We saw no end to the economic recession, as forecasts for global growth were repeatedly revised downwards. As the year progressed, diamond exports had slowed to a trickle, and impacted negatively on government revenue, the Balance of Payments and the foreign exchange reserves.
In the circumstances, work on the tenth National Development Plan had to be postponed so that the budget could be re-worked to ensure the maintenance of long-term fiscal sustainability. That was then.