Sub-Saharan Africa: Financial Sector Challenges

By Catherine A Pattillo, Anne Marie Gulde, Kevin J Carey, Smita Wagh, Jakob E Christensen

August 28, 2006

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Format: Chicago

Catherine A Pattillo, Anne Marie Gulde, Kevin J Carey, Smita Wagh, and Jakob E Christensen. Sub-Saharan Africa: Financial Sector Challenges, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2006) accessed June 15, 2025

Summary

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.

Subject: Banking, Commercial banks, Credit, Economic sectors, Financial crises, Financial institutions, Financial markets, Financial sector, Financial services, Money, Stock markets

Keywords: Africa, Bank, BOOK, Commercial banks, Credit, Credit constraint, Credit information indices, Development bank, Financial market imperfection, Financial sector, Lending, Portfolio diversification, Renewed reform effort, Southern Africa, SSA bank, Stock markets, Sub-Saharan Africa, Survey evidence

Publication Details

Pages:

57
Volume:

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Books
Stock No:

SSAFEA
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