The one plus one of finance matters
Friday, March 21, 2014
Business Week: Do you think NBFIRA Financial Literacy Week is going to benefit Batswana, if so explain in detail?
Harriman: Yes, I think it really will. I think the more financial education we get the better. As a nation we are very often naive in financial matters, often falling for scams and abuse by moneylenders, fraudsters and crooks who exploit our ignorance. Take the example of the Eurextrade Ponzi scheme that operated in Botswana up until last year. Countless people “invested” their money in that scheme believing they could earn fantastic rates of interest of nearly 3 percent per day. They lost fortunes, often losing everything they had. That was ignorance and naiveté and the only weapons we have against those failings is education.
Batswana who marched peacefully for 'Justice for Tshepi' demanded answers. They have now received a detailed account of police investigation and a promise that the file is with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The real test is whether the state now keeps its word without further prodding. In his address, the minister asked the nation to trust the process. He spoke of rigour, not neglect, and pointed to 10 months of...