BURS exceeds targets
The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) collected P35.335 billion during the 2015/16 financial year. The collection exceed the tax revenue target of P34,694 set by government by P641 million or 1.85% for the year under review.
These figures emerge from the BURS 2016 annual report tabled by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Kenneth Matambo this week for the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) Annual Report for the financial year ended 31st March, 2016. According to the report, the tax revenue collected in 2015/16 reflects a decline of 5.75% when compared to the P37.489 billion that was collected in 2014/15. It states that this decline is due to weak performance across the mining sector which resulted in a decline of income tax collections from P15.884 billion in 2014/15 to P13.832 billion in 2015/16. Furthermore, the report suggests that despite surpassing the target by 4.66%, the VAT collection declined by 3.76% while SACU receipts increased by 0.8% compared to the previous year.
Cost of Collection up
For the financial year 2015/16, BURS spent P534.079 million to collect P35.335 billion which translates into a cost to collection ratio of P1.00/P66.16. “This means for every P1.00 that BURS spent; the benefit to the Government in return was P66.16. Compared to the previous year’s cost to collection ratio which was P1/P79.85, this indicates a significant ratio decrease amounting to P13.69 collected per Pula spent. The decrease was due to the unsatisfactory economic performance which yielded less revenue and to the increase in the cost of goods & services.”
Tax Revenue as a Percentage of GDP
The report of the Commissioner General, Ken Morris informs that as a percentage of GDP, tax revenue collections showed an upward and consistent growth from 2010/11 from 20.9% to 25.4% in 2014/15. It further states that over the period since inception tax revenues as a percentage of GDP have been hovering around an average of 25%, generally indicating that the collections are roughly following the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, for the 2015/16 financial year tax revenue as percentage of GDP went down to 23.5% from 25.4% in the previous year.
Tax Revenue Collection declined
According to the report, tax revenue declined from P37.489 billion to P35.335 billion for the period under review. The decline in revenue collection is attributable to income tax which fell from P15.884 billion in 2014/15 to P13.832 in 2015/16. VAT also contributed to the decrease of the collection by falling from P5.907 billion to P5.685 billion as depicted in Figure 4.
Income Tax Revenue Collection
“Income tax revenue collection for the year is derived from different sources. The major source of the tax collection is from the Assessed tax whose contribution to the total collection was 50.12% followed by deducted tax which contributed 35.97%. Assessed tax registered a significant decrease of 27% due to the poor performance of the Mining sector which resulted in lower tax revenue assessed than in 2014/15,” states the BURS annual report.
Value Added Tax Revenue collection
The 2016 BURS annual report indicates that the gross VAT collection for the reporting period was P8.495 billion while the total VAT refunds paid to taxpayers amounted to P2.810 billion resulting in the net collection of P5.685 billion. “The major contributor to the total VAT is Import VAT since Botswana is a net importer. For the period under review import VAT and Internal VAT increased by 1.03% and 0.71% respectively while all other sources went down with penalties going down by a significant margin implying an improvement in compliance. The refunds went up by 9.67% compared to a 12.6% decrease in the previous year.”
SACU Revenue Shares
One of the biggest revenue earners for Botswana is the SACU revenue shares. The BURS annual report records that the total SACU Revenue Pool for Year under review was R88.898 billion. It notes that this was a slight decrease from the 2014/15 Pool which amounted to R89.201 billion. Despite this decrease, Botswana’s share from the Pool stood at R20.039 billion in 2015/16 compared to R19.276 in 2014/15, represents an increase of R763 million or 4%. SACU receipts continue to be an important source of revenue for the Government of Botswana, reports Commissioner General, Ken Morris.
Collections for Government Departments
The 2016 Annual report informs that during the period under review, BURS collected P507.9 million on behalf of Government departments and agencies compared to P475.4 million in the previous year as shown in Table 5 below. It further shares that a larger part of the collections came from the Alcohol Levy and Transport Permits which accounted for 64.1% and 23.8% respectively (compared to 62.8% and 22.4% respectively in 2014/15).
