Last week theĀ Central Bank of KenyaĀ hosted a meeting of the Sub-Saharan Africa consultative group of the Financial Stability Board (FSB). Several of the 13 central banks represented at the conference are working on or have launched central bank digital currencies (CBDC). But the topic of discussion was not domestic CBDC usage but how to leverageĀ CBDC for cross borderĀ payments. Improving the efficiency of cross border payments is an important FSB initiative.
āThe group discussed initiatives to enhance cross-border payments in the region, including potential use of central bank digital currencies for cross-border payments while noting the importance of compliance with anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML-CFT) standards,ā said an FSB statement.
However, the meeting was not convened purely to discuss CBDC.
Of the countries present, the Reserve Bank of South Africa is the one that has publicly participated in aĀ cross border CBDCĀ initiative,Ā Project DunbarĀ with the central banks of Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Most ofĀ South Africaās other CBDC researchĀ has focused on wholesale or interbank use of CBDC.
Africa progresses CBDC
Several of the African banks present at the meeting are advancing retail CBDC initiatives. Nigeria is live with itsĀ eNaira, Ghana selected a technology partner for itsĀ eCedi pilotĀ last year, Kenya ran aĀ public consultationĀ earlier this year, andĀ UgandaĀ is seriously considering it.
Apart from the five nations mentioned, the central banks present for the meeting included Angola, Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) and the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). The central banks of Burundi, South Sudan, Congo, and Rwanda were also present as guests.
Meanwhile, the number ofĀ cross border CBDCĀ initiatives continues to expand.Ā Project MBridgeĀ involving the central banks of Hong Kong, Thailand, China and UAE, is the most advanced.Ā Sweden, Norway and IsraelĀ are exploring how a retail CBDC could be used cross border in Project Icebreaker. Others include a project betweenĀ Singapore and the New York Federal Reserve,Ā Project MarianaĀ involving the central banks of France, Switzerland and Singapore, andĀ Project JuraĀ between France and Switzerland.