## Building A Monetary Union in Africa

_IMF Blog, March 4, 2015_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Building A Monetary Union in Africa](https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2015/03/04/building-a-monetary-union-in-africa)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/blogs/articles/2015/03/04/building-a-monetary-union-in-africa/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/blogs/articles/2015/03/04/building-a-monetary-union-in-africa/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/blogs/articles/2015/03/04/building-a-monetary-union-in-africa/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Authors: the IMF, find out how Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi stand to benefit from the creation of the East African Community.
- Published: March 4, 2015

---

### Overview
- Publication date: March 4, 2015
- Theme: Monetary unions; focus on the East African Community and the prospect of a common currency for East Africa.
- Medium: Podcast produced by the IMF.

### Participating countries and objectives
- Countries discussed: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.
- Objectives highlighted:
  - Creation of a common currency.
  - Increased trade and investment among member countries.

### Observed benefits from regional integration
- Trade facilitation: "It took more than three weeks to move goods from Kenya or Tanzania to Uganda; now it takes four to six days,” said the IMF's Oral Williams, one of the editors of a recent book on the East African Community.
- Increased trade and investment are cited as benefits of integration.

### Risks and questions raised
- The podcast raises the question: Will a union also expose them to more risk?
- Listeners are invited to consider potential trade-offs between the benefits of a monetary union and possible increased exposure to economic risks.

### Access and format
- Format: Audio podcast.
- Embedded media referenced from SoundCloud.

*Source: Building A Monetary Union in Africa, March 4, 2015*

---


## References

- [podcast](http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/SinglePodcastHighlight.aspx?podcastid=339)
- [recent book](http://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/IMF071/21170-9781484364413/21170-9781484364413/21170-9781484364413.xml)

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2015/03/04/building-a-monetary-union-in-africa_