Africa
Rwanda central bank spearheading cashless movement
Central bank reports e-payments have increased to 34.6% of GDP, but says there is still work to be done
Angola abandons currency trading band
Central bank floats currency in a bid to alleviate foreign exchange shortage, after IMF raises concerns
Africa faces debt crisis, Banque de France governor warns
G20 nations must act fast to tackle rising African debt, François Villeroy de Galhau tells IMF meeting
30 years of central banking
Central banks face credibility tests on a number of fronts
World Bank official says blockchain could cut settlement times
Official says first blockchain bond shows the technology's potential
African governors discuss concerns over rising debt
Central bankers stress need for African cooperation in face of weakening global economy
Angola follows African trend of holding rates in surprise decision
Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Ghana have all held rates this month
Bankers join Liberian central bank board after Senate U-turn
Lawmakers reverse decision and accept candidates in secret session as concerns mount
IMF supports Cabo Verde’s reforms with new programme
IMF supports monetary policy reform and says the central bank must improve supervision and comms
Free trade agreement to boost growth in Africa – IMF research
Smaller economies are more likely to benefit from more open trade conditions in the continent
The calm before the storm – The climate change 2019 survey
As climate-related risks to the financial sector become increasingly understood, central banks are demonstrating their willingness to develop capabilities to analyse the impact and modify their policies. A new survey indicates a watershed for central…
Central Banking’s ‘Leaders’ for custody, banking and gold
Central banks want integrated custody platforms and real-time data from custodians as the low-yield environment drives demand for banking services and increases the relative attractiveness of gold
IMF flags high public debt in Middle East oil exporters
Oil producers in the Mena region are expected to average budget deficits of 4% of GDP in 2019
The IFF China Report 2019
Insight and perspectives from the world's leaders, premier policy-makers and financiers
The IFF China Report 2019: The Bay Area Development
Located at the start of the Maritime Silk Road, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area seeks to harness advanced technology and green finance to catch up with the economically advanced bay areas of New York, San Francisco and Tokyo.
The IFF China Report 2019: The Belt and Road Initiative
Over the past five years, China has invested more than $70 billion in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, of which there are now in excess of 100. Leading Chinese and international policy-makers explain how BRI efforts are progressing. This section…
The Belt and Road Initiative 2019 Survey – A new driver for globalisation?
The second Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Survey of 28 central banks reveals that they view the BRI as a major driver of globalisation, with a high percentage of respondents expecting the initiative to provide a significant boost to GDP. So far,…
Zimbabwe signs agreement with IMF to strengthen macro framework
New agreement will complement government reforms to foster macro stability amid high inflation
Somali government appoints new central bank governor
Former adviser to the prime minister must continue rebuilding the central bank in the war-torn country
The IFF China Report 2019: New globalisation – The path to the future
Multilateral rules and multilateral bodies will need to be upgraded in the coming years to better represent the shift in economic gravity towards Asia, which has emerged as the largest contributor to global growth during the past decade.
Uganda’s Tumusiime-Mutebile raises concerns about growth
African country’s growth momentum looks set to stall as global uncertainty weighs on economy
Tunisia and France sign co-operation agreement
Central banks to share experiences in monetary policy, supervision, digital finance and inclusion
Namibian government proposes to cap its borrowing from central bank
Finance minister asks for five-fold increase to central bank’s capital to pay for new responsibilities
Kenyan High Court strikes down law capping interest rates
But court rules law did not infringe central bank’s mandate and says caps could be brought back