NEWSLETTER: JANUARY – JUNE 2024
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The Africa Training Institute (ATI) is part of a global network of IMF regional training centers to help develop countries’ human capital and policymaking capacity. Its training courses are open to government and central bank officials from 45 Sub-Saharan African member countries. Courses are offered in English with simultaneous interpretation into French and Portuguese. The institute is generously supported by the host country, Mauritius, contributing members, and donor partners. The Institute is located in Bramer House, Ebene, Mauritius.

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
  • Highlights
  • News & Events
  • ATI Training
  • Webinars/Outreach
  • Peer-to-peer and ATI Research Seminars
  • Feedback from Participants on ATI CD Events
Highlights by Mr. Sukhwinder Singh
ATI Director


Early in 2024, ATI celebrated a decade of impactful work in Sub-Saharan Africa. Delegations from member countries, guest speakers, and development partners gathered in Mauritius to discuss past successes and future challenges for Sub-Saharan Africa, and ATI’s role and contributions to strengthen institutions and human capital in the region.

ATI members also met virtually in April for the mid-year Steering Committee meeting. Chaired by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Committee praised the progress made by ATI in the last six-months, discussed the strategic direction of ATI for FY25, and agreed on ways to further strengthen the Institute, while acknowledging financial constraints.

In collaboration with the IMF and many partners, ATI delivered 28 courses in the last six months. It offered a diverse array of training covering core areas and emerging topics, with particular emphasis on climate change. A mix of in-person and virtual delivery leveraged expert and faculty, ensuring high engagement and large learning outcomes.

The past six months also saw the successful launch of a new and promising partnership between ATI and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This partnership builds on a shared commitment to develop human capital of officials in Africa and help them to better manage the macro-economic challenges of their countries.

ATI complemented course delivery with seven webinar events, attracting a wider audience from different sectors, and two peer-to-peer events, designed to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and strengthen relations among participants.

ATI welcomed Mr. Rugid, a new IT junior administrator that will help strengthen the Institute’s IT infrastructure. Prospective personnel additions will further consolidate ATI’s team, underlining a continuous commitment to improve participant’s experience and course delivery. Enjoy this newsletter, and I hope you’ll soon have the opportunity to join an event at ATI and be part of our 8,000-strong alumni network!



NEWS & EVENTS
ATI 10TH ANNIVERSARY: Economic Policies in Africa amidst the Big Funding Squeeze - Marking 10 years of the Africa Training Institute
JANUARY 23-24, 2024



Located in Ebene, Mauritius, the Africa Training Institute (ATI) started operations on June 17, 2013, training 200 government officials per year across eight courses to build the skills needed to formulate and implement sound macroeconomic policies. Ten years on, ATI has more than delivered on its initial aspirations, delivering 230 courses to more than 7,000 government officials. In the last fiscal year 2024 alone, ATI welcomed almost 1,400 officials to 43 courses and hosted six webinars, six outreach events, five peer-to-peer events, four workshops and one conference.


ATI’s course curriculum has significantly expanded to cover climate change, gender equality, digitalization of financial systems and government services, and governance, in line with evolving priorities of ATI’s membership.

Gearing up for the next five years

ATI marked its 10th anniversary on January 23-24, 2024, with a two-day hybrid conference in Ebène, Mauritius. The conference highlighted key achievements and lessons from ATI’s first decade of operations. Policymakers from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) engaged on the challenges facing the region and what this means for ATI’s capacity development (CD) during the next five years of operations (Phase III, 2024-2029).


Interest in the conference was not dampened by the inclement weather and uncertainty caused by an approaching storm——in-person participation exceeded 100 delegates each day, including about fifty senior government officials from some of the 45 ATI member countries, scholars, representatives of development partners, and senior IMF staff.

IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath delivered virtual remarks.

Remarks by Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the 10th Anniversary Conference of the IMF's Africa Training Institute

The conference was officially opened by Dr. Renganaden Padayachy, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development of the Republic of Mauritius.


The Honourable Dr. Renganaden Padayachy, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development of the Republic of Mauritius, delivering opening remarks.

The conference featured presentations and panel discussions on "Economic Policies and Capacity Development in the Time of the Big Funding Squeeze", namely:
  • Old and new economic policy challenges in SSA
  • Priorities and challenges for CD in the region
  • How to adapt to the big funding squeeze?
  • What has been the impact of ATI in the last decade and what should its priorities be in the next five years?
  • How is the IMF supporting its members’ efforts to address macroeconomic issues arising from climate change and build resilience?
  • What are the opportunities, risks, and data challenges surrounding of financial technology in Africa?
Building Macroeconomic Capacity in Africa

Multiple shocks have led to a significant financing squeeze, elevated inflation, and debt to be tackled alongside large development needs and macro-critical challenges such as climate change.

