaries or their parents especially at tertiary education level. Second, the results indicate the need for the country to continue to vigorously pursue job creation and reorient the education system from emphasis on white collar jobs. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/984 Files in this item: 1
Siphambe_SAJE_2008.pdf (599.9Kb) -
Mupimpila, C.; Narayana, N. (Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: Over time, there has been a significant rise in vocational education and technical training in Botswana. This article shows that there is a positive and significant relationship between economic growth and vocational education and technical training in the country. However, job creation in the formal sector is limited, given the size of the domestic market. It is necessary that the expansion of vocational and technical training should be accompanied with appreciable growth in employment in the formal sector. Botswana should produce for the regional market in Southern Africa in order to circumvent the smallness of the domestic market. Outward-looking, export production can loosen the most binding constraints to economic growth with structural change in the country. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/785 Files in this item: 1
Mupimpila_IJEED_2009.pdf (783.0Kb) -
Mogotsi, I. (Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: New technology has been identified as one way to alleviate poverty in developing nations. This is because it makes available cheaper drugs, cheaper inputs such as fertilizers and new seed varieties that are needed by the poor to improve their lives. New technology also connects producers with quick and easy access to overseas markets and sources of inputs through the internet, for example. However, in order for the poor to make use of these new methods to improve their lives, they need to be able to access the new technology. In order for anybody to use the internet, for example, they need to have access to it: it should be available and affordable, in the rural as well as urban areas. They also need to have the basic education that enables them to use and even appreciate such new technologies. This paper argues that the poor in Botswana do not have access to the new technology because of lack of education. They also do not have the "old technology", such as electricity and the telephone, that are pre-requisites for access to the new technology. Therefore, if new technology is to work to alleviate poverty in Botswana, emphasis should be put on making the old technology available and affordable. Education should also emphasize science and math curricula. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/902 Files in this item: 1
Mogotsi_PBJAS_2003.pdf (375.9Kb) -
Siphambe, H.K. (John Wiley, www.wiley.com, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: The impressive performance that Botswana has achieved since gaining independence in 1966 is one of the few success stories of economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. For the period 1965-1990, growth in per capita averaged 8.4 per cent per annum. In the 1990’s the country has however experienced lower average annual growth rates of about 1.7 per cent (Freeman and Lindaur, 1999). The fast growth in the 1970s and 1980s enabled the country to move from a position of severe poverty to being one of the richest in the region, and is one of the few in sub-Saharan Africa now classified as a middle-income country. Unemployment is however one of the most serious problems that the country is facing. This paper explores the issues of unemployment and employment in Botswana’ economy. This paper looks at both the supply and demand side of the labour market. Our supply side analysis involves using the original 1995/96 Labour Force Survey data to understand the unemployed. Part of the process involves specifying a probit function to determine precisely the factors determining unemployment. The paper also looks at the demand for labour by various key sectors of the economy, and tries to determine the quantitative relationship between employment and its major determinants. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/994 Files in this item: 1
Siphambe_SAJE_2003.pdf (721.2Kb)
Now showing items 1-12 of 12