DMF NEWSLETTER ISSUE 36 APRIL–JUNE 2019 I. DMF Stakeholders' Forum IN THIS ISSUE "The Future of Debt Management" T he Debt Management Facility Stakeholders’ Forum celebrated its 10th anniversary with “The Future of Debt Management” edition in Dakar, Senegal 13-14 May 2019. The conference reflected on the past decade of debt, development and debt 10th Anniversary management; exposed looming challenges related to rising debt vulnerabilities and debt of DMF Forum management reforms; and identified emerging opportunities - from innovative financing to applications of nascent technologies – to address debt management challenges. Staff Corner 110 PARTICIPANTS 31 COUNTRIES 26 INSTITUTIONS Debt Managers Practitioners' Program Country Engagements 2019 DMF Stakeholders' Forum. Debt Management Network Webinars The Forum hosted 110 policy makers, debt management officials, donors, private sector institutions and technical assistance providers across 31 countries and 26 institutions, Debt Management including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Development Bank, Publications and Events Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the private sector. The Forum discussed current trends and emerging challenges for sovereign debt in Low Income Development Countries (LIDCs) and ways to address these. With an increasing number of LIDC sovereigns accessing international capital markets, the challenges for infrequent international bond issuers were discussed. Representatives from Zambia and Sri Lanka spoke of their experience, the World Bank presented its new developing Guidance Note on Eurobond Issuance, and the private sector contributed their perspective. A common thread across sessions related to debt transparency. The role of debt transparency was highlighted taking the approach of a shared responsibility including both creditors and debtors. The views of the private sector were also presented, including an applied case in Mozambique’s forensic audits and also the case of Rwanda. Relatedly, the Forum discussed debt recording and the role of the back-office, including sound practice highlights from the World Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, Development Finance International as well as the case of Ethiopia. The importance of monitoring and managing government guarantees and contingent liabilities was deliberated. The World Bank presented its forthcoming framework for Guarantee Framework and Credit Risk Assessment. The experiences of Sweden and Rwanda were also presented, along with other country cases regarding credit risk assessments in Africa. DMF 2019 Forum Doerte Doemeland, Louise J. Cord, Participants at DMF 2019 Forum. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, EFI Vice President. and Ceyla Pazarbasioglu. Debt management developments from innovations in debt instruments, the development of government debt markets and challenges for reform implementation were discussed. For example, innovative instruments touched upon thematic and diaspora bonds, index-linked bonds, Global Depository Notes (GN) as well as credit enhancement-based transactions as a way to attract international investors. The discussion on development of domestic government bond markets showcased recent developments in the WAEMU Government Securities Market and the African Financial Markets Initiative, Euroclear, and the case of India. The sovereign asset and liability management (SALM) approach was presented, with the cases of Brazil, Senegal and New Zealand elaborated, along with key considerations highlighted by the World Bank Treasury. The Forum delved into the challenges for debt management reform implementation, hearing from Liberia, Mongolia and other countries cases through the work of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic management (WAIFEM) and the Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI). For more information visit the Debt Management Facility website. II. Staff Corner Meet the Team Z solt Bango joined the World Bank Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice Long Term Finance team as Senior Financial Sector Specialist on March 1, 2017. He has over 20 years of experience working in public debt management and domestic market development. In his current position, Zsolt supports domestic debt market development in frontier and emerging market countries. Prior to joining the World Bank, Zsolt was the Head of the Treasury Department in the Hungarian Government Debt Management Agency (AKK) where he worked for 16 years. Zsolt’s main responsibilities included, the organization of the primary dealer system, execution of secondary market transactions and hedging activities of the Hungarian debt agency as well as liquidity management of the Treasury Single Account. Zsolt Bango. 