“Tobacco Levy which was introduced in the 2014/15 financial year contributed 9.4% in its first year of collection which was more than the 7.8% it contributed during 2015/16. The increase in Alcohol levy collection was occasioned by a change in the formula for calculating levy by including Excise duty on locally produced alcoholic beverages and therefore resulting in an increase in the tax base and hence an increase in levy collections,” reads the report. The BURS report states that the other contributing factor was the increase of the levy rate from 50% to 55% for alcohol beverages with an alcohol content of more than 5%. In case of Transport Permits, the increase was a result of an increase in the volume of foreign registered vehicles which entered Botswana during the reporting period
The state of the economy
The chairman of the BURS, Dr Taofila Nyamadzabo, in his Chairman’s Report indicates that for the period under review, the economy continued to face challenges, emanating from lower external demand for Botswana’s mineral exports mainly due to the continued weak recovery of the global economy and lower commodity prices.
“As a result, the country continued to experience slower growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Nominal GDP recorded an increase of 0.3% from P148.0 billion in 2014/15 to P148.4 billion in 2015/16 driven mainly by General Government (12.6%), Finance and Business Service (11.6%), Transport and Communication (11.5%) and Construction (10.4%). As a consequence, the proportion of tax revenue to GDP slightly decreased from 23.6% to 23.5%,” he writes. Dr Nyamadzabo says real GDP declined by 2.0% from P88.2 billion in 2014/15 to P86.4 billion in 2015/16 mainly due to a drop in the performance of the Mining sector by 21.3% and Trade, Hotels and Restaurants sector by (3.3%).
Business
LLR transforms from Company to Group reporting
Botswana Stock Exchange listed diversified real estate company, Letlole La Rona Limited (“LLR” or “the Company” or “the Group”), posted its first set of group financial statements which comprise the Company and Group consolidated accounts, which show strong financial performance for the six months ended 31 December 2023, with improvements across all key metrics.
The Company commenced the financial year with the appointment of a Deputy Chairperson, Mr Mooketsi Maphane, in order to bolster its governance and enhance leadership continuity through the development of a Board and Executive Management Succession Plan.
At operational level, LLR increased its shareholding in Railpark Mall from 32.79% to 57.79% and proudly took over the management of this prime asset.
The CEO of LLR, Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng commented “During the period under review, our portfolio continued to perform strongly, with improvements across all key metrics as a result of our ongoing focus on portfolio growth and optimisation.
“We are pleased to report a successful first half of the 2024 financial year, where we managed to not only grow the portfolio through strategic acquisitions and value accretive refurbishments but also recycled capital through the disposal of Moedi House as well as the ongoing sale of section titles at Red Square Apartments. The acquisition of an additional 25% stake in JTTM Properties significantly uplifted the value of our investment portfolio to P2.0 billion at a Group level. Our investment portfolio was further differentiated by the quality of our tenant base, as demonstrated by above market occupancy levels of 99.15% and strong collections of above 100% for the period”.
The growth in contractual revenue of 9% from the prior year’s P48.0 million to the current year P52.2 million, increased income from Railpark Mall, coupled with high collection rates, has enabled the company to declare a distribution of 9.11 thebe per linked unit, which is in line with the prior year.
In line with its strategic pillars of ‘Streamlined and Expanded Botswana Portfolio’ as well as ‘Quality African Assets’, the Group continuously monitors the performance of its investments to ensure that they meet the targeted returns.
“The Group continues to explore yield accretive opportunities for balance sheet growth and funding options that can be deployed to finance that growth” further commented the CEO of LLR Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng.
Ms Mowaneng further thanked the Group’s stakeholders for their continued support and stated that they look forward to unlocking further value in the Group.
Business
Botswana’s Electricity Generation Dips 26.4%
The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has reported a significant decrease in electricity generation for the fourth quarter of 2023, with output plummeting by 26.4%. This decline is primarily attributed to operational difficulties at the Morupule B power plant, as per the latest Botswana Index of Electricity Generation (IEG) released recently.
Local electricity production saw a drastic reduction, falling from 889,535 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 654,312 MWH in the period under review. This substantial decrease is largely due to the operational challenges at the Morupule B power plant. Consequently, the need for imported electricity surged by 35.6% (136,243 MWH) from 382,426 MWH in the third quarter to 518,669 MWH in the fourth quarter. This increase was necessitated by the need to compensate for the shortfall in locally generated electricity.
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) was the principal supplier of imported electricity, accounting for 43.1% of total electricity imports during the fourth quarter of 2023. Eskom followed with 21.8%, while the remaining 12.1, 10.3, 8.6, and 4.2% were sourced from Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM), Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Nampower, and Cross-border electricity markets, respectively. Cross-border electricity markets involve the supply of electricity to towns and villages along the border from neighboring countries such as Namibia and Zambia.
