Zambia set to join Nigeria, Ghana in digital currency adoption

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2022

The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) has revealed that the country may introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the formal financial system.

Nigeria’s central bank (CBN) earlier in February outlawed banks and financial institutions from transacting or operating in cryptocurrencies, saying they posed a threat to the financial system.

The CBN joined a growing list of emerging markets betting on digital money to cut transaction costs and boost participation in the formal financial system.

Zambia will join Nigeria and Ghana as pioneers of digital money in the African continent.

According to BoZ acting assistant director of communications, Nkatya Kabwe, the bank has been conducting feasibility studies on CBDCs and would be completing them soon.

Mr Kabwe told Bloomberg that Zambia seeks to improve this and boost its economy by launching a CBDC.

He explained that the central bank believes that a CBDC could increase traceability, safety, and efficiency of the country’s payment systems.

Mr Kabwe expects the bank to complete this study by the fourth quarter of this year.

“The results of the research will form part of the input in the policy considerations on whether to introduce a central bank digital currency in Zambia,” he told Bloomberg.

However, the central bank recently issued a warning against digital currencies, reminding the public that it doesn’t recognize them as legal tender.

Related Topics:Bank of Zambia Featured Zambia

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Kenya: Parliament approves appointment of Kamau Thugge as central bank governor

Published

18 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Months after throwing open the position for the country’s top banker, Kenya’s parliament has approved the appointment of Kamau Thugge as the country’s central bank governor.

The National Assembly on Wednesday approved the
appointment of economist and senior civil servant who was nominated by President William Ruto as the next apex bank chief.

Thugge, who served as principal secretary in the finance ministry until mid-2018, was nominated after serving as one of the president’s senior economic advisers since late last year.

He shook off competition from others shortlisted candidates like Adan Mohamed, who served in the cabinet from 2013-2022, with four others also interviewed for the role.

The new central bank governor will be faced with the immediate pressure of stabilizing the country’s monetary policy as the East African giant currently faces a shortage of funds amidst rising public debt.

Despite the odds, the World Bank in a report earlier today expects growth to edge up to 5.0% in 2023, underpinned by a recovery in agriculture.

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Ghana presents ‘working proposal’ for debt restructuring— IMF sources

Published

19 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

West African country, Ghana has made a major move at resolving its debt crisis as the country has presented debt restructuring proposal to its creditors.

According to sources quoted by Reuters, a “working proposal” has been submitted to help the country escape its worst economic crisis in a generation.

One of the sources revealed that the proposal was a first attempt to engage the official creditor committee after its formation in May. It should be recalled that the Paris Club last month announced that official sector of creditors of Ghana had formed a committee co-chaired by China and France for debt restructuring talks.

The plan is to end restructuring of domestic debt before turning to negotiations with its official bilateral creditors and international bondholders, a government official said.

Ghana is one of several cash-strapped countries facing unprecedented delays in getting bailouts as China, its biggest bilateral creditor with about $1.7 billion of debt and Western economies disagree over how debt relief should be structured.

The first formal review of the programme will hold in the coming months as an IMF team will visit Ghana between 8th and 15th of June.