The Finance Ministry and Bank of Ghana will host the first leg of 2019 African Caucus Meeting of the governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Accra between 31st July and 2nd August 2019. 

The second meeting will take place at the venue of the Annual Meetings of the IMF and WBG.

“Hosting the African Caucus meeting in Ghana cements Government’s effort to position Ghana as a diplomatic and commercial hub, particularly so after the selection of Ghana as the secretariat for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“It also presents an opportunity for us to share our Ghana Beyond Aid vision with the rest of the continent”, says Ken Ofori-Atta, Chair of both the African Caucus and the Development Committee of the World Bank.

The meeting will be centred around three eminent panels, these are; Enhancing Human Capacity and Skills Development to accelerate Jobs and Economic Transformation; Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Public Financial Management, and Promoting Innovative Finance for a Private Sector-led Growth.

The African Caucus comprises Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the IMF and World Bank Group.

It was established in 1963 as a forum to help organize and articulate the collective African interest within the two Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs).

The last three host countries of the African Caucus have been Egypt (2018), Botswana (2017) and Benin (2016). 

The two-day meeting will be formally opened on August 1, with an address by President Akufo-Addo and is expected to attract about 350 delegates from Africa and the BWIs.

This year's theme for the meeting is ‘Africa Beyond Aid - Enhancing Institutional Capacity and Innovative Finance for Sustainable Growth’. The theme sets the vision and ambition for Africa to transform and grow its economies faster and provide jobs for all its citizenry.

Speakers from Ghana include Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister, Chair of the African Caucus and Chair of the Development Committee of the World Bank and Alan Kyerematen, Trade and Industry Minister. 

Mr Ofori-Atta will speak on the panel for Promoting Innovative Finance for a Private Sector-led Growth and Mr Kyerematen is scheduled to make a presentation on Developing Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones.

Other eminent speakers include Dr Donald Kaberuka, President Emeritus, African Development Bank; Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, Executive Secretary, African Capacity Building Foundation; Sergio Pimenta, IFC Regional VP for Middle East and Africa; Aïchatou Boulama Kané, Minister for Planning, Niger; and Acha Leke, Chairman of McKinsey’s Africa Region.