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The housing finance market in Mali remains small and under developed. Few banks currently offer a full mortgage product with Banque Malienne de Solidarite, Mali Housing Bank (BHM), Bank of Africa, and EcoBank being the main lenders although at minimal levels. The total annual housing need in Mali based on the household formation rate amounts to 82,500, split between 51,100 urban units and 31,400 rural units. Overall some social housing is constructed and support is provided by the state for low income housing through the Office Malienne de l’Habitat (OMH), but the numbers remain small. The Malien authorities have been working to strengthen financial sector stability which includes measures to stabilize the BHM and put it in a position where it begins to fulfill its mandate of providing credit for the housing sector. A strategy was approved by the council of Minister for a strategic disengagement by the state from the share capital of BHM. Initially the agreed plan was for BHM to be privatized. Overall progress in delivery of affordable housing will require a concerted effort among all stakeholders both in public and private sector. This should be supported through establishment of stakeholder coordination group to oversee change across the housing value chain.

Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has averaged roughly 5 percent per year over the past decade, improving living standards and bolstering human development indicators across the continent. Stronger public institutions, a supportive, private sector focused policy environment, responsible macroeconomic management, and a sustained commitment to structural reforms have greatly expanded opportunities for countries in SSA to participate in global markets. In recent years, many countries in the region have benefited from an increasingly favorable external environment, high commodity prices, and an especially strong demand for natural resources by emerging economies, particularly China. Over the longer term, leveraging Chinese investment to support broad-based growth will require policies designed to boost the competitiveness of sectors in which China s economic rebalancing may create a comparative advantage for SSA. To date, few African countries have been able to benefit from large-scale Chinese investment outside the resource sector. However, as China s growth slows and its economy shifts toward a more consumption-driven model, it is likely that global demand for resource imports will slow as well. Countries with the most heavily concentrated export mix, particularly in the mineral and oil sectors are the most vulnerable to China s economic rebalancing and should be ready to adopt measures to mitigate the impact of negative terms-of-trade shocks. By contrast, as wage rates in China continue to rise and firms refocus their attention on domestic demand, countries in SSA will be well positioned to exploit emerging opportunities for investment in export-oriented manufacturing. Ethiopia provides an instructive example, as its inexpensive yet relatively skilled labor force, coupled with the government s proactive efforts to court Chinese investors, have enabled Ethiopia to attract substantial investments in labor-intensive industries. Infrastructure enhancement, workforce development, and good-governance reforms offer a promising strategy for many countries in the region. Although the establishment of industrial zones has yielded mixed results, several salient success stories warrant careful attention. This report discusses how Africa could take advantage of the untapped opportunities offered by China s progressively intensifying investment and trade ties with SSA. It is hoped that this analysis will enrich the ongoing dialogue between policy makers, private firms, and civil society regarding China s increasingly important role in the growth and development of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Demand is also fueled by other factors: in many emerging economies a ‘demographic dividend’ of young people, the product of significant reductions in child and infant mortality rates—is poised to enter education and work. And, according to the 2014 Millennium Development Goals report, nearly 90 percent of children in developing regions are on track to complete primary education. The shift from agricultural to knowledge-based economies also plays a significant role in creating demand for higher learning. The purpose of the study was to identify key success factors in private sector student lending in order to support IFC in understanding, and potentially making investments, in student lending across a range of emerging markets. The study examined 70 student lending models globally as well as a range of innovative financial models. Detailed case studies were developed for eight compelling and diverse private sector student lending models. The study also highlighted a range of innovative financial models including crowd funding, big box banking, social impact bonds, and other mechanisms. The purpose of this investigation of innovative financial models was to see what leading-edge methods might be at work in other sectors and to see if they might offer inspiration to student lending.

This paper explores how the private sector can positively contribute to peace-building and conflict prevention, and how that positive private sector role can be supported and enhanced. The starting premise recognizes that the private sector exists in all conflict situations and has the potential to both exacerbate and ameliorate conflict, the outcome of which can be greatly affected by appropriate support from external partners. It also posits that a thriving, legal, private sector is essential to development and peace, as it provides livelihoods and growth, while delivering revenue streams in the form of taxes so governments can provide services to their citizens. It also posits that a thriving, legal, private sector is essential to development and peace, as it provides livelihoods and growth, while delivering revenue streams in the form of taxes so governments can provide services to their citizens. This paper discusses and analyzes the role of the private sector in fragile and conflict-affected states, beginning with its role in the conflicