The Ministry conceded it cannot rule out additional debts still sitting unsubmitted within ministries, leaving uncertainty over Botswana’s true outstanding obligations
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Botswana government settled P1.19 billion in outstanding supplier payments within less than a month but has admitted it cannot fully account for all debts owed across ministries due to delayed and incomplete invoice submissions.
Responding in Parliament last week, the Ministry of Finance revealed that as of 31 October 2024, the Office of the Accountant General had 56 unpaid supplier payment instructions worth P1 195 442 112.09 on record. The Ministry said all those invoices were fully paid by 26 November 2024, effectively clearing the backlog that had formally reached Treasury systems.
DELAYED INVOICES
However, the government warned that the figure did not reflect the full extent of obligations across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as many invoices remain at source and are only captured once submitted for payment.
The Ministry acknowledged that some ministries delay sending invoices for long periods, disrupting cash flow planning and creating uncertainty around the true size of government arrears.
“Any figure reported by the Ministry of Finance represents only the value of invoices that are on hand and formally lodged within the payment system at that specific point in time , and not the full universe of obligations that may exist across Government,” the Minister of Finance and Vice President, Ndaba Gaolathe explained.
“This explains why, despite repeated requests for full disclosure, the Ministry continues to face challenges in obtaining complete and timely information from all MDAs. The late submission of invoices, sometimes in significant volumes undermines accurate cash flow planning and creates the impression of fluctuating or increasing arrears, when in fact these may relate to historical obligations only now being brought forward,” Gaolathe stressed.
PRIVACY OBLIGATIONS
The Ministry said it cannot publicly release names of companies owed money or specific amounts, citing the Data Protection Act, commercial confidentiality and privacy obligations. To plug the gaps, government says it is rolling out an integrated e-Procurement system that will track commitments and invoices from procurement stage to final payment.
While Treasury records show no unpaid October 2024 invoices remain, the Ministry conceded it cannot rule out additional debts still sitting unsubmitted within ministries, leaving uncertainty over Botswana’s true outstanding obligations.