BIHL restrategises after Bifm blow
Tuesday, March 03, 2015
Hassam
According to market reports, Botswana Public Officers Pensions Fund (BPOPF) recently withdrew Bifm’s P9 billion mandate to manage funds, a decision that would result in substantial fee income losses for the subsidiary in 2015 going forward.
In a statement accompanying the diversified financial house’s results for the year ended December 2014, CEO Gaffer Hassam said Bifm, the group’s second biggest subsidiary, had commenced a realignment processes that would ensure that it was optimally structured for the decreased volume of operational activities.
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...