2 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 III. Debt Management Practitioners' Program Under the Debt Management Practitioners’ Program (DMPP), officials from DMF-eligible countries are given an opportunity to receive in-depth training on the debt management tools (DeMPA, DSA, MTDS) in Washington D.C. The program is a three-month long assignment and officials from all LICs are eligible to apply. The selection criteria is pertinent to official’s debt management responsibility, level of seniority, and academic credentials. In March 2019, two debt management officers from Tonga and Zambia completed their DMPP assignment at the World Bank in Washington D.C. Aivi Sapele Fakahua is Chief accountant and Supervisor, Debt Management Unit, Ministry of Finance, Tonga. “The decision to join the Debt Management Practitioners’ Program (DMPP) program proved to be one of the best decisions I have made for my career progression. Prior to coming to Washington D.C. I set my goal to build an expertise in working with the MTDS tool. After completing the program, I became fully equipped to prepare, implement and review the debt management strategy in my home country (Tonga). I have learnt how to identify objectives and scopes, analyze costs and risks of the existing debt, consider future financing sources, identify baseline projections and most importantly, to discuss the implications Aivi Sapele Fakahua. of alternative strategies on macroeconomic policy and domestic market development. The DMPP program is a great opportunity to build technical capacity and learn latest developments from the WB debt experts and specialists.” DMPP graduates and the DMF team of the World Bank, June 2019. Lea Hakim congratulates Paul Sikazwe on successfully completed DMPP program. Paul Sikazwe is a Senior Economist in the External Debt Management Department, Ministry of Finance, Zambia. “I joined the Debt Management Practitioners’ Program (DMPP) from Zambia’s Debt Management Office in hope to gain first-hand insights on the latest debt management practices. After having spent three months with the WB debt experts, I am returning home with a large agenda and plans to share my newly gained knowledge with colleagues at home. The DMPP was once in a lifetime opportunity which helped me become proficient in debt management tools (MTDS and Reform Plan). I was fortunate to have access to a continuous, three- months long mentoring by the best debt experts from the field and to have access to numerous Paul Sikazwe. World bank seminars and knowledge sharing events. The DMPP truly exceeded all my expectations and I have enjoyed participating in the MTDS training mission (Pakistan).” 3 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 IV. DMF Activities April–June 2019 7 9 184 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MISSIONS REGIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOPS PUBLIC OFFICIALS TRAINED Examples of beneficiary countries from DMF training and TA activities AFGHANISTAN ANGOLA 9 Regional Workshops 3 CashManagement/ BANGLADESH BHUTAN Contingent Liabilities/ BURKINA FASO Debt Management Support/ 5 LIC DSA CAMBODIA CAMEROON GUINEA BISSAU CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC GUYANA CHAD HAITI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO HONDURAS DOMINICA INDIA 1MTDS Mission ETHIOPIA KENYA GHANA KOSOVO GRENADA KYRGYZ REPUBLIC GRENADINES LAO PDR GUINEA LAOS LESOTHO LIBERIA 1 Debt MADAGASCAR Reform MALAWI NIGERIA Plan MALAYSIA PAKISTAN MALDIVES PAPUA NEW GUINEA MALI REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO MAURITANIA SAMOA SENEGAL 1 Subnational DeMPA MOLDOVA MONGOLIA SIERRA LEONE 3 DeMPA MOZAMBIQUE SOLOMON ISLANDS NEPAL ST. VINCENT NICARAGUA TAJIKISTAN TANZANIA THE GAMBIA TOGO 1 Domestic Market Development UGANDA UZBEKISTAN VIETNAM ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE 4 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 Country Engagements Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) and Subnational (DeMPA) Missions OBJECTIVE Deliver technical assistance in evaluating the legal, institutional and regulatory framework in government debt management, using the DeMPA tool. The DeMPA is a methodology for assessing public debt management performance through a comprehensive set of indicators spanning the full range of government debt management functions. Click here for more information. COUNTRY Bamako, Mali Nigeria (Ogun State) Yaounde, Cameroon Harare, Zimbabwe April 1–10, 2019 April 8–15, 2019 May 1–10, 2019 May 16–24, 2019 ORGANIZERS World Bank World Bank and World Bank and DRI World Bank WAIFEM MAIN Ministry of Economy Debt Management Ministry of Economy Ministry of Finance, COUNTERPARTS and Finance Ministry Department Ogun - Caisse Autonome External Debt of Foreign Affairs State, state agencies. of Ammortissement, Department. and International responsible for public Cooperation Audit debt management institutions and Bank of Central national agency African States (BEAC). of BCEAO. HIGHLIGHTS The country The mission assessed Following the first This was the third developed a debt management DeMPA in 2009, this DeMPA mission procedures manual performance of second assessment delivered on for external Ogun State. There found significant the invite from borrowing and debt is no domestic or accomplishments Zimbabwean service payments external market- in the area of debt country authorities and domestic based borrowing in transparency. to take stock on the debt borrowing is Ogun State. Nigerian The government performance of debt conducted at the states cannot borrow prepares and management. highest standard externally directly. All publishes numerous with the assistance of external resources publications and Agence Titre UMOA are either on-lent reports covering (AUT). or guaranteed public and publicly by the Federal guaranteed debt. Government. There were no prepared and published debt statistical bulletins or similar debt reports. 