Mmegi

BoB moves again to protect foreign reserves

Eagle eye: Masalila says the recent moves are designed to protect the official foreign reserves PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Eagle eye: Masalila says the recent moves are designed to protect the official foreign reserves PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO

The Bank of Botswana (BoB) has increased its minimum threshold for trading foreign currency with commercial banks from $1 million to $5 million, whilst also increasing the costs of accessing the facility, as it fights to preserve the official reserves from the prolonged diamond slump.

The country’s official foreign reserves, managed by the BoB, fell P18.4 billion between March 2024 and March 2025, triggering concerns about the country’s ability to pay for its imports whilst also fuelling growing anxiety about the value of the pula.

Besides increasing the threshold for trade with banks, the BoB also raised its trading margin used for foreign exchange transactions to banks, from ± 0.5 percent around the central rate to a margin of ± 7.5 percent. The BoB increased the margin from 0.125 percent to 0.5 percent in January.

Editor's Comment
Warm relations must not come at the expense of fair trade

“I believe that free but fair trade isan absolute imperative”– John E. JamesFor two countries bound by geography, history and deep economic ties, periods of diplomatic strain serve neither side well. President Duma Boko’s efforts to restore momentum to relations with Pretoria deserve recognition, particularly at a time when Southern Africa faces shared challenges ranging from sluggish economic growth and unemployment to energy security...

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