In a video message, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva highlighted the contribution of ATI and other regional capacity development centers of the IMF in building macroeconomic and financial stability in SSA. Through demand-driven training and technical assistance, with particular attention to fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS), these centers support economic institutions in adapting to existing and new economic challenges.

ATI, specifically, has played a critical and unique role in providing high-quality training for a decade to improve economic policymaking in areas such as macro-economic frameworks and forecasting, fiscal and debt sustainability, financial sector stability and development, economic statistics and, growingly, on climate, digitalization, gender, and inclusion.

Several speakers commended ATI for the diversification of its course program to include emerging policy issues.

Over and above the knowledge acquired by training participants, emphasis was also placed on the benefits of peer-to-peer learning and networks established between officials. Being on the ground has also enabled ATI to build long-term partnerships with member countries and regional organizations across SSA.

The generous contributions by the host country, Mauritius, and by development partners and member countries were acknowledged by all speakers.

IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath underscored the importance and urgency of securing financing for ATI’s next phase, starting in May 2024, to meet the high demand for ATI’s work.

Highlights from panel discussions

The expected persistence of the funding squeeze was the key highlight of the panel on economic policy challenges in SSA. Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) was not expected to revert to the levels of the last decades, with remittances insufficient to offset the shortfall. The panel noted that, in addition to attracting climate finance and FDI, domestic revenue mobilization had to be prioritized to restore fiscal sustainability for inclusive, long-term growth.


Panel session: Economic Policy Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) — Old and New. From left to right: Mr Abebe Selassie, IMF; Prof. Christopher Adam, University of Oxford; Mr Michael Atingi-Ego, Bank of Uganda; Mr. Godefroid Misenga Milabyo, COREF, Democratic Republic of Congo

Responsive fiscal frameworks and effectively designed public-private partnerships were deemed crucial in the context of declining concessional financing for SSA countries. Given the vulnerability of SSA to climate change impacts, the provision of guarantees to lower insurance cost on climate and SDG-related investments was essential, as were other efforts to attract climate finance.

The ability of ATI and other RCDCs to provide customized and timely responses to emerging and topical issues given their proximity and familiarity with member countries and the regional context was recognized as extremely valuable.


Panel session: CD Priorities and Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. From left to right: Mr. Dominique Desruelle, IMF; Ms. Kumiko Uchida, JICA; Mr. Brian Commettant, Central Bank of Seychelles; Prof. Robert Mudida, Central Bank of Kenya

To build on ATI’s achievements over the first decade, it was recommended that the Institute continues with the provision of demand-driven, tailored content and deepens its focus on climate, digitalization, and resource mobilization, as well as peer-to-peer events.


Panel session: Doing More with Less: Adapting to the Big Funding Squeeze. On screen (top, from left to right): Ms. Kalpana Kochhar, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Ms. Hanan Morsy, UNECA. On screen (bottom): Hon. Prof. Mthuli Ncube, Minister of Finance, Zimbabwe. On stage (from left to right): Mr. Abdelhak Senhadji, IMF; Prof. Ugo Panizza, Geneva Graduate Institute.

Efforts on gender and language diversity, focus on FCS, and synergies with technical assistance provided by CD Departments and AFRITACs would have to be sustained.


Panel session: Climate Change: Issues and Challenges for SSA. On screen: Dr. David Dutton, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Climate and Environmental Diplomacy BranchOn stage (from left to right): Mr. Vimal Thakoor, ATI; Mrs. Florence Van Houtte, European Union; Ms. Rhoda Weeks-Brown, IMF; Hon. Agok Makur Kur Agok, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, South Sudan; Ms. Irene Croisée, Ministry of Finance of Seychelles


Panel session: ATI: The last Ten Years and the Next Five. On screen: Mr. Ali Mansoor, Regional Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence. On stage (from left to right): Ms. Priscilla Muthoora, ATI; Governor Aivo Andrianarivelo, Central Bank of Madagascar; Mr. Sukhwinder Singh, ATI

High inflation, food security, and financial instability were identified as adverse macroeconomic effects of climate change. Panelists underscored how recovery from natural disasters reduced countries’ capacity for adaptation. The allocation of responsibilities among stakeholders, lack of good quality, high-frequency climate data and risk assessment gaps were the main challenges.

