The strategy was unveiled on Wednesday at an event in Maseru attended by senior government officials, diplomats, civil society organisations and private\u2011sector representatives.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Backed by an indicative operations programme valued at $209 million, the strategy prioritises two key pillars. The first focuses on developing sustainable infrastructure to support industrialisation, with investments planned in energy, information and communications technology and water. The second aims to strengthen institutional capacity to improve public\u2011sector efficiency and enhance private\u2011sector competitiveness.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Foreign Affairs Minister Lejone Mpotjoana said the strategy represents a shared commitment to long\u2011term development. He noted that Lesotho\u2019s natural endowments, including high\u2011quality diamonds, abundant water resources and strong renewable energy potential, must be harnessed more effectively to boost productivity and inclusive growth.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
AfDB Deputy Director General for Southern Africa and Country Manager for Lesotho, Moono Mupotola, described the new strategy as a turning point in the Bank\u2019s engagement with the country. Since beginning operations in Lesotho in 1974, the Bank has approved 68 loans and grants worth $448 million, all of them sovereign operations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For the first time, the 2025 to 2030 strategy introduces a programme of non\u2011sovereign operations, signalling a push to unlock private investment across sectors such as tourism. Lesotho\u2019s highland scenery, including Afriski Mountain Resort, Africa\u2019s only ski resort, was highlighted as a competitive advantage with strong employment potential.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cLesotho has assets that few countries in the region can match,\u201d Mupotola said. \u201cThese are genuine platforms for intensive job creation.\u201d
\nThe strategy is being launched amid growing economic uncertainty.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Central Bank Governor Emmanuel Maluke Letete warned that Lesotho remains vulnerable to external shocks, including higher global oil prices and potential volatility in Southern African Customs Union (SACU) revenues.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Government officials acknowledged the risks but pointed to recent fiscal surpluses, supported by strong SACU receipts and water royalties, as evidence that reforms are gaining traction.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The strategy was developed through extensive consultations and reflects strong national ownership. The Bank\u2019s current active portfolio in Lesotho includes seven operations valued at $49 million, covering water, sanitation, communications, governance and energy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–AfDB\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28174,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-30248","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has launched its Country Strategy Paper for the Kingdom of Lesotho, outlining an ambitious development agenda for the 2025 to 2030 period. ","published_date":"","news_description":"The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has launched its Country Strategy Paper for the Kingdom of Lesotho, outlining an ambitious development agenda for the 2025 to 2030 period. ","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30249,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/30248\/revisions\/30249"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=30248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}