Member Views

AI Could Breathe New Life Into Core Systems

The new kid on the block, AI, meets the original gangster, COBOL. Is it magic or is it a miss? COBOL, the Common Business-Oriented Language, is still very much an integral part of how data is stored and used by some of the institutions we trust deeply such as banks, insurers, healthcare providers, and governments. One would think that moving away from COBOL in our hyper connected and technologically advanced world would be easy.

Africa Stock Markets Test Run Revival Formula

Most frontier African stock markets lagged in 2022, but a revival is likely on renewed privatization policies, cross-border integration, currency rationalization, and bank rotation from forced bond allocation into equities, writes BWC member Gary Kleiman.

Africa stock markets plot depreciation/inflation escape

The BWC is pleased to Member Spotlight Gary Kleiman's recent article with bne IntelliNews discussing the performance of various African frontier stock markets in the past year.

According to Kleiman's article, "Last year African frontier stock markets on the dollar-denominated MSCI benchmark index, where the majority reside, were an overall losing proposition – with the region sub-index the only decliner at 7% versus the composite up by the same percentage."

Africa Sovereign Debt Spiral Foments Frustration

This past year, a decade-long Africa commercial borrowing binge with $30bn worth of bonds outstanding came to a screeching halt amid outright or near defaults, with distressed spreads as a measure of risk of over 1,000 basis points to US Treasuries for the sovereign benchmark index cross-section.

Debt topped the agenda at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC in December.

Addressing Global Agreements in Digital Trade

The failure of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and indefinite suspension of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) marked the death knell of large complex multilateral trade and investment agreements.

Act now to prevent a new sovereign debt crisis in the developing world

Since late February, the world’s attention has been focused on Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. However, some of the most damaging economic and financial impacts of this act of aggression will be felt by non oil-exporting developing economies in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Absolute Poverty Rises Amid Debt Distress and Corruption

BWC member Frank Vogl writes that "the era when IMF-austerity programs were seen as the solution, and where... IMF loans are negotiated behind closed doors between international bureaucrats and the senior assistants to kleptocrats regimes, needs to end."

A U.S. Call for Modest IMF Gold Sales to Help Africa

"Modest IMF gold sales to help Sub-Saharan African nations and low-income countries could strongly bolster the IMF’s global role and benefit not only these countries, but also U.S. national interests," writes BWC member Mark Sobel. 

"On the heels of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the United States should lead an international effort to sell modest amounts of IMF gold for LICs."

A Stronger IMF Will Bolster the US Recovery

All indications are that global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be a daunting challenge. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is already stepping up to help emerging markets and developing countries by approving several emergency loans.

A rare, nonpartisan good news story in Washington

One of the government’s most important obligations is to protect our national security. Getting the details right for how to do so often leads to debate and disagreement, as it should. Unfortunately, such discussions can devolve into partisan acrimony.