5 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 Debt Management Reform Plan (DMRP) Missions OBJECTIVE Design a detailed and sequenced Debt Management Reform Plan, jointly with the Government, based on a comprehensive analysis of public debt management institutions and operations. Click here for more information. COUNTRY Lusaka, Zambia May 20–24, 2019 ORGANIZERS World Bank COUNTERPART Ministry of Finance. HIGHLIGHTS The mission took stock of the domestic market development and assessed development of the money markets, primary and secondary markets of government securities, the trading infrastructure, the Clearing, Settlement and Depository framework, the investors relations and the composition of the investor base. The mission team provided recommendations on primary market operations and designed a technical assistance roadmap. Domestic Market Development Mission OBJECTIVE Take stock of the status of the domestic market development and propose recommendations COUNTRY Lusaka, Zambia May 23–30, 2019 ORGANIZERS World Bank and IMF COUNTERPART Ministry of Finance. HIGHLIGHTS The mission identified the following areas for reforms: 1) the legal framework 2) the organization of debt management, 3) formulating and implementing the DMS 4) reporting and Investor Relations, 5) government guarantees and 6) cash forecasting and cash management. 6 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 Medium Term Debt Management Plan (MTDS) OBJECTIVES The objectives of the MTDS missions were to improve the capacity to: • Monitor and manage risks of the debt portfolio. • Formulate a Debt Management Strategy consistent with acceptable costs and risks. • Prepare an annual borrowing plan. COUNTRY Tashkent, Uzbekistan, April 1–12, 2019 ORGANIZERS World Bank and IMF COUNTERPART Ministry of Finance. HIGHLIGHTS The team supported authorities in developing a medium-term debt management strategy (DMS). The mission was organized in two phases: (1) data collection and aggregation, including training on data aggregation and calculation of risk indicators; (2) DMS training and development of the MTDS for Uzbekistan. The team delivered presentations and hands-on training on cost-risk analysis, the MTDS tool and its interactions with market development and macroeconomic policies. Regional Training Events TOPIC Regional Domestic Debt Market Workshop COUNTRY Arusha, Tanzania, June 17–21, 2019 ORGANIZERS IMF, MEFMI*, and World Bank* (* not DMF funded) PARTICIPANTS 28 participants from 12 countries including: Angola, Botswana, Kingdom of Swatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. OBJECTIVE The workshop covered the building blocks for market development. Participants had the opportunity to share the experiences and to discuss policies to deepen their local debt markets. Participants showed great appreciation for the discussions and stressed the relevance of the topics presented for their countries. Given the highly positive feedback and the relevance of the topic, MEFMI is considering repeating this seminar next year. TOPIC Regional DeMPA Training COUNTRY Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia, April 22–26, 2019 ORGANIZERS World Bank PARTICIPANTS 25 participants from 10 countries including: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vietnam. OBJECTIVE This regional workshop helped participants form the Asia-Pacific Region better understand the rationale, scope, coverage, and application of the DeMPA methodology. By the end of the workshop, participants discussed inter-linkages between the debt management functions, use of evidence- based data for making an assessment and be familiar with the DeMPA scoring methodology. The workshop was a combination of presentations and hands-on case studies. 7 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 Other Regional Workshops TOPIC Debt and Cash Management Workshop COUNTRY Vienna, Austria, June 24– 29, 2019 ORGANIZERS IMF PARTICIPANTS Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republic of Srpska), Georgia, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan, North Macedonia (non-DMF), and Albania (non-DMF). OBJECTIVE The training highlighted the importance of, and the mechanisms for, coordination between cash and debt management activities. Sessions covered the key aspects of cash and debt management policies, elaborating their interactions and interface with fiscal and monetary policies. All countries’ participants shared their insights and challenges that they are facing. The participants actively engaged in seminar discussions, acknowledging the importance of topics covered and realizing the gaps in their country settings. TOPIC Management of Contingent Liabilities from PPPs COUNTRY Accra, Ghana, June 25– 29, 2019 ORGANIZERS IMF PARTICIPANTS 24 participants from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia. OBJECTIVE 1) Deliver a regional one-week workshop of fiscal risk and contingent liabilities management in Accra/Ghana. 2) Help authorities better understand the importance of actively managing government’s fiscal risk, what constitutes a good fiscal risk reporting framework and some techniques for assessing risk, particularly from Public Private Participation projects (PPPs). Regional Debt Market Development Workshop. Discussing market development priorities. 