On May 25th, the OECD and the National Treasury of South Africa signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the OECD Center for African Public Debt Management and Bond Markets in Midrand, South Africa. The Center’s purpose is to support the introduction of sound public debt management policy and to help create an efficient and reliable government securities market infrastructure. The OECD project is a dedicated policy forum in this highly specialized area of public policy where African debt managers (and other African officials involved in public debt and bond markets) can meet directly with their counter-parts from the OECD area. Enhanced debt management capacity and effective bond issuance will reduce the risk and cost of public debt, help build deeper domestic financial markets and encourage sustainable debt burdens. The 5th Annual OECD forum on African Public Debt Management and Bond Markets, taking place from June 29 to July 2 in Johannesburg, South Africa, will also focus on this topic.
