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Africa > Uganda

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 10 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Financial institutions x
  • Financial markets x
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Cover FinTech Notes
Tokenization and Financial Market Inefficiencies
Itai Agur
,
German Villegas Bauer
,
Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli
,
Maria Soledad Martinez Peria
, and
Brandon Tan
Most financial assets are digital today. Tomorrow, they may be tokenized. Tokenization implies recording and transferring assets on a widely shared and trusted digital ledger that can be programmed. Interest in tokenization is strong and experiments abound, but what are the consequences of this new trend for financial markets? This note introduces a taxonomy and a conceptual framework centered on market inefficiencies to evaluate this question. Some inefficiencies could decline across the asset life cycle. Others would remain, however, and new ones could emerge. Issuing, servicing, and redeeming assets might involve fewer intermediaries and thus become cheaper. The costs of trading assets may also decrease as tokenization lowers some counterparty risks and search frictions and offers flexibility in settlement. Additionally, greater competition among brokers could lower transaction fees. However, tokenization may amplify shocks if it induces institutions to become more interconnected and hold lower liquidity buffers or higher leverage, potentially jeopardizing financial stability. Programs themselves may introduce new risks related to strings of contingent contracts or faulty code. While competition may grow among financial intermediaries, the provision of market infrastructure could become more concentrated due to network effects.
Keywords:
Tokenization; central banks; asset lifecycle; financial markets; financial asset market friction; B. market infrastructure investment externality; financial market inefficiency; IMF Library; Note 2025/001; D. knowledge externality; Bonds; Smart contracts; Securities markets; Liquidity; Blockchain and DLT; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
United Republic of Tanzania: Selected Issues-Macrofinancial Issues
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
This Selected Issues paper analyzes the financial sector in Tanzania. The Tanzanian financial system has a number of characteristics commonly seen in other low-income countries. The system is relatively small, dominated by banks, and has not been particularly inclusive. Costs related to basic financial services have come down. However, in other areas, progress remains limited. Firms’ access to credit remains a problem, access to the financial infrastructure continues to lag, and market development remains at a low level. The banking system overall is well-capitalized and reasonably profitable, but there is considerable variation among bank categories.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; excess reserves; interest rate; transmission mechanism; Community bank; deposits-to-GDP ratio; mobile money; market participant; reserve money target; Mobile banking; Financial sector development; Commercial banks; Credit; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Identifying Constraints to Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP and Inequality: A Structural Framework for Policy
Ms. Era Dabla-Norris
,
Yan Ji
,
Robert M. Townsend
, and
Ms. Filiz D Unsal
We develop a micro-founded general equilibrium model with heterogeneous agents to identify pertinent constraints to financial inclusion. We evaluate quantitatively the policy impacts of relaxing each of these constraints separately, and in combination, on GDP and inequality. We focus on three dimensions of financial inclusion: access (determined by the size of participation costs), depth (determined by the size of collateral constraints resulting from limited commitment), and intermediation efficiency (determined by the size of interest rate spreads and default possibilities due to costly monitoring). We take the model to a firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey for six countries at varying degrees of economic development—three low-income countries (Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique), and three emerging market countries (Malaysia, the Philippines, and Egypt). The results suggest that alleviating different financial frictions have a differential impact across countries, with country-specific characteristics playing a central role in determining the linkages and tradeoffs between inclusion, GDP, inequality, and the distribution of gains and losses.
Keywords:
WP; participation cost; Gini coefficient; cost of capital; intermediation cost; Financial inclusion; inequality; income distribution; hetergenous agents; optimal contract; credit regime; lending interest rate; Self-employment; Credit; Income inequality; Collateral
Cover Policy Papers
Enhancing Financial Sector Surveillance in Low-Income Countries - Case Studies
International Monetary Fund
This supplement presents ten case studies, which highlight the roles of targeted policies to facilitate sustainable financial deepening in a variety of country circumstances, reflecting historical experiences that parallel a range of markets in LICs. The case studies were selected to broadly capture efforts by countries to increase reach (e.g., financial inclusion), depth (e.g., financial intermediation), and breadth of financial systems (e.g., capital market, cross-border development). The analysis in the case studies highlights the importance of a balanced approach to financial deepening. A stable macroeconomic environment is vital to instill consumer, institutional, and investor confidence necessary to encourage financial market activity. Targeted public policy initiatives (e.g., collateral, payment systems development) can be helpful in removing impediments and creating infrastructure for improved market operations, while ensuring appropriate oversight and regulation of financial markets, to address potential sources of instability and market failures. 
Keywords:
PP; FX market; central bank; interest rate; banking sector; foreign currency; financial market; government bond; exchange rate; Securities markets; Commercial banks; Insurance; Government securities; Baltics; Africa; Global; West Africa; Caribbean
Cover IMF Working Papers
Capital Market Integration: Progress Ahead of the East African Community Monetary Union
Mr. Masafumi Yabara
Capital markets in the East African Community (EAC) face common challenges of low capitalization and liquidity, but to different degrees. EAC member countries have made noticeable progress in developing domestic capital markets through a regional approach, removing constraints on capital transactions and harmonizing market infrastructure. Nevertheless, empirical analysis suggests capital market integration has not deepened during the past few years in the EAC, although convergence of investment returns is taking place to some extent. Learning from the experience of the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, EAC countries would benefit from four actions to accelerate financial market integration: (i) further harmonize market infrastructure; (ii) strengthen regional surveillance mechanisms; (iii) encourage local currency bond issuance by multilateral financial institutions; and (iv) build the capacity of the existing regional institutions.
Keywords:
WP; EAC treasury bill market; market infrastructure; EAC capital market integration; EAC treasury bond bond market; EAC debt markets; East African Community; regional integration; monetary union; capital market; equity; stock; debt; bond; beta convergence; sigma convergence; cointegration; EAC Treasury Bill; EAC capital markets; Stock markets; Securities markets; Capital markets; Capital market integration; Treasury bills and bonds; Sub-Saharan Africa; West Africa; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Assessing Bank Competition within the East African Community
Sarah Sanya
and
Matthew Gaertner
This paper is an empirical analysis of competitiveness in the banking system of four out of the five East African Community (EAC) countries2. The results show that the degree of competition is low due to a combination of structural and socio-economic factors. By way of preview, the analysis ranks the countries in terms of banking sector competitiveness in the following order: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.
Keywords:
WP; return on assets; concentration ratio; EAC country; bank competition; East African Community; Competition; Banking; Financial sector; H-statistic; Lerner Index; bank regulation; bank performance indicator; EAC banking systems; bank freedom; banks output; Commercial banks; Foreign banks; Credit; Africa
Cover Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Financial Sector Challenges
Ms. Catherine A Pattillo
,
Ms. Anne Marie Gulde
,
Mr. Kevin J Carey
,
Ms. Smita Wagh
, and
Mr. Jakob E Christensen

