A joint World Bank-DRI mission visited Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia to assess debt management activities in the country based on the DeMPA methodology developed by the World Bank. The mission met with staff from various institutions involved in debt management and presented its preliminary assessment to the authorities. The final assessment report should submit its final report to the Georgian authorities by the end of July 2013.

A joint World Bank / DRI mission visited Praia, Cape Verde to develop a reform plan debt management. Its recommendations were structured around five areas: strategy medium-term debt, institutional framework, developing the domestic market, data and coordination, and fiscal risk. The mission prepared a project that will be submitted for peer review and then to the Cape Verdian authorities for comment. It is anticipated that the final report be completed by August 2013.

In a statement released at the closing of the G8 2013 summit in London, G8 countries committed to boosting development efforts of African partners. They praised their development efforts and committed further support to promote inclusive and resilient growth in Africa. Recognising the key role of good infrastructure in economic growth, the G8 countries committed to providing increased support for project preparation facilities for regional projects. Moreover, they committed to explore further ways to facilitate institutional investment flows into bankable trade-related infrastructure projects in developing countries. 

A validation workshop was held to close the study looking at the causes of the weak rate of investment credits consumption in Niger. The workshop brought together key players involved in public investment and the procurement system, as well as local donors. The report was subjected to a critical review by two commissions, with a particular focus on the feasibility of the action and implementation plan proposed by DFI and two national consultants. The main outcomes of the study will be officially presented to Cabinet and appropriate measures will be taken to implement the report's recommendations under the supervision of the Ministry of Planning.

Save the Children Norway is hosting a breakfast launch seminar of the Government Spending Watch 2013 Report, website and database on Thursday 13th June May at Oslo's House of Literature. The session will present and discuss the new initiative with a panel from DFI, Oxfam and Save the Children. Details and registration here.

N’djamena hosted a joint World Bank-DFI DeMPA mission to assess the country’s debt management performance. This mission was held in a context of the Chadian authorities’ willingness to reach completion point and mobilise significant resources to finance infrastructure projects. The mission concluded that Chad’s debt management shows (i) fragmented structures, (ii) poor coordination and information sharing, (iii) poor staff capacity and high turnover, (iv) non-existent comprehensive and reliable data, and (v) weaknesses in treasury management.

On behalf of the Francophone ministerial network, Finance ministers from Burundi, DRC and Senegal have jointly appealed to the Governors and Alternate Governors of ADF-IDA contributing countries to urge them to support a significant real terms increase in the ADF-IDA replenishments in order to assist developing countries in implementing the post-2015 agenda.  

DFI chaired a side event of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in Marrakech titled “South-South Technical Cooperation on Domestic Resource Mobilization to halt illicit financial flows from Africa”. Co-organized by New Rules for Global Finance and African Development Bank Institute, this side event focused on the need for capacity building in relation to the strain of illicit financial flows on revenue collection and to domestic resource mobilization for national development. The event also discussed the importance of exchanging good governance experience in domestic resource mobilization through South-South Cooperation. 

ONE released its DATA Report 2013 which examines how developing countries - with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa - are progressing in reaching the Millennium Development Goals’ targets. ONE also just released a Special Report Tracking Development Assistance, which holds European governments to account for their promises to the world’s poor. 

Government Spending Watch was successfully launched in London on 16 May. The 2013 report, website and database were presented at a seminar hosted by Overseas Development Institute and attended by around 50 participants from NGOs, research and donor institutions. You can now access the video of the event here and download presentations from DFI , Oxfam  and South Africa's People's Health Movement . #govspendwatch