Report: IMF Warns Kenyan Central Bank Against Introducing a CBDC That Harms F...
The global lending institution, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has told the Kenyan central bank that its proposed digital shilling must “do no harm” to existing private sector digital money. The lender insisted the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) must “not stifle such welcome digitalisation developments by taking away customers of banks and other digital finance providers.” Keeping Payment System Open and Competitive The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reportedly said the Kenyan central bank’s proposed digital....
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The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) governor, Patrick Njoroge, has said his institution is currently exploring the use of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) to settle cross-border payments. Njoroge however insists the bank’s priority is getting it right rather than being the first.
CBK’s Approach
According to a report by the Kenyan Wallstreet, Njoroge — who made these remarks while attending a virtual Afro-Asia Fintech festival — argued that such a CBDC would enhance the efficiency of cross-border payments. The report nonetheless quotes Njoroge....
According to Patrick Njoroge, the governor of the Kenyan central bank, the significant number of non-smartphones that are in use in Kenya means launching a central bank digital currency (CBDC) now may be premature and could lead to many citizens being financially excluded.
Central Bank Mulls Delaying CBDC Rollout
The governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Patrick Njoroge, has suggested the lack of access to smartphones of more than half of Kenya’s mobile phone users is working against its plan to launch a CBDC. He warned the central bank may be forced to delay its....
Kenya’s central bank has acknowledged in a recently released document that a central bank digital currency could potentially benefit the country’s financial system. The bank, however, warned that rolling out a CBDC could also pose risks to the same. CBDC’s Impact on Financial Stability The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has suggested in a discussion paper that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could potentially lead to enhanced cross-border payments and “efficiency gains.” However, in a recently released document that discusses CBDCs, the bank....
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has acknowledged that the recently launched Nigerian central bank digital currency (CBDC) is attracting interest from many institutions globally, including central banks. Still, the fund warns that the CBDC carries risks for monetary policy implementation, cyber security, operational resilience, and financial integrity and stability. CBDC Attracting Interest In its latest country focus report authored by economist Jack Ree, the IMF explains why Nigeria’s new CBDC has drawn substantial interest from the outside world and from central banks in....
Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Ben Broadbent has spoken out on the implications of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) for the financial system as we know it. In Broadbent’s lecture at the London School of Economics on March 2, he focused on what a central bank digital currency could look like, and potential economic implications of introducing one. Central Bank Digital Currency A CBDC could be issued by a central bank to widen access to the central bank’s balance sheet. Liabilities on the central bank’s balance sheet include banknotes and commercial bank reserves, and are the....