Banking sectors sails unchartered waters
Friday, December 19, 2014
At the end of the first half of 2014, asset quality remained stable and within normal range, while earnings and interest income were stable but non-interest income margins were constrained.
In the same year, major banks continued to experience constrained profits throught the year with Barclays Bank of Botswana’s Profit After Tax (PAT), leading the pack as its profits tumbled for the third reporting period in a row.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...