Distributed electricity exhibited a decrease of 7.8% (98,980 MWH), dropping from 1,271,961 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 1,172,981 MWH in the review quarter.
Electricity generated locally contributed 55.8% to the electricity distributed during the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease from the 74.5% contribution in the same quarter of the previous year. This signifies a decrease of 18.7 percentage points. The quarter-on-quarter comparison shows that the contribution of locally generated electricity to the distributed electricity fell by 14.2 percentage points, from 69.9% in the third quarter of 2023 to 55.8% in the fourth quarter. The Morupule A and B power stations accounted for 90.4% of the electricity generated during the fourth quarter of 2023, while Matshelagabedi and Orapa emergency power plants contributed the remaining 5.9 and 3.7% respectively.
The year-on-year analysis reveals some improvement in local electricity generation. The year-on-year perspective shows that the amount of distributed electricity increased by 8.2% (88,781 MWH), from 1,084,200 MWH in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 1,172,981 MWH in the current quarter. The trend of the Index of Electricity Generation from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 indicates an improvement in local electricity generation, despite fluctuations.
The year-on-year analysis also reveals a downward trend in the physical volume of imported electricity. The trend in the physical volume of imported electricity from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 shows a downward trend, indicating the country’s continued effort to generate adequate electricity to meet domestic demand, has led to the decreased reliance on electricity imports.
In response to the need to increase local generation and reduce power imports, the government has initiated a new National Energy Policy. This policy is aimed at guiding the management and development of Botswana’s energy sector and encouraging investment in new and renewable energy. In the policy document, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Lefoko Moagi stated that the policy aims to transform Botswana from being a net energy importer to a self-sufficient nation with surplus energy for export into the region. Moagi expressed confidence that Botswana has the potential to achieve self-sufficiency in electric power supply, given the country’s readily available energy resources such as coal and renewable sources.
Business
MMG acquires Khoemacau in a transaction valued at P23Bn
MMG Limited, the Hong Kong-based mining company specializing in base metals, has successfully concluded the acquisition of Khoemacau Copper Mine, a state-of-the-art, world-class copper asset nestled in the northwest of Botswana.
On Monday, MMG announced that the acquisition of Khoemacau Mine in Botswana was finalized on 22nd March 2024. “This acquisition enriches the company’s portfolio with a top-tier, transformative growth project and signifies a monumental milestone in the Company’s journey,” MMG communicated in an official statement published on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Upon completion of the acquisition, MMG remitted to the Sellers an Aggregate Consideration of approximately US$1,734,657,000 (over P23 billion), a sum subject to potential adjustments post-Completion.
In addition to the Aggregate Consideration, MMG, in accordance with the Agreement, advanced an aggregate amount of approximately US$348,580,000 (over P4.5 billion) as the Aggregate Debt Settlement Amount, to settle certain debt balances of the Target Group (Cuprous Capital/Khoemacau).
On November 21, 2023, Khoemacau announced that the shareholders of its parent company [Cuprous Capital] had agreed to sell 100% of their interests to MMG Limited.
MMG is a global resources company that mines, explores, and develops copper and other base metals projects on four continents. The company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has a significant shareholder, China Minmetals Corporation, which is China’s largest metals and minerals group owned by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
On December 22, 2023, Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd received the approval from the Minister of Minerals and Energy of Botswana regarding the transfer of a controlling interest in the Project Licenses and Prospecting Licenses associated with the Khoemacau Copper Mine, a result of the Acquisition.
The Botswana Competition & Consumer Authority (CCA) on January 29, 2024, notified the market that it had given its approval for the takeover of Khoemacau Copper Mining by MMG Limited.
On January 29, 2024, the CCA issued a merger decision to the market, stating that after conducting all necessary assessments, it was ready to proceed.
The Competition Authority affirmed that the structure of the relevant market would not significantly change upon implementation of the proposed merger as the proposed transaction is not likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition, nor endanger the continuity of service in the market of mining of copper and silver ores and the production, and sale or supply of copper concentrate in Botswana.
Furthermore, the CCA stated that the proposed merger would not have any negative impact on public interest matters in Botswana as per the provisions of section 52(2) of the Competition Act 2018.
Earlier this month, Minister of Minerals & Energy, Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, informed parliament that his Ministry was endorsing the Khoemacau acquisition by MMG Limited. He noted that not only was the company acquiring the existing operation but also committing to an expansion program that would cost over $700 million to double production, create more jobs for Batswana, and increase taxes and royalties paid to the Government.