BACKGROUND

Maintenance and availability of comprehensive, complete, accurate and timely public debt databases is critical for effective and efficient debt management operations. It is a prerequisite in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of debt management strategies, and enhances accountability and transparency through periodic reporting and publishing of debt statistics. It also ensures that servicing of debt obligations are done in a timely manner and payments are accurate. Recognising the centrality of debt statistics in debt management operations, MEFMI has continued to collaborate with the developers of debt recording and management systems in building the capacity of member countries on debt database management.

In June 2019, the Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC) launched the Commonwealth Meridian (CS- Meridian)- a state-of-the-art web-based debt recording, and management system aimed at helping countries proactively manage their public debt portfolios. Countries including those in the MEFMI region are fast adopting the new system which is replacing the CS-DRMS, which is being phased out.

The training aims to build requisite capacity within member countries to use the new debt recording and management system, CS-Meridian.