## Press Release: The East African Regional Technical Assistance Center (AFRITAC) is Inaugurated

_IMF News, October 24, 2002_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Press Release: The East African Regional Technical Assistance Center (AFRITAC) is Inaugurated](https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2015/09/14/01/49/pr0249)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/news/articles/2015/09/14/01/49/pr0249/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/news/articles/2015/09/14/01/49/pr0249/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/news/articles/2015/09/14/01/49/pr0249/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Published: October 24, 2002

---

### Inauguration and participants
- Press Release No. 02/49
- Date of inauguration: October 24, 2002
- Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Key speakers:
  - His Excellency Benjamin William Mkapa, President of the United Republic of Tanzania (inaugural address)
  - Mr. Eduardo Aninat, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (keynote address on behalf of the IMF)
- Participants included regional finance ministers, central bank governors, senior officials from participating countries, and senior officials from bilateral and multilateral donor agencies
- Countries served: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda
- First plenary meeting of the steering committee: October 23 (chaired by Dr. Daudi Ballali, Governor of the Bank of Tanzania)

### Purpose and objectives
- The East AFRITAC is part of the IMF's new Africa Capacity-Building Initiative launched in the same year
- Key objective: strengthen the capacity of African governments to formulate and implement their own growth oriented, poverty reducing policies in the context of the countries' Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
- The Initiative increases the Fund's capacity-building assistance to the African continent and is linked to support for the New Partnership for Africa (NEPAD)

### Services and technical areas
- The East AFRITAC will provide capacity-building assistance through:
  - a team of resident experts
  - supplementation by short-term specialists
- Core areas of IMF expertise to be provided:
  - macroeconomic policy
  - monetary and exchange rate policies
  - financial sector policies
  - tax policy and revenue administration
  - public expenditure management
  - macroeconomic statistics

### Expansion plans and collaboration
- Another center will be opened later this year to serve French-speaking West African countries in similar areas
- Contingent expansion: if the operations of the first two centers are successful, the IMF plans to open three additional centers over the medium-term to serve all sub-Saharan Africa
- The IMF will strengthen collaboration with existing capacity-building initiatives in the continent
  - As part of this strategy, the IMF joined the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) earlier this year

### Governance
- The East AFRITAC's work will be guided by a steering committee composed of:
  - senior officials from the participating countries
  - representatives of the agencies and donors providing financing

*Source: IMF Press Release — "The East African Regional Technical Assistance Center (AFRITAC) is Inaugurated" (October 24, 2002).*

---


## References

- [Kenya and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/KEN/index.htm)
- [Rwanda and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/RWA/index.htm)
- [United Republic of Tanzania and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/TZA/index.htm)
- [The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/ETH/index.htm)
- [The State of Eritrea and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/ERI/index.htm)
- [Uganda and the IMF](http://www.imf.org/external/country/UGA/index.htm)
- [Press Releases](https://www.imf.org/en/news/searchnews)
- [PRESS CENTER](http://presscenter.imf.org/)
- [https://www.imf.org/en/home](https://www.imf.org/en/home)

_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2015/09/14/01/49/pr0249_