Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on April 29 revisedto negative from stable Botswana's outlook.

The agency believes that lower diamond prices and productionare affecting the country's fiscal position and slowing its economy. Therevision acknowledges the downside risks if the sector's slump proves morestructural than cyclical.

The rating agency also affirmed the country's and 's long- andshort-term foreign- and local-currency sovereign credit ratings at A-/A-2, andthe bank's short-term local-currency debt rating of A-2.

S&P Ratings andS&P Global Market Intelligence are owned by S&P Global Inc.