An effective climate change mitigation and adaptation response would entail the integration of climate aspects in policymaking, project design, increased and consistent access to climate finance, involvement of the private sector and multilateral development banks, in addition to good quality data. Capacity-building of regulatory and supervisory institutions would help promote a safe environment for climate finance.

The Fund’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust was considered extremely valuable in the provision of long-term funding for countries with no access to concessional loans. Another important tool is the Climate-Public Investment Management Assessment (C-PIMA), which is used to assess countries’ capacity to manage climate-related infrastructure.


Panel session: Digitalization: A Game-changer for Policymakers in SSA? From left to right: Mr. Bert Kroese, IMF; Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari, Bank of Ghana; Dr. Kealaboga Masalila, Bank of Botswana; Dr. Esselina Macome, Financial Sector Deepening (FSD), Mozambique.

The final session addressed the acceleration of digitalization and featured the experiences of Botswana, where the Central Bank is using machine learning for nowcasting, and Ghana, where a bank-led model for mobile money helped reduce disruptions to the banking sector. Panelists highlighted how critical it is to understand the needs of the customers when covering financial inclusion, and the role that gathering and analyzing data played in the digital transformation journey.

Overall, the conference highlighted the broad-based challenges faced by SSA economies against a backdrop of multiple shocks. In this context, CD, including from the field, proved essential to help build resilience and further the growth agenda in the region. Coordination of CD activities in addressing cross-cutting issues such as climate change, digitalization, and governance remains key.

For the past ten years, ATI has delivered quality training and adapted to different challenges, including the pandemic. ATI stands committed to providing high-quality support and collaborate with other institutions to serve the needs of its members.


ATI MID-YEAR STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
April 12, 2024



A mid-year meeting of ATI’s Steering Committee (SC) was held virtually on April 12, 2024. The meeting, chaired by Dr. Godefroid Misenga Milabyo, Executive Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Democratic Republic of Congo, was attended by 70 participants, including representatives from member countries and development partners. The Committee acknowledged the milestones achieved in FY24, and welcomed the workplan for the first three months of FY25, noting the challenges posed by the excess demand for ATI courses, the need for training in climate and gender, and ATI’s tight resource constraint. The Committee endorsed the extension of Phase II by three months for administrative expenses, additional expenditure for AV and IT upgrades, a feasibility study for a new training facility, and agreed to an ad-hoc virtual meeting before the end of 2024 to discuss ATI’s Phase III program document. The ATI and IMF expressed their gratitude to the authorities of the DRC for successfully facilitating ATI’s mid-year Steering Committee meeting.

ATI IN NUMBERS


Over the period January to June 2024, 879 officials from 51 African countries attended ATI courses, selected from a total of 4,124 applications, testimony of the very high demand for ATI’s services.

In line with efforts to encourage female participation, 20 percent of the female applicants were accepted, compared to 18% for their male counterparts, resulting in a share of 41% of female participants.



ATI TRAINING



During January-June 2024, ATI hosted 28 courses on IMF core areas of expertise and new priorities. Following are key highlights from 4 courses. All other courses delivered in this period are listed in Table 1.

ATI TRAINING

Climate in Macroeconomic Frameworks
February 5 – 9, 2024



The ATI delivered the first-ever “Climate in Macroeconomic Frameworks” course during Feb 5-9, 2024. Thirty-five participants from finance, planning, and environment ministries, central banks, and climate councils joined from over 20 SSA countries. Participants were introduced to various toolkits being developed at the IMF to integrate climate considerations into policy frameworks. Among other activities, they assessed the impact of climate shocks on the macroeconomy and debt and considered policy trade-offs involved in implementing adaptation policies to build resilience. Participants were thrilled to be the pioneers in testing the “Climate in Macroeconomic Frameworks” toolkit.


Fiscal Sustainability
February 19 – March 1, 2024


ATI and the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development (ICD), with the generous financial support of JICA, delivered a Fiscal Sustainability course from February 19 to March 1, 2024. A diverse cohort of 33 participants representing 26 African countries attended the course. The course explored the crucial link between fiscal sustainability, macroeconomic stability, and sustainable and inclusive long-term growth. At the core of this course is the IMF’s Debt Dynamics Tool (DDT), a powerful tool for forecasting and analyzing debt dynamics, evaluating fiscal adjustment paths, and assessing gross financing needs. Participants also explored the Natural Disaster extension to the DDT, enabling them to gauge the impact of various disasters on public debt. Additional topics that enrich fiscal sustainability analysis were also covered, these include the effects of climate investments on public debt, debt management, fiscal risks, fiscal crises, and long-term fiscal pressures. Over the two-week course, participants gained a deep understanding of the DDT and are ready to use it to assess public debt dynamics in their respective countries.


