Development Finance International
26 November - GSW Launch Event in Brussels
The GSW website and database were launched in Brussels at an event held during the European Development Days. On the panel, DFI Director Matthew Martin began by detailing some of the key findings from the 2013 GSW report, as well as showcasing the GSW website and database, and after which he outlined some of the key steps moving forward for the initiative. Natalia Alonso, Head of Oxfam’s EU Advocacy office, briefed the audience on the campaigning work done by Oxfam surrounding government finance, before Patrice Sanon, Founder and Executive Director ODSAD (Burkina Faso) emphasised the importance of the website, and the crucial need to have up to date data to be able to successfully hold Governments to account. The panel discussion was then followed by a lively debate with many in the audience commending the initiative, as well as being eager to discuss its next steps. The full audio of the event is available here, along with additional pictures.
25 November - World Development Report 2014
The World Bank’s World Development Report 2014: risk and opportunity – managing risk for development - argues that poor risk management reduces the chances of ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity, and demonstrates that an ability to manage risk can significantly contribute to development by saving lives, averting economic losses, creating opportunities, and helping people build better, more secure futures. The Overseas Development Institute held the UK launch of the report and you can watch the video and download the World Bank’s presentation here.
22 November - African Central Government Debt Statistical Yearbook 2013
The OECD has published the 2013 edition of the Central Government Debt Statistical Yearbook. An analytical tool primarily for debt managers, this latest installment provides improved quantitative statistics on African central government debt issuance, as well as bilateral, multilateral and concessional. It is envisaged that future editions will include general government debt. Countries included in this fourth edition are Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.
10 November: Giving With One Hand and Taking With the Other
Eurodad as coordinator of the European Tax Justice Network has coordinated 13 European NGOs in producing an excellent analysis of European countries’ role in tax-related capital flight from developing countries. The report concludes that no governments are demanding country-by-country reporting from companies; most are reluctant to allow public access to information on the true owners of companies; data is rarely exchanged among governments on tax matters; and no governments support equal inclusion of developing countries in the ongoing discussions on global tax reform.
29 October – 8 November - DeMPA Mission to Armenia
A joint World Bank-DRI mission visited Yerevan, in Armenia from Oct 29th to November 8th, 2013, 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 such as the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank and presented its preliminary assessment to the authorities. The mission will finalise the report and submit it the Armenian authorities.
