Staff Writer
The Bank of Namibia (BoN) has appointed two new members to its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to support its mandate of setting and implementing monetary policy aimed at maintaining price stability.
Dr John Steytler has been appointed as the first independent member of the committee for a three-year term. He previously served at the Bank of Namibia in senior roles, including chief economist and director of research.
Steytler brings more than 30 years of experience in national and international economic policy.
He has served as chief executive officer of the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), economic advisor to the president, and founding statistician general and chief executive officer of the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).
Internationally, he worked as a senior advisor to the executive director of the Africa Group 1 constituency at the International Monetary Fund, where he contributed to macroeconomic policy work in countries such as The Gambia, Botswana, Zambia and Sudan. He holds a PhD in economics.
Helvi Fillipus has also been appointed to the committee. She joins as the youngest member and currently serves as an economic advisor at the Bank of Namibia.
Fillipus began her career at the bank after completing its talent development programme. She progressed from researcher in the research department to deputy director for investments and domestic markets in the financial markets department.
She later served as economic advisor to the minister of finance, where she worked on fiscal policy and contributed to the preparation of the national budget. In her current role, she provides macroeconomic analysis to support monetary policy decisions.
Fillipus holds a Bachelor of Economics with first-class honours from the University of Namibia and a Master of Commerce in Money and Banking with distinction from the University of the Free State.
Commenting on the appointments, BoN governor Ebson Uanguta said: “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.”