Core Elements of Banking Supervision
March 11 – 22, 2024


Recognized as a key program for banking supervisors in sub-Saharan Africa, the course was inaugurated by Mr. Yerukunondu Kona Mardayakona, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Mauritius. In his keynote speech, he emphasized Mauritius' pivotal role in hosting AFRITAC South and ATI, along with the ongoing need for global, prudent standards to ensure a stable banking system in Africa. Mr. Benjamin Stefanou, AFS Advisor on Financial Sector Supervision, welcomed participants on behalf of ATI and highlighted the donors' support in disseminating financial stability policies across the region. Mr. Antonio Pancorbo, Senior Financial Sector Expert at the IMF, in his opening remarks, highlighted the evolution of this course into a flagship program. This edition's agenda focused on both traditional and emerging topics, set against the backdrop of the unprecedented aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent episodes of bank distress in advanced economies. Ms. Elsie Addo Awadzi, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, and Dr. Tshokologo Kganetsano, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Botswana, joined virtually for their special addresses. Ms. Caroline Abel, Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles, gave the valedictory address and presided virtually over the presentation of certificates. Mr. P.R. Ravi Mohan and Mr. Roland Raskopf, both MCM external experts who have been instrumental for many years in making this course a success, complemented the faculty team along with Mr. Pancorbo. Participants, equally divided by gender and representing 23 sub-Saharan African countries - seven of which fragile and conflict affected states - benefited from the course designed to enhance understanding and practical application through case studies, group work, and role play. ATI looks forward to hosting the 12th edition of this impactful course, continuing its commitment to prudential policy dissemination across the continent.


Government Finance Statistics (GFS)
June 10 – 28, 2024


The IMF’s Statistics Department (STA) delivered a blended GFS fundamentals course from June 10–28, 2024. An asynchronous (virtual) self-paced segment of this blended course was conducted through the Moodle platform from June 10–14, 2024, followed an in-person workshop at ATI, during June 24–28, 2024. The course benefited a diverse group of 34 participants, including data compilers and users, from 30 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (14 of which are fragile and conflict affected states).

The course achieved a high learning gains, 44 percentage points between the pre-and post-course assessment. Participants expressed their satisfaction with the course delivery, as evidenced by the evaluation results showing an impressive score of 4.8 (in a scale of 5.0).


WEBINARS/OUTREACH




To complement classroom training and diversify its modalities of CD delivery, ATI hosted seven non-course events (webinars, virtual conferences, and workshops, outreach) between January-June 2024. Three are summarized in Table 2, while the other two are detailed below.



WEBINAR
Trade Integration in Africa - Unleashing the Continent’s Potential in a Changing World
February 14, 2024


On February 14, the IMF’s Africa Training Institute (ATI), the Middle East Center for Economics and Finance (CEF), and the Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC) organized a webinar on “Trade Integration in Africa: Unleashing the Continent’s Potential in a Changing World", based on a 2023 joint departmental paper by the IMF's African and Middle East and Central Asia departments. The event, chaired by Mr. Sukhwinder Singh (Director of ATI) was attended by over 500 participants. Ms. Fei Liu and Mr. Sergii Meleshchuk presented key results from the paper while Mr. Andrew Mold (Chief Regional Integration & AfCTA- UNECA) acted as the discussant. The paper, presentations, and other relevant materials can be found on the 2024 ATI Webinar Research Series website.


Introduction to Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking for Planning and Financing in Africa
March 26, 2024


The ATI hosted a webinar on March 26, 2024, on “Introduction to Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking for Planning and Financing in Africa”, where Mr. Sebastien Vauzelle (Senior Economist, UNDP) and Ms. Maryana Labonte (Senior Economist, Ministry of Finance, Seychelles) presented an overview of strategic foresight and systems thinking, with an application to the case of Seychelles. The event was moderated by Mr. Vimal Thakoor (Resident Advisor, ATI), and was attended by over 150 people. Participants had an opportunity to test their knowledge on climate change through an interactive quiz game. The presentation and recording are available at the ATI 2024 ATI Webinar Research Series website.


