## Africa’s Growth Puzzle: Better Ways to Fill Infrastructure Gaps

_IMF Blog, February 28, 2012_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Africa’s Growth Puzzle: Better Ways to Fill Infrastructure Gaps](https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2012/02/28/africas-growth-puzzle-better-ways-to-fill-infrastructure-gaps)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/blogs/articles/2012/02/28/africas-growth-puzzle-better-ways-to-fill-infrastructure-gaps/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/blogs/articles/2012/02/28/africas-growth-puzzle-better-ways-to-fill-infrastructure-gaps/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/blogs/articles/2012/02/28/africas-growth-puzzle-better-ways-to-fill-infrastructure-gaps/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Published: February 28, 2012

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### Overview
- Publication date: February 28, 2012.
- Framing: Reviving or maintaining economic growth is a foremost concern for policymakers globally; required policies differ by region and country.
- Central message: For many countries in Africa, weak infrastructure is an obstacle to raising growth.

### Infrastructure challenges
- Described as a “tremendous infrastructure deficit” that:
  - “affects all levels of society and all aspects.”
  - “affects health, education and growth.”
- Policy tradeoffs: Infrastructure needs compete with other pressing spending priorities, for example:
  - “the need for infrastructure development, but we could be talking about how incredibly important it is to spend on AIDS, health, education, or any number of things.”

### Financing options and recommendations
- Suggested approach: Step up investment in infrastructure by augmenting traditional sources of financing (such as aid) with:
  - foreign borrowing, and
  - private investment.
- Caution: Tapping alternative sources of financing is “not a cure all.”

### Risks and policy considerations
- Key cautionary point: Additional borrowing must be managed to ensure that:
  - it can be repaid, and
  - infrastructure investment translates into growth.
- The interview discusses the pros and cons of foreign borrowing for infrastructure investment and the risks that need to be managed.

### Additional content format
- The page references a full interview with Andrew Berg of the IMF’s Research Department and provides an audio option: “Listen to the interview here.”

*Source: Africa’s Growth Puzzle: Better Ways to Fill Infrastructure Gaps (February 28, 2012).*

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## References

- [recent interview](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2012/INT022212A.htm)
- [IMF Survey online](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/home.aspx)
- [Andrew Berg](http://blogs.imf.org/bloggers/andrew-g-berg/)
- [here](http://www.imf.org/external/Podcast/2012/Berg.mp3)
- [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2011/12/collier.htm](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2011/12/collier.htm)
- [Antoinette Sayeh](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2011/12/straight.htm)
- [Finance & Development](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/fda.htm)
- [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2011/03/Arslanalp.htm](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2011/03/Arslanalp.htm)
- [IMF Survey](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/index.aspx?type=car)
- [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2010/car072110b.htm](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2010/car072110b.htm)

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2012/02/28/africas-growth-puzzle-better-ways-to-fill-infrastructure-gaps_