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BoB interest rate hikes: Who gains and who loses?

Tough times: Interest rate hikes make loan repayments costlier PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
Tough times: Interest rate hikes make loan repayments costlier PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

After raising the interest rate for the first time in 14 years on 28 April 2022, the Bank of Botswana (BoB), raised the interest rate again for the second time this year on 16 June.

In April, the BoB increased the newly introduced Monetary Policy Rate (MoPR) by 51 basis points (0.51%) from 1.14% to 1.65%.

The latest increase is 50 basis points (0.5%) and takes the MoPR to 2.15%. The MoPR is the rate at which BoB lends money to commercial banks. It affects the prime lending rate which is the rate at which commercial banks charge consumers for borrowing money. The prime lending rate is higher than the MoPR to enable banks to cover their basic profit margin.

Editor's Comment
Our digital safety is in our hands

That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...

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