8 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 Regional Workshops on Debt Sustainability Analysis in Low-Income Countries OBJECTIVE The LIC DSA workshops are organized to familiarize participants with the revised LIC DSF approved by the Boards of the World Bank and IMF in September 2017 and with the revised LIC DSF tool. The workshop trains government officials to independently prepare the LIC DSA. COUNTRY ORGANIZERS TRAINED HIGHLIGHTS 31 officials This workshop included hands-on sessions on both from Kenya, standard and actual country case studies. The specific World Bank Lesotho, Malawi, goal for this workshop was to assist government officials Maseru, Lesotho and Mozambique, to independently carry out the analytical work of the April 1–5, 2019 MEFMI Rwanda, Tanzania, LIC DSAs. This workshop participants acknowledged Uganda, Zambia, the usefulness of the hands-on sessions that helped in and Zimbabwe. understanding the new features of the LIC DSF. 19 officials The workshop introduced participants to;t (i) standardized from Maldives, forward-looking analysis of the debt and debt service Kyrgyz, Djibouti, dynamics under a baseline scenario and in the face of Vienna, Austria Bangladesh, plausible shocks; (ii) the new tailored stress tests and World Bank Bhutan, realism tools introduced by the revised framework; (iii) the May 20–24, 2019 and IMF/JVI Uzbekistan, assessment of debt sustainability in relation to indicative Lao, Tajikistan, country-specific debt burden thresholds; and (iv) the use Cambodia. of judgement to arrive at the final assessment of the risk of debt distress. 24 officials from The objective of this workshop was to strengthen the Togo, Mali, Ivory participants’ capacity in developing a DSA analyzing Coast, Burkina, the results. The hands-on training was set to reflect Dakar, Senegal Niger, Senegal, the progressive steps within this process. It covered World Bank Guinea Bissau, the preparatory data process steps, the analytical June 17–21, 2019 and IMF Guinea and steps, focusing on the links between a macroeconomic Mauritania. framework and the accumulation/reduction of debt, the architecture of the template, the nature of the stress tests, and the methodology underpinning the LIC-DSF. 12 officials The main objective of the workshop was to familiarize from Burundi, the participants with the revised LIC DSF approved by the Cameroon, Boards of the World Bank and IMF in September 2017 and Republic of with the revised LIC DSF tool. New features of DSF were Congo, Gabon, shared with the participants through both presentations World Bank, Libreville, Gabon Equatorial Guinea, and case studies. Participants were given a choice to work IMF, t and June 24–28, 2019 Central African either on standardized or country-specific case study. AFRITAC Republic, The West Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tomé and Principe and Chad. 11 officials The workshop provided a balanced series of theoretical from Dominica, sessions and hands-on exercises. They were faced Grenada, Guyana, with the challenges of introducing some changes in Bridgetown, Haiti, Honduras, the macroeconomic framework; recording financing Barbados World Bank Nicaragua and St. assumptions in the template; reading the automatically- June 24–28, 2019 and IMF Vincent and the generated results by the template; and determining debt Grenadines. distress ratings. Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent produce annual DSA with limited support from ECCB. Guyana, Haiti and Nicaragua do not prepare independent DSAs. 9 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 V. DMF Debt Management Network Webinars The DMF manages the Debt Management Network (DMN) to share knowledge and build lasting capacity. The DMN is a community of government debt management practitioners aimed at sharing experience, exchanging information and helping to foster peer learning through virtual meetings, or webinars, for information sharing and discussions. Past Webinars: The Debt Management Facility III: Strengthening Debt Management and Debt Transparency July 3, 2019 T he Debt Management Facility (DMF) is a multi-donor trust fund that finances advisory services for 84 developing countries to strengthen debt management capacity, process and institutions. This webinar discussed the evolution of the Debt Management Facility (DMF) and introduced the third phase of the DMF (DMF III), launched at the World Bank / International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in April 2019. Since its inception in 2008, the DMF has supported countries in improving their legal frameworks, strengthening debt management office, developing debt management strategy and enhancing debt reporting. With rising debt vulnerabilities, new challenges have emerged and the DMF III will continue the legacy of the previous two phases by offering additional TA on debt transparency, debt sustainability analysis and management of fiscal risks. Today, more countries prepare and publish debt management strategies, many have stronger debt management institutions and public debt reporting has improved. Presenters: Léa Hakim, Program Manager Debt Management Facility and Senior Economist, World Bank. Discussant: Baba Musa, Director General of the Debt Management Department at the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM). Upcoming Webinars: Programmatic Approach: Multi-year Support for Debt Management Results November 4, 2019 Presenters: M. Coskun Cangöz, Head of Government Debt and Risk Management, World Bank Treasury. Léa Hakim, Program Manager Debt Management Facility and Senior Economist, World Bank. Discussant: Bakyt Sydykov, Head of Department, External Affairs and Aid Coordination, Ministry of Economy, former Head of Public Debt Department, Kyrgyz Republic. VI. Debt Management Events Past Events: 2019 INTOSAI (International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions) Working Group on Public Debt (WGPD) May 23, 2019, Baku, Azerbaijan. T