Equally, the decline in the current account deficit, to 2.2% of GDP on average in the first half of the year from as high as 5.9% of GDP in 2013, is helping (together with an elevated global-investor appetite for higher-yielding government debt) to shelter domestic financial markets from external or local shocks.
The agenda that will form the basis of today’s deliberation include “The Appropriateness of the mandates of the Central Banks for Africa’s Industrialization”, “The Need for Payment System Inclusiveness for Financial Stability and Transformative Development in Africa”, “Central Banks’ Strategies for Promoting Investor Confidence and Industrial Development in Africa”, and The Role of Central Banks in Financing Infrastructure for Industrial Development”. 9.