• President Ruto calls for reforms in the IMF to address emerging global challenges and seeks flexible lending instruments, equitable special drawing rights, and debt financing plans.
• He also advocates for governance reforms to better represent the Global South’s economic and demographic contributions.
• These changes are crucial for maintaining the IMF’s relevance and effectiveness in fostering stability and sustainable development.

In a rapidly evolving global economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finds itself at a critical moment as President William Ruto of Kenya articulates in the latest issue of the IMF’s Finance and Development Magazine. With over eight decades of history, the IMF’s journey from supporting the gold standard to promoting flexible exchange rates and development financing mirrors the dynamic changes in the global financial architecture.

President Ruto says that the IMF has to adapt once again, highlighting four key areas for reform: lending instruments, special drawing rights (SDRs), addressing …

• Financial markets provide liquidity essential for bolstering economic growth and stability.
  While well-regulated financial systems are essential for macroeconomic stability
• Good financial markets are critical in channeling resources into productive investment and fostering growth.
• Strengthening judicial systems and enforcing regulations are thus central to deepening financial systems. Protecting creditors‘ and borrowers‘ rights, enforcing contracts, and establishing transparent information-sharing mechanisms are also prerequisites for financial deepening.

Financial markets play a vital role in enhancing the smooth operation of economies by allocating resources and creating liquidity for businesses and entrepreneurs. The markets make it easy for investors and traders to trade their holdings. They additionally create security products that provide returns for investors/lenders and make these funds available to those needing extra financing.

Stock market, bond market, forex, commodities, and the real estate market, just to name a few, are examples of commodities in financial markets. Moreover, they can be divided into …

• The National Bank of Rwanda has reported a surge in bank borrowers attributable to intensified awareness campaigns, and the introduction of innovative products.
• The regulator reports a 40 per cent surge in the number of depositors in commercial banks.
• However, borrowers in microfinance institutions (MFIs) and Saccos experienced a 15 per cent decline.

Rwanda’s financial services industry witnessed a remarkable uptick in the number of individuals accessing loans from commercial banks, with a 39 per cent rise recorded over 12 months ending on June 30, 2023. This surge was underpinned by proactive measures instituted by the central bank to enhance financial inclusivity in an economy historically dominated by informal and traditional savings mechanisms.

Data released by the National Bank of Rwanda (NBR) reveals a substantial growth in bank borrowers, escalating from 683,851 in June 2022 to 949,778 in June 2023. In contrast, the number of borrowers in microfinance institutions (MFIs) …

• The funding is designated for the construction of a bridge spanning the River Nile in northwest Uganda and the enhancement of roads stretching over 105 kilometers.
• Uganda has encountered obstacles in accessing financial support from international institutions like the World Bank, primarily due to policy differences.
• The loan holds the potential to stimulate job creation, foster entrepreneurship, and spur innovation

Uganda has finalized an agreement with the Saudi Islamic Development Bank (IDB), securing a $295 million loan to bolster infrastructure development, particularly road construction projects across the country. This landmark agreement, signed by Uganda’s Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija, and IDB President Muhammad Al Jassar in Riyadh, underscores Uganda’s strategic shift towards diversifying its sources of external funding amidst ongoing negotiations with traditional lenders such as the World Bank.

The financing agreement, which was formalized during Minister Kasaija’s attendance at the 2024 Islamic Development Bank Group Annual Meetings in Riyadh, marks …

• 19 African Heads of State seek to triple IDA’s financing capacity to $279 billion by 2030.
• IDA remains [Africa’s] most dependable source of capital, with every dollar of donor financing enabling an additional $3.5 in capital market leverage to amplify development impacts: President Ruto
• We are united by a shared vision for the future of Africa—a continent rich in diversity, culture, and potential, thanks to its young people and natural resources: The World Bank Group President Ajay Banga.

In a historic gathering of 19 African Heads of State and government in Nairobi, Kenya’s President William Ruto has ramped up calls for increased concessional financing from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).

The rallying call, which was made during the International Development Association (IDA21) for Africa Heads of State Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, reverberated with urgency and determination.

President Ruto’s plea sought …

• AfDB asks policymakers to put in place an orderly and predictable way of dealing with Africa’s $824Bn debt pile.
• According to AfDB, Africa’s ballooning external debt reached $824 billion in 2021.
• AfDB president says there is urgent need for increased concessional financing, particularly for low-income countries. 

Africa’s immense economic potential is being undermined by non-transparent resource-backed loans that complicate debt resolution and compromise countries’ future growth, African Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr Akinwumi Adesina has said.

Adesina at the Semafor Africa Summit taking place on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank 2024 Spring Meetings, highlighted the challenges posed by Africa’s ballooning external debt, which reached $824 billion in 2021, with countries dedicating 65 per cent of their GDP to servicing these obligations.

He said the continent would pay $74 billion in debt service payments this year alone, a sharp increase from $17 billion in 2010. “I …