History Development

The Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) was first established as the Lesotho Monetary Authority in 1978, under the Lesotho Monetary Authority Act of 1978. It started its operations on January 2nd 1980. In 1982, through the Act of Parliament, the name Lesotho Monetary Authority was changed to the Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) and additional functions and responsibilities were prescribed to the new institution. In August 2000, the Central Bank of Lesotho Act of 2000 came into force. This new Act has conferred considerable autonomy to the Central Bank and defines a singular objective for the Bank.

The Central Bank of Lesotho is a statutory organisation fully owned by the Government of Lesotho. The Central Bank enjoys a fair amount of independence in formulating and implementing monetary policy. The Governor, who is also the chairman of the Board of Directors, together with the two Deputy Governors, are appointed by His Majesty The King on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Minister of Finance appoints the other Board Members.