IMF Podcasts

Oil prices have bounced back somewhat but the IMF's latest Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa shows why energy exporters shouldn't get too comfortable. "The level of oil prices that we see currently don't imply growth rates in the future that are high enough, and that are anywhere near what we had seen before the oil slump." Papa N'Diaye is head of research in the IMF's African Department, and in this podcast, he says while the macroeconomic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa continues to strengthen­–thanks to ongoing reforms and stronger global growth, growth rates still fall short of what the region really needs. N'Diaye oversaw the writing of this latest regional economic outlook. Photo: Now What? Growth rates in sub-Saharan Africa are too low to create enough jobs for its growing labor force. (iStock by Getty Images/peopleimages).

Le dernier rapport du FMI sur les perspectives économiques régionales indique que la croissance s'accélère, grâce en partie, à la hausse du cours des produits de base. »En fin, la raison pour laquelle la croissance augmente c'est par ce que les pays exportateurs de pétrole se remettent peu à peu de ce choc avec le bénéfice des prix plus élevés du pétrole.» Papa N'Diaye, dirige la division des études régionales au département Afrique du FMI, et il dit que tandis que la perspective macroéconomique pour l'Afrique subsaharienne continue à se renforcer–merci aux réformes en cours et la croissance mondiale plus forte, les taux de croissance ne répondent toujours pas au besoin réel de la région. N'Diaye a supervisé la rédaction de cette nouvelle perspective économique régionale. Photo: Et maintenant? La croissance en Afrique subsaharienne reste trop faible pour créer suffisamment d'emplois pour absorber l'augmentation rapide de sa population active. (iStock by Getty Images/peopleimages)

The IMF's Global Financial Stability Report is a weather vane of sorts. It's main objective is to spot shifting trends that could pose risks to the global financial system. Ten years ago, a volatile market and the subsequent collapse of a Wall Street investment firm led to a financial crisis that affected economies around the world. In this podcast, Fabio Natalucci says while that crisis is now well behind us, some dark clouds are gathering on the horizon. Natalucci heads the team of economists who write the overview chapter of the GFSR. Fabio Natalucci, is Deputy Director in the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department.

In Japan, deaths outnumber births by 1,000 people per day on average. The population in some regions is now smaller than what it was in the 1950's. The combination of its rapidly declining labor force—expected to fall even faster than the overall population, and the limited influx of immigrants, creates a powerful incentive for robots and artificial intelligence. In this podcast, IMF economists Todd Schneider and Gee Hee Hong say Japan has no choice but to embrace robots and automation to help the shrinking workforce become more productive. Schneider and Hong coauthored Land of the Rising Robots, an article featured in the June 2018 edition of Finance and Development Magazine. Todd Schneider, is a Deputy Division Chief, and Gee Hee Hong, is an economist, both in the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department.

Jamaica's economic reform plan launched back in 2013, has shown promise. Employment is at historic highs and external borrowing costs are lower than they've ever been. But economic growth is still slow, and the recent depreciation of the Jamaican dollar has turned attention to a shift in the Bank of Jamaica's foreign exchange policy. In this podcast, economist Uma Ramakrishnan, says the central bank's renewed commitment to its flexible exchange rate regime will help stabilize prices and spark growth. Ramakrishnan heads the IMF team for Jamaica. Uma Ramakrishnan is a Division Chief in the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department and heads the team for Jamaica.

It's been ten years since Lehman Brothers—one of the largest firms on Wall street, was wiped out and closed its doors. Only two weeks before it filed for bankruptcy it held more than 600 billion dollars in assets. The fall of Lehman's turned a volatile financial market into a full-blown panic and is widely seen to be what triggered the global financial crisis in 2008. In this podcast, IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde looks back at one of the most disruptive events in history for the global financial system.

Few would argue that workers' remittances—the money migrants send to family in their home country—improve the lives of millions of people. Remittances amounted to over $400 billion last year. That's somewhere between official development assistance and foreign direct investment in terms of size. These massive financial flows have important consequences for the economies that receive them. But in this podcast, IMF economist Ralph Chami says remittances can also have a negative impact on growth. Chami is coauthor, with Ekkehard Ernst, Connel Fullenkamp, and Anne Oeking, of Is There a Remittance Trap featured in the September 2018 edition of Finance and Development Magazine. Ralph Chami, is an assistant director in the IMF's Institute for Capacity Development.

Chaque pays en Afrique subsaharienne a son propre ensemble de défis et de possibilités, La communauté internationale a beaucoup investi ces dernières années à savoir comment augmenter la croissance économique de la région, mais la majorité des Africains diraient que le développement de l'Afrique reste entre les mains de ses jeunes entrepreneurs. Mame Khary Diène est une de ces entrepreneurs du Sénégal, où elle transforme les graines de l'énorme arbre de Baobab en huiles exotiques pour la peau. L'huile de Baobab fabriqué par son entreprise est recherchée dans le monde entier. Mame Khary Dienne a été invité à parler de l'investissement privé en Afrique au cours des réunions de Printemps du FMI et de la Banque Mondiale. Mame Khary Diène, fondatrice et directrice générale de Bio essence.

Each country in sub-Saharan Africa has its own set of challenges and opportunities. And while the international community puts a lot of resources toward trying to figure out how best to keep the region's economies growing, most Africans would say that Africa's development lies in the hands of its own young entrepreneurs. Mame Khary Diène, is one such entrepreneur from Senegal, where she found her first business opportunity in the form of seeds from the enormous Baobab tree–Senegal's national symbol. Diène was invited to join a panel discussion about private investment in Africa during the 2018 IMF World-Bank Spring meetings, and in this podcast she says small businesses are key to creating jobs for Africa's expanding workforce. Mame Khary Diène is Founder and CEO of Bio essence. The IMF's latest Regional Economic Outlook for sub-Saharan Africa devotes an entire chapter on private investment.

It's been almost 25 years since the end of apartheid, the system of institutionalized racial segregation that left most South Africans with limited access to basic services. The post-apartheid years saw remarkable progress in poverty reduction, access to education and healthcare and reducing unemployment. But some of those early achievements have unwound recently amid slow growth and political uncertainty. The IMF's latest assessment of South Africa's economy projects real GDP growth will stay slightly below 2 percent in the medium term, not enough to increase living standards or make a dent in unemployment. Ana Lucia Coronel heads the IMF team for South Africa, and in this podcast Coronel says fighting corruption and improving education will help revive economic growth. Ana Lucia Coronel is IMF Division Chief for the Southern Africa region and heads the team for South Africa.