Time to rethink BoB�s mandate?

The South African Public Protector, an agency related to our own Ombudsman, sparked a storm recently when it proposed constitutional changes that move the SA Reserve Bank’s mandate from its current focus on protecting the Rand and inflation-targeting to “promoting balanced and sustainable economic growth, while ensuring that the socio-economic well-being of citizens is protected”.

Outraged economists, bankers and other monetary policy experts reacted strongly to the Public Protector’s recommendations, with several lawsuits being filed amidst reports of fixed capital flight and rand erosion in that country.

That dust-storm aside, the goings-on in South Africa echo a similar debate in the local economy a few years ago that was effectively muted by the then leadership of the Bank of Botswana (BoB).

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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