Africa
Working group minutes: central banks weigh CBDC design choices
Central bankers discuss CBDC design elements, adoption rates and cross-border payments
Large reserve holders use external managers for intel and new assets
Staff training trumps new asset class adoption as overall goal for third parties’ engagement
Asset delegation to external managers averages just 12%
One in 10 central banks considering reviews of allocations to external managers
Central banks split over impact of US sanctions on dollar reserves
De-dollarisation, if it happens, will be very slow, central banks say
Reserve assets still rarely screened on ESG grounds
Bonds and equity indexes remain widely favoured for benchmarking
Ten central banks diversify portfolios with new asset classes
Institutions introduce green bonds and others into their reserve holdings
Asia-Pacific has highest assessing reserve adequacy metric
Ratios broadly higher among middle income central banks
Portfolio managers make up largest share of reserve teams
Staff average annual earnings hover around $30,000 level
Cyber crime is central banks’ top financial instability risk
Upper-middle income countries more likely to be wary of foreign exchange crisis
Supra-national stress tests less common in middle income countries
Most central banks conduct stress tests of banks more than once a year
Majority of central banks carry out cyber defence exercises
Respondents suggest ways to improve exercises’ effectiveness in building up resilience
Cyber attacks increased in most countries over past two years
Central banks want cyber experts, awareness campaigns and collaborations to mitigate risks
Central banks say co-operation on AML/CFT effective
But some still want improved data sharing, surveillance and relationships
Rising AML/CFT risks reported in 40% of jurisdictions
But majority of central banks empowered and well equipped to mitigate risks
Authorities resolved median of one bank over past decade
Central banks suggest measures for resolving failed banks
Bank of Uganda cuts rates by 25bp
Move comes despite inflation having risen for third consecutive month
Three in five central banks seek improved banking regulations
Basel III reforms, liquidity controls, capital adequacy, others dominate list of concerns
Reserve requirement remains leading macro-pru policy
High income countries favour caps on loan-to-value ratios
Most central banks have macro-pru mandates
Nine institutions seek more macro-pru tools
Financial stability budget increases in most central banks
But resources less likely to be sufficient in Africa and lower-middle income institutions
Two in five financial stability divisions have staff shortage
FTE employees average under 30 workers across responding institutions