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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
A promising step for public schools, but...

For too long, the state of many public schools has been a source of shame. We have all seen the pictures and heard the stories of broken windows, unreliable water and electricity, topped by classrooms that are not fit for proper learning. The establishment of the Education Infrastructure and Management Company Ltd (EIMC) signals that authorities are finally ready to take this problem seriously. We must commend the government for this initiative....

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