The Bank of Namibia has appointed Dr John Steytler and Helvi Fillipus as new members of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), in line with its mandate to formulate and implement monetary policy aimed at safeguarding price stability under Section 28 of the Bank of Namibia Act.
Dr Steytler has been appointed as the first independent member of the MPC for a three-year term. A former senior official of the Bank of Namibia, where he served as Chief Economist and Director of Research, he brings more than three decades of national and international experience to the committee.
His career includes serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Development Bank of Namibia, Economic Advisor to the President and founding Statistician General and Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Statistics Agency.
Internationally, he served as 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.
Fillipus, currently an Economic Advisor at the Bank of Namibia, joins the MPC as its youngest member. She brings experience in central banking, macroeconomic research, financial markets and public finance, having progressed through various roles at the Bank, including Researcher in the Research Department and Deputy Director for Investments and Domestic Markets in the Financial Markets Department.
She previously served as Economic Advisor to the Minister of Finance, where she contributed to fiscal policy development through the compilation of the national budget.
Bank of Namibia Governor Ebson Uanguta said the additions strengthen the Bank’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
“Our mandate 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.
The Monetary Policy Committee is responsible for setting monetary policy aimed at maintaining price stability and supporting sustainable economic growth in Namibia.
