eSwatini will suffer an economic setback valued at US$420 million due to the persistent COVID-19 pandemic caused by Coronavirus.
The figures were shared by Minister for Economic Planning and Development Dr Thambo Gina during a press conference on Thursday where he said that this amount of loss could be suffered the situation goes on for a period of 12 months.
The minister was in the company of Commerce, Industry and Trade Minister Manqoba Khumalo when he said economists from his ministry made an analysis and said loss to be suffered by businesses if the virus persists for eight months is around US$220 million.
The other minister shared that the country’s tourism industry has already made a loss of US$14.7 million because visitors were no longer coming into the country that is still on a 20-day lockdown.
NSM/abj/APA