PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
IMF sets up regional technical assistance centre for southern Africa
Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has set up a regional technical assistance centre for southern Africa, called AFRITAC South, to speed up economic transformation of the region, sources told PANA.
During the inauguration of the centre, which has its headquarters at the Bank of Mauritius, Port-Louis, the Mauritian Minister of Finance, Xavier-Luc Duval, said the country was motivated to open the centre, after that of Tanzania in 2002, because the island expressed the wish that the services of the international institution be moved closer to the region so as to settle the problems of capacities.
"Mauritius also expresses the wish to promote experience-sharing and the support to the specialized institutions and the member countries of the zone in the drafting and implementation of economic reforms," Duval added.
The minister said that Mauritius was willing to release US$ 10 million to speed up the implementation of the project.
According to him, the success of such a programme depended on the capacities of political decision-makers and the technical staff to master the stakes of economic integration.
Mr. Duval said the SADC countries were involved recently in the implementation of a programme to speed up the economic transformation of the region and the implementation of the required reforms to facilitate the region’s integration in the global economy.
The IMF deputy-manager, Min Zhu, said each member country, as well as the silent partners must strongly back the objectives and the activities of the centre, evaluate constantly its progress and set its priorities and needs, as well as the financial resources it needs for the materialization of its activities.
The centre covers 13 countries -- Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
-0- PANA NA/JSG/MSA/BOS 18Oct2011
During the inauguration of the centre, which has its headquarters at the Bank of Mauritius, Port-Louis, the Mauritian Minister of Finance, Xavier-Luc Duval, said the country was motivated to open the centre, after that of Tanzania in 2002, because the island expressed the wish that the services of the international institution be moved closer to the region so as to settle the problems of capacities.
"Mauritius also expresses the wish to promote experience-sharing and the support to the specialized institutions and the member countries of the zone in the drafting and implementation of economic reforms," Duval added.
The minister said that Mauritius was willing to release US$ 10 million to speed up the implementation of the project.
According to him, the success of such a programme depended on the capacities of political decision-makers and the technical staff to master the stakes of economic integration.
Mr. Duval said the SADC countries were involved recently in the implementation of a programme to speed up the economic transformation of the region and the implementation of the required reforms to facilitate the region’s integration in the global economy.
The IMF deputy-manager, Min Zhu, said each member country, as well as the silent partners must strongly back the objectives and the activities of the centre, evaluate constantly its progress and set its priorities and needs, as well as the financial resources it needs for the materialization of its activities.
The centre covers 13 countries -- Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
-0- PANA NA/JSG/MSA/BOS 18Oct2011
