- October 3, 2017
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Current News
Press Release 2017 Combined Forum
EVENT: MEFMI COMBINED FORUM FOR MINISTERS OF FINANCE AND OF PLANNING, SECRETARIES TO TREASURY / PERMANENT SECRETARIES OF FINANCE AND OF PLANNING AND CENTRAL BANK GOVERNORS
VENUE: Hamilton Hotel, 1101 14th St, NW, Washington, D.C. 2005, USA
DATE: 9 OCTOBER 2017
MEFMI is holding the annual Combined Forum in Washinton D.C. on Monday 9 October 2017. The event which will be attended Ministers of Finance and of Planning, Secretaries to Treasury / Permanent Secretaries of Finance and of Planning as well as Central Bank Governors from MEFMI member countries (Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) will be held at the Hamilton Hotel.
The event is being hosted with financial support from EY (formely Ernest and Young) and will run under the theme Financing Infrustructure. According to World Bank estimates, Sub-Saharan Africa’s annual infrastructure gap stands at around $100 billion. Every dollar of that gap represents a drag on Africa’s development and a decrease of its potential. Unless and until the region acquires modern transport systems, power generation capacity, and other basic infrastructure, it will continue to lag behind. This is despite the fact that Africa presents a huge market opportunity, with 52 cities of over one million inhabitants and the urban population is expected to increase by 50% in the year 2030. In a decade, the continent will have the largest workforce in the world, along with 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land and abundant energy resources ranging from hydrocarbons to renewables.
Africa is home to four of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies and governments aare cognisant of the infrastructure problem, but have neither the financial resources nor the technical ability needed to close the gap without external financial assistance. Private capital and expertise must be mobilized, and thus the focus of the Combined Forum on how the continent can attract first-tier international private investors in infrastructure projects, as well as learn from international experts‘ experiences in dealing with infrustructre financing.
Hon. Goodall Gondwe, the Malawai Minister of Finance and Development Planning will offocially open the event which will be attended by more than 100 delegates.
Discussion topics are;
• The political Context for Global Markets to be presented by Kevin Kajiwara who is the Co-president of Teneo Intelligence.
• Trends in Infrustructre Financing to be presented by Susan Flanagan who is a business strategist.
Other topics for the half day event are;
• Preparing Conutries for Subnational Financiang of Infrustructure.
• China’s Impact on African Infrustructure.
The Combined Forum is a platform used by MEFMI to bring together policy makers inorder to discuss and strategise on emerging issues. Recommendations from previous Combined Forums have translated into the continued development of good policies that drive economic growth and also play a critical role in reducing the levels of poverty in the MEFMI region.
…ENDS…
For further information please contact
Mrs Gladys Siwela-Jadagu, Public Relations Manager, 9 Earls Road, Alexandra Park, Harare, Zimbabwe
E-mail: gladys.siwela@mefmi.org
Website: www.mefmi.org
Twitter: @mefmiorg