Strengthening pula spooks local tourism sector
Friday, May 11, 2018
The pula rose by 7.9 percent against the US dollar last year, although in the last month the greenback mounted a revival to end April with a 12-month loss of 6.7 percent. In January, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning announced that the pula would adopt a downward crawl of 0.30 percent, which, even though minimal, was interpreted by analysts as a signal that authorities felt the pula was overvalued.
The local tourism sector is heavily dependent on arrivals from the United States, a wealthy and sophisticated market that suits the national policy targeting “high value, low volume” tourists.
The Ministry of Agriculture, local producers, retailers, and industry associations must work together to overcome the obstacles hindering vegetable production and distribution.This collaborative approach is essential to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of vegetables in the market.Firstly, the Ministry of Agriculture should provide support and guidance to local farmers to enhance their productivity and efficiency. This could...