14 Sep 2014

Members of the Botswana Public Officers’ Pension Fund (BPOPF) who will retire this year (2014) will get value for their pension savings.

This follows an announcement of a 12.25 per cent interest declaration for the 2013/14 financial year, which would be trickled down to pension members. 

The BPOPF acting chief executive officer, Ms Lesedi Moakofhi made the announcement when presenting the highlights of the financial year which ended on March 31, 2014, during a press conference in Gaborone.

Ms Moakofhi said the performance of the Fund’s investments during the financial year 2013/14 was a successful one for the Fund, as it registered a positive return on investment over its benchmark. 

This 12.25 per cent interest declaration, which is for the active and deferred portfolio, she said “is too exciting following a strong declaration of 19 per cent last year.” 

For the with-profit pensioners portfolio, Ms Moakofhi announced a 3.5 per cent interest declaration, which she said was 80 per cent of the inflation. 

The year under review, she said also saw the launch of the revised Investment Strategy with an emphasis on the local market and the changing investment objectives of the member. 

Components of this strategy, such as the Private Equity, Infrastructure Investment and Inflation Linked Bonds, Ms Moakofhi said had been designed to explore opportunities in the Botswana market for the benefit of members as well as to catalyse and stimulate the growth and diversification of the local economy. ENDS