he annual meeting of the INTOSAI Working Group on Public Debt (WGPD) took place on 23-24 May in Baku, Azerbaijan and it was organized with the support of Azerbaijan's Chamber of Account. The meeting aimed at presenting international standards of public debt management and platforms for debt management knowledge exchange, as well as discussion of the debt issues and developing further cooperation with INTOSAI. Presentations from the meeting are available here. 2019 Asian Regional Public Debt Management Forum May 21-23, 2019, Baku, Azerbaijan. T he Asian Regional Public Debt Management Forum was co-organized by Azerbaijan`s Ministry of Finance and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Baku, 21 – 23, May, 2019. As part of ADB's regional technical assistance, the Forum aimed to contribute to the strengthening of public debt management of ADB member countries and promote networking among public debt managers in the region. Presentations from the Forum are available here. 10 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 10th DMF Stakeholders' Forum “The Future of Debt Management” May 13-14, 2019, Dakar, Senegal. T he participants of the Forum reflected on the past decade of debt developments and exposed challenges related to debt vulnerabilities and debt reforms. New opportunities in the form of more advanced debt management tools, more engaging knowledge products and technical assistance were identified to help Low Income and Development Countries (LIDCs) deal with emerging debt management challenges. More about the Forum is available here. Paris Club Forum “Sustainable Debt for Sustainable Growth” Debt Trends and Challenges in LICs May 7, 2019, Paris, France. A side conference “Debt Trends and Challenges in LICs” was organized as part of the Paris Club Forum on May 7, 2019. The discussants brought into spotlight a worrisome trend of rising debt vulnerabilities in Low Income Developing Countries (LIDCS). This trend is particularly noticeable in countries which benefited from Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The conference concluded that the international community can to help maintain debt on a sustainable path while securing sufficient financing to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). More about the Paris Forum events is available here. 2019 OECD Global Forum on Public Debt Management April 23-24, 2019, Paris, France. A t the OECD Global Forum on Public Debt Management, public debt managers, regulators, central bankers, and private sector participants discussed best practices, experiences, and policies in the field of government debt management. The Forum highlighted common challenges debt managers from both, emerging market countries and advanced economies increasingly face due to global trends on financial markets. More about the Forum is available here. 2019 IMF/WB Spring Meetings Seminar: “Tackling the Next Wave of Sovereign Debt Crisis” April 10, 2019, Washington, D.C. T his IMF seminar addressed whether the current international financial architecture can prevent debt and financial crises. Currently, debt is at record levels in advanced and emerging market economies. More than 40 percent of low-income countries are wrestling with debt distress or high-risk debt levels. If measures are not put in place to reduce emerging risks, a new and broad- based wave of debt crises could emerge as a major threat for the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For a video recording from the seminar, please click here. Tackling the Next Wave of Sovereign Debt Crises. Future Events: 2019 Public Debt Management Conference September 4-5, 2019, Paris, France. T he conference is among the few events specifically aimed at promoting dialogue among policy makers (debt managers, central bankers, regulators), academics and market practitioners (investors, dealers, market infrastructures’ managers), to encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration across organizational and disciplinary boundaries, and to foster the development and dissemination of best practices in public debt management. The Public Debt Management Network is an initiative fostered by the OECD, the Italian Treasury and The World Bank. From the World Bank side, it is co-led by the Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice and the World Bank Treasury. For more about this forthcoming event, please click here. 11 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36 The Donors Contact Information ♦ African Development Bank Group Debt Management Facility ♦ Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance The World Bank Group ♦ European Commission 1818 H Street, NW Washington D.C. 20433 ♦ German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development ♦ Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs ♦ Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.dmfacility.org ♦ Ministry of Finance of Russian Federation www.worldbank.org/debt ♦ Switzerland State Secretariat for Economic Affairs dmf@worldbank.org Debt Management Facility April-June 2019 Issue 36 The DMF Newsletter is published quarterly by the DMF Secretariat. The newsletter is distributed to debt management practitioners from developing countries, donors, DMF implementing partners, civil society organizations and private sector firms. The newsletter aims to share DMF work plans, lessons learned, and news and developments related to debt management. 12 DMF NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 36