PEER-TO-PEER AND ATI RESEARCH SEMINARS



In the period January-June 2024, ATI organized two peer-to-peer thematic events (more details in Table 3, including presentations in English, French, and Portuguese.

FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS


132 Indeed, the experience was rewarding.
Mr. Alvin Puche HILL,
Senior Analyst / Supervisor Operations Section - Payment Systems Department, Central bank or Liberia, Liberia
AT24.17 Core Elements of Banking Supervision
The course Core Elements of Banking Supervision brought a wide spectrum of knowledge especially on the current risk challenges faced by Banks / Non-Banks and players in the financial working space(s). Banks are the lifeline of every economy. Banks work hard in dealing with public trust. The consolidated supervision of various financial institutes speaks volumes on the day-to-day operations of the Banks. As the world evolves, banking supervisors are charged with the responsibilities of accessing risks, mitigating risks, and not waiting for them to happen or occur. The course helped promote financial inclusion as it seeks to improve the economic strength of poverty-stricken states and countries. In conclusion, the regulation is there to set up the rules while the supervision is to enforce those setup rules. Indeed, the experience was rewarding to me and to my job.

132 ... the deepening of this course on transversal questions linked to new technologies such as FinTech...
Mr. Guy Roger BOULANGA, Financial Analyst, Statistics, Monetary Analysis & Balance of Payments Department, National Directorate of Banks of Central African States (BEAC), Gabon
AT24.16 Monetary and Financial Statistics-Advanced
I would thank the lecturers for the quality of the training in the course on advanced monetary statistics. The educational approach, the clarity of the explanations on all financial assets as well as the specificities of the financial companies, analyzed individually have promoted our understanding and the interest we have in this training. Also, the deepening of this course on transversal questions linked to new technologies such as FinTech, questions relating to climate financing with the appearance of green finance allowed us to understand that this course comes at the right time because it 'inscribed in the evolution of our times. The tools and skills acquired during this training will be of great use to our Central Bank in order to improve the compilation of monetary statistics in our country.

132 ... which will help me to be alert in different situations that are susceptible to the practice of corruption,...
Ms. Vanessa Cristina MENDES MORENO FURTADO, Inspector, General Financial
Inspection, Ministério das Finanças e do Plano, Cabo Verde
AT24.38V Building Fiscal Institutions to Fight Corruption in Africa
Participating in the Course Building Fiscal Institutions to Fight Corruption in Africa taught by the International Monetary Fund was a very valuable opportunity for me. During the course we had the opportunity to ask questions and receive solid explanations from the trainers who demonstrated great knowledge and mastery of the subjects covered. I acquired more in-depth knowledge about the practice of corruption in different State Institutions, which will help me to be alert in different situations that are susceptible to the practice of corruption, contributing to the fulfillment of the duties in terms of controlling the public expenses of the Institution that I'm part of.

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NEWSLETTER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The 12th Edition of the Newsletter was prepared by Mr. Sukhwinder Singh (Director) and Mr. Nicolas Aragon (Economist). Ms. Wenda Morin, Program Officer, coordinated the logistics and editorial process. We would like to express our deep appreciation for contributions from:
  • Mr Andrea Salerno, Deputy Director, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Mr. Vimal Thakoor, Senior Economist, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Ms. Priscilla Muthoora, Senior Economist, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Mr. Nadeem Jeetun, Economic Analyst, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Mr. Kanand Gooly, Chief of Administration, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Ms. Diksha Ramdawa, Program Officer, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Ms. Anna Joorun-Somna, Program Officer, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Ms. Mokshada Raumnauth, Program Officer, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Ms. Sandhya Rughoo, Program Officer, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Ms. Shamneez Mohamudbucus, IT Administrator, ATI-IMF, Mauritius
  • Mr. Steeve Rackin, IT Technician, ATI-IMF, Mauritius, Mauritius
  • Ms. Ayesha Aumeeruddy, RBM Projects Officer, AFRITAC South
  • Mr. Alvin Puche HILL, Senior Analyst / Supervisor Operations Section - Payment Systems Department, Central bank of Liberia, Liberia
  • Mr. Guy Roger BOULANGA, Financial Analyst, Statistics, Monetary Analysis & Balance of Payments Department, National Directorate of Banks of Central African States (BEAC), Gabon
  • Ms. Vanessa Cristina MENDES MORENO FURTADO, Inspector, General Financial Inspection, Ministério das Finanças e do Plano, Cabo Verde