NDB sinks as financial crisis hits hard
The beleaguered National Development Bank (NDB) has started the process of retrenching staff owing to financial crisis that has hit the bank, Weekend Post has established.
Information gathered by this publication indicates that P31 million has been budgeted for the retrenchment exercise, which will start next week following a meeting with the staff union. Weekend Post has been informed by insiders that between the 21st-25 of March management will issue employees with letters indicating the bank’s decision to layoff some staff. “The union had a meeting with with its members informing them about the development, the mood was sombre today [Wednesday],” said the impeccable source.
“The meeting for for the unionised employees was on Tuesday, for the non-unionised was today [Wednesday] — the letters are coming this month end.” The source further indicated that management will then proceed to inform the Commissioner of Labour as well as the minister [Finance and Economic Development] with regard to the imminent retrenchments.
In 2016, NDB requested government to inject capital amounting to about P1 billion in the next three years in order to transform the bank and prepare it for commercialisation. Last year, it was offered P400 million by government, P10o million of it being a grant while the remaining P300 million was a loan.
Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Lorato Morapedi informed the parliamentary committee on Statutory Bodies and Enterprises in 2016 that she wants government to inject P400 million in the next financial year, followed by two governments guaranteed loans of P165 million and P250 million in subsequent years.
Morapedi said, in total, for the NDB to stabilise and be in a competitive state, it would need P1 billion. The committee learnt that NDB problems have been caused by various factors, among them its source of funding and inability to recover its loans. However, NDB has fallen short of the other P600 million initially required by the bank. Sources have informed this publication that NDB has made plans to request another P1.3 billion from government, but the new president is reluctant, and wants a new board at the NDB and CEO first before making considerations. Failure to secure more funding from government means that the bank only has P10 million to disburse as loans this financial year (2018/19).
CRITICISM OF NDB FUNDING MODEL
NDB has been warned that funding its loans from the money acquired from commercial banks is not sustainable for a development bank. The current funding arrangement was brought about by government’s decision to stop issuing bonds to NDB to raise the funds, according to Morapedi. WeekendPost understands that NDB is sourcing its funds from BIFM Capital, Barclays Bank and First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) at interest rate of 8.5 percent, and 9.5 percent for BIFM capital.
When presenting before the parliamentary committee Morapedi conceded that the arrangement is not sustainable given the fact that they are also competing with commercial banks. She informed the committee that NDB has approached government for subsidized funding.
In 2016, NDB’s loan book stood at P1.3 billion, and out of that P600 million had been placed under doubtful debt, of which P300 million will be written off.
Samson Guma Moyo, the chairperson of the committee said the amount which the bank marked as provision for doubtful debt is too high, and the bank should work on reducing that. Morapedi said part of the problem was inherited, and the bank is putting forth monitoring tools to ensure that it improves the loan recovery. She further said the bank currently is doing minimal loaning, as its turn-around strategy focus on non-performing loans.
NDB has also borrowed their staff a total amount of P130 million at interest rate of 5 percent for mortgages and 8.5 percent for personal loans. This has however been questioned by committee member, Pius Mokgware who said though he believes in staff welfare, the bank was borrowing its staff at an interest lower than the interest they are charged by the commercial banks. Morapedi informed the committee that, after turning around the bank, they want to bring on board an equity partner or technical partner as part of its commercialisation strategy.
Government has adopted a commercialisation strategy similar to the one used by BTCL, in which government retains 51 percent in the entity and 49 percent is offered to the public, of which 5 percent will be offered to the NBD employees. She said even after privatisation, NDB will continue to focus on agriculture and SMME funding, and further noted that it will complement other government development institutions such as Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) which is moving away from SMME funding. Forty-six percent of NDB portfolio is Agriculture.
NDB reports to both Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and Bank of Botswana (BoB). NDB has been able to meet six months regular deadline for the ministry, while failing the three months deadline requirement by BoB of submitting audited financial statements.
Another committee member, Ndaba Gaolathe had said going forward the bank should review source of funding because the current arrangement is not ideal. He said, the bank should also deal with legacy issues and clean out a lot of things.
EMPLOYEES WANT THE BOARD AND CEO FIRED
Several NDB employees who talked to this publication have stated that one way to save the financially riddled bank is to boot out the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer as well as senior management. One of the complaints that employees have against management is that, there are responsible for the mess at the bank, therefore, part of correcting the problem is bring new management. NDB boss is accused of refusing to listen to suggestions from employees on how best to turn around the fortunes of the bank.
“NDB is at Cul-de-sac as we speak with only P10 million to disburse for 2018/19 financial year. Only government funding will rescue the situation, but if government is to finance NDB this year, they must first get rid of those who made the loss. It will be futile to finance NDB again under the same people,” said one employee. This publication is reliably informed that the bank’s Head of Strategy has tendered her resignation, and will leave the organisation at the end of the month.
Another bank manager, responsible for Maun branch has her contract coming to an end at the end of May 2018, and employees want her also to leave the bank. Public Enterprises and Statutory Bodies committee member Ndaba Gaolathe had previously accused the NDB of lacking ambition and not having a clear vision.
He said as a development bank, they should have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and the impact they want to make in the next years. “NDB should be creative with the products it is offering and diversify the products as well,” he said. In the three years NDB has made losses; P87.8 million (2015) to P48.4 million (2016) and P168.2 million (2017).
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Nigerians, Zimbabweans apply for Chema Chema Fund
Fronting activities, where locals are used as a front for foreign-owned businesses, have been a long-standing issue in Botswana. These activities not only undermine the government’s efforts to promote local businesses but also deprive Batswana of opportunities for economic empowerment, officials say. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has warned of heavy penalties for those involved in fronting activities especially in relation to the latest popular government initiative dubbed Chema Chema.
According to the Ministry, the Industrial Development Act of 2019 clearly outlines the consequences of engaging in fronting activities. The fines of up to P50,000 for first-time offenders and P20,000 plus a two-year jail term for repeat offenders send a strong message that the government is serious about cracking down on this illegal practice. These penalties are meant to deter individuals from participating in fronting activities and to protect the integrity of local industries.
“It is disheartening to hear reports of collaboration between foreigners and locals to exploit government initiatives such as the Chema Chema Fund. This fund, administered by CEDA and LEA, is meant to support informal traders and low-income earners in Botswana. However, when fronting activities come into play, the intended beneficiaries are sidelined, and the funds are misused for personal gain.” It has been discovered that foreign nationals predominantly of Zimbabwean and Nigerian origin use unsuspecting Batswana to attempt to access the Chema Chema Fund. It is understood that they approach these Batswana under the guise of drafting business plans for them or simply coming up with ‘bankable business ideas that qualify for Chema Chema.’
Observers say the Chema Chema Fund has the potential to uplift the lives of many Batswana who are struggling to make ends meet. They argue that it is crucial that these funds are used for their intended purpose and not siphoned off through illegal activities such as fronting. The Ministry says the warning it issued serves as a reminder to all stakeholders involved in the administration of these funds to ensure transparency and accountability in their disbursement.
One local commentator said it is important to highlight the impact of fronting activities on the local economy and the livelihoods of Batswana. He said by using locals as a front for foreign-owned businesses, opportunities for local entrepreneurs are stifled, and the economic empowerment of Batswana is hindered. The Ministry’s warning of heavy penalties is a call to action for all stakeholders to work together to eliminate fronting activities and promote a level playing field for local businesses.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s warning of heavy penalties for fronting activities is a necessary step to protect the integrity of local industries and promote economic empowerment for Batswana. “It is imperative that all stakeholders comply with regulations and work towards a transparent and accountable business environment. By upholding the law and cracking down on illegal activities, we can ensure a fair and prosperous future for all Batswana.”
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Merck Foundation and African First Ladies mark World Health Day 2024
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany marks “World Health Day” 2024 together with Africa’s First Ladies who are also Ambassadors of MerckFoundation “More Than a Mother” Campaign through their Scholarship and Capacity Building Program. Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation emphasized, “At Merck Foundation, we mark World Health Day every single day of the year over the past 12 years, by building healthcare capacity and transforming patient care across Africa, Asia and beyond.
I am proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided over 1740 scholarships to aspiring young doctors from 52 countries, in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties such as Oncology, Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Endocrinology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Acute Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Embryology & Fertility specialty, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Psychiatry, Emergency and Resuscitation Medicine, Critical Care, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Neonatal Medicine, Advanced Surgical Practice, Pain Management, General Surgery, Clinical Microbiology and infectious diseases, Internal Medicine, Trauma & Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Cardiology, Stroke Medicine, Care of the Older Person, Family Medicine, Pediatrics and Child Health, Obesity & Weight Management, Women’s Health, Biotechnology in ART and many more”.
As per the available data, Africa has only 34.6% of the required doctors, nurses, and midwives. It is projected that by 2030, Africa would need additional 6.1 million doctors, nurses, and midwives*. “For Example, before the start of the Merck Foundation programs in 2012; there was not a single Oncologist, Fertility or Reproductive care specialists, Diabetologist, Respiratory or ICU specialist in many countries such as The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Guinea, Burundi, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Namibia among others. We are certainly creating historic legacy in Africa, and also beyond. Together with our partners like Africa’s First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Gender, Education and Communication, we are impacting the lives of people in the most disadvantaged communities in Africa and beyond.”, added Senator Dr. Kelej. Merck Foundation works closely with their Ambassadors, the African First Ladies and local partners such as; Ministries of Health, Education, Information & Communication, Gender, Academia, Research Institutions, Media and Art in building healthcare capacity and addressing health, social & economic challenges in developing countries and under-served communities. “I strongly believe that training healthcare providers and building professional healthcare capacity is the right strategy to improve access to equitable and quality at health care in Africa.
Therefore, I am happy to announce the Call for Applications for 2024 Scholarships for young doctors with special focus on female doctors for our online one-year diploma and two year master degree in 44 critical and underserved medical specialties, which includes both Online Diploma programs and On-Site Fellowship and clinical training programs. The applications are invited through the Office of our Ambassadors and long-term partners, The First Ladies of Africa and Ministry of Health of each country.” shared Dr . Kelej. “Our aim is to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people by building healthcare capacity across Africa, Asia and other developing countries. We are strongly committed to transforming patientcare landscape through our scholarships program”, concluded Senator Kelej.
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Interpol fugitive escapes from Botswana
John Isaak Ndovi, a Tanzanian national embroiled in controversy and pursued under a red notice by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), has mysteriously vanished, bypassing a scheduled bail hearing at the Extension 2 Magistrate Court in Gaborone. Previously apprehended by Botswana law enforcement at the Tlokweng border post several months earlier, his escape has ignited serious concerns.
Accused of pilfering assets worth in excess of P1 million, an amount translating to roughly 30,000 Omani Riyals, Ndovi has become a figure of paramount interest, especially to the authorities in the Sultanate of Oman, nestled in the far reaches of Asia.
The unsettling news of his disappearance surfaced following his failure to present himself at the Extension 2 Magistrate Court the preceding week. Speculation abounds that Ndovi may have sought refuge in South Africa in a bid to elude capture, prompting a widespread mobilization of law enforcement agencies to ascertain his current location.
In an official communiqué, Detective Senior Assistant Police Commissioner Selebatso Mokgosi of Interpol Gaborone disclosed Ndovi’s apprehension last September at the Tlokweng border, a capture made possible through the vigilant issuance of the Interpol red notice.
At 36, Ndovi is implicated in a case of alleged home invasion in Oman. Despite the non-existence of an extradition treaty between Botswana and Oman, Nomsa Moatswi, the Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), emphasized that the lack of formal extradition agreements does not hinder her office’s ability to entertain extradition requests. She highlighted the adoption of international cooperation norms, advocating for collaboration through the lenses of international comity and reciprocity.
Moatswi disclosed the intensified effort by law enforcement to locate Ndovi following his no-show in court, and pointed to Botswana’s track record of extraditing two international fugitives from France and Zimbabwe in the previous year as evidence of the country’s relentless pursuit of legal integrity.
When probed about the potential implications of Ndovi’s case on Botswana’s forthcoming evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Moatswi reserved her speculations. She acknowledged the criticality of steering clear of blacklisting, suggesting that this singular case is unlikely to feature prominently in the FATF’s assessment criteria.