Abstract

Financial sectors in low-income sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are among the world's least developed. In fact, assets in most low-income African countries are smaller than those held by a single medium-sized bank in an industrial country. The absence of deep, efficient financial markets seriously challenges policy making, hinders poverty alleviation, and constrains growth. This book argues that building efficient and sound financial sectors in SSA countries will improve Africa's economic prospects. Based on a review of the key features of financial systems, it discusses the main obstacles and challenges that financial structures pose for SSA economies and recommends steps that could address major shortcomings in implementing the reform agenda.

Keywords:
BOOK; bank; SSA bank; financial market imperfection; lending; development bank; renewed reform effort; credit information indices; Commercial banks; Financial sector; Credit; Stock markets; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Southern Africa; credit constraint; survey evidence; portfolio diversification
Cover IMF Working Papers
Access to Bank Credit in Sub-Saharan Africa: Key Issues and Reform Strategies
Mr. Emilio Sacerdoti
This study discusses issues of access to bank credit in Sub-Saharan Africa, and examines measures that could help facilitate access by the private sector to bank credit. It reviews in particular obstacles to credit small- and medium-scale enterprises and agriculture, and examines progress in the design and implementation of reform measures that are needed to create an institutional environment more supportive of credit activity. It also reviews bank interest rate spreads and profit margins, and their determinants, and compares such spreads with those prevailing in other regions of the world.
Keywords:
WP; bank; firm; rate of return; broad money; financing; Banking systems; Sub-Saharan Africa; working capital; bank financing; return on assets; land tenure; risk assessment; financial support; operating expenses; cash flow; Credit; Bank credit; Credit bureaus; Loans; Commercial banks; Africa; Southern Europe; Central and Eastern Europe; West Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Uganda: Financial System Stability Assessment, including Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes on the following topics: Monetary and Financial Policy Transparency, Banking Supervision, Securities Regulation, and Payment Systems
International Monetary Fund
This paper presents findings of Uganda’s Financial System Stability Assessment, including Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Monetary and Financial Policy Transparency, Banking Supervision, Securities Regulation, Insurance Regulation, Corporate Governance, and Payment Systems. The banking system in Uganda, which dominates the financial system, is fundamentally sound, more resilient than in the past, and currently poses no threat to macroeconomic stability. A major disruption in donor flows could, however, challenge macroeconomic stability and threaten the financial system.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; central bank; interest rate; monetary policy; payment system; financial system; foreign exchange; banking system; banking sector; clearing house; Payment systems; Commercial banks; Financial Sector Assessment Program; Loans; Bank supervision; Africa
Cover Financial Sector Development in Sub-Saharan African Countries
Financial Sector Development in Sub-Saharan African Countries
Jean-Pierre Briffaut
,
Mr. George Iden
,
Mr. Peter C. Hayward
,
Mr. Tonny Lybek
,
Mr. Hassanali Mehran
,
Mr. Piero Ugolini
, and
Mr. Stephen M Swaray

Abstract

This study takes stock of progress made so far in the financial sectors of sub-saharan African countries. It recommends further reforms and specific measures in the areas of supervision, development of monetary operations and financial markets, external sector liberalization, central bank autonomy and accountability, payments system, and central bank accounting and auditing.

Keywords:
OP; central bank; government; market; payment; monetary policy; bank expansion; government bank; exchange policy; bank intermediation; resource utilization; a number of bank; government ownership; Commercial banks; Central bank legislation; Central bank autonomy; Payment systems; Financial sector; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa; West Africa