MEFMI 20th Anniversary Closing Remarks By Dr Caleb Fundanga

MEFMI 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

CLOSING REMARKS BY MEFMI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DR CALEB M. FUNDANGA

6 OCTOBER 2014

HAMILTON CROWNE PLAZA, WASHINGTON D.C.

•           Honourable Ministers;

•           Central Bank Governors;

•           Permanent Secretaries;

•           Chief Executive Officer of Investec Asset Management, Mr. Hendrik du Toit and other representatives of Investec;

•           Senior Officials of EY;

•           Representatives of the donor community;

•           Distinguished Speakers;

•           Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am honoured and humbled over your kind and overwhelming response to my invitation to attend MEFMI’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations. This is a clear demonstration of your continued commitment to the principle objectives and existence of MEFMI. Allow me therefore, on behalf of the Secretariat, to thank you sincerely for this wonderful gesture.

Allow me to commend the excellent statements made by our distinguished previous Executive Directors. The statements were full of the devotion, strength and timeless commitment that they put into steering the Institute to its current glory. I welcome you to visit the Institute anytime while in Harare and continue providing us your expertise whenever we call upon you.

I am equally grateful for the encouraging statement from the Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie.

I would like, in a special way, to thank our guest speaker, Dr. Domenico Lombardi, Director of the Global Economy Department at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Canada. Dr. Domenico has shared with us his experience and expertise in managing new debts and their associated risks, particularly for our region. The onus is now upon us, ladies and gentlemen, to learn from such experiences and manage our future debts with more evidenced perspectives provided here today.

Last but not least, I would like to thank our service providers for the wonderful services and products that have made this occasion very colourful.

In a special way, I would like to thank our partners, Investec Asset Management, for their wonderful support and kindness towards the successful organisation of this event.

I also thank the MEFMI Team and those who worked behind the scenes in putting together all the arrangements with Investec Asset Management.

Overall, I have good reasons to believe that the outcome of the deliberations here will go a long way in setting the process of engaging more with the private sector in the future.

On behalf of Team MEFMI, I thank you all for your gracious presence and a most wonderful evening. We look forward to the next twenty years.

THANK YOU ALL.