1. Uganda has navigated the post pandemic recovery well. The impacts of the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine have by now largely tapered off: real GDP growth is back to its prepandemic levels, inflation is among the lowest in the region, and fiscal and external balances have seen notable improvements (Text Figure 1). However, Uganda’s gap in real per capita income with other emerging and developing economies continues to widen. Over the last year, external buffers have also declined, denting Uganda’s ability to weather future shocks.
This paper revisits monetary policy transmission in Uganda, focusing on the credit and exchange rate channels. Despite inflation being below the target, the Bank of Uganda has maintained a tight monetary policy stance. The findings support the importance of exchange rate developments in shaping monetary policy actions in Uganda, offering several policy recommendations to further strengthen monetary policy transmission and enhance the inflation targeting framework.
MACROECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS AND PROSPECTS FOR LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES—2024—ONLINE ANNEXES
Introduction
1. The Ugandan economy continues to strengthen amidst increased downside risks. While the post-pandemic economic recovery has broadened, the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) in May 2023, currently under review by the Constitutional Court following legal challenges, has complicated the external financing landscape. In particular, the World Bank (WB) has suspended new loans and put in place safeguard measures to ensure non-discrimination, that are likely to impact the pace of implementation of current projects (Box 1). More recently, the U.S. Government issued a business advisory cautioning private investors against financial and reputational risks stemming from corruption and human rights restrictions in Uganda and removed Uganda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). These actions have increased downside risks, including for external financing.