STAFF WRITER
The Bank of Namibia has appointed economists, John Steytler and Helvi Fillipus to its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
In a statement released on Tuesday, the central bank said the decision is to further its mandate to formulate and implement monetary policy aimed at safeguarding price stability, in accordance with Section 28 of the Bank of Namibia Act.
Steytler has been appointed as the first independent member of the Monetary Policy Committee for a three-year term.
He is a former senior official of the Bank of Namibia, where he served, among other roles, as Chief Economist and Director of Research, Dr Steytler brings more than three decades of national and international experience to the Committee.
His career includes service as Chief Executive Officer of the Development Bank of Namibia, Economic Advisor to the President, and founding Statistician General and CEO of the Namibia Statistics Agency. Internationally, he served as a Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of Africa Group 1 Constituency at the International Monetary Fund, contributing to macroeconomic stability initiatives in countries including The Gambia, Botswana, Zambia, and Sudan.
The apex bank, said Fillipus, joins the MPC as its youngest member, bringing with her a formidable record in central banking, macroeconomic Public research, financial markets, and public finances.
She is a product of the Bank of Namibia’s highly regarded talent development programme, Ms Fillipus began her career at the Bank, progressing through various roles from Researcher in the Research Department to Deputy Director: Investments and Domestic Markets in the Financial Markets Department.
Commenting on the appointments, Governor Ebson Uanguta said the bank’s mandate is to safeguard price stability is vital to maintaining the value of the Namibia Dollar as it circulates in the hands of everyday Namibians.
“Achieving this sets a strong foundation for all economic actors to collaborate towards sustainable growth, development, and diversification of our economy. The addition of the two MPC members injects new ideas and diverse perspectives into the Committee, propelling the Bank forward. Most importantly, it bolsters our commitment as we rethink and sharpen our policy tools to prepare the central bank to embrace the new economy, which will be driven by transformation in the energy sector, technological advancement and digital innovation,”Uanguta said.
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