Bank CEO`s discuss industry development

By: Hertha Ekandjo

Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s) in the banking sector this week convened a roundtable engagement to discuss critical industry developments including climate risk, cybersecurity threats and regulatory priorities.

The meeting, hosted by the Bank of Namibia and titled Chief CEO Roundtable Engagement, was themed “Setting the Scene and Driving Impact for 2025”.

The engagement was attended by the CEO’s of banks and key non-banking financial institutions such as Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA), and the leadership of the Bank of Namibia.

BON also unpacked its recently unveiled 2025-2027 strategic plan and reflected on findings from the World Bank’s 2025 report titled Country Partnership Framework for Namibia, which outlined challenges in Namibia’s financial sector in need of being addressed.

During the engagement, the BON governor, Johannes !Gawaxab, emphasised the importance of collaboration in navigating both global and economic uncertainties.

He emphasized Namibia’s projected 4.0% GDP growth for 2025, supported by improved global conditions and local economic factors.

The governor also reaffirmed BON’s commitment to monetary stability, noting that inflation is expected to average 4.0% in 2025, from 5.9% in 2023 and 4.2% in 2024, respectively, following the consistent application of a sound monetary policy.

The session also unpacked BON’s 2025-2027 strategic plan focusing on three key strategic themes, namely Building a Smart Central Bank, Fostering a Modern, Inclusive and Resilient Financial Sector, and Embracing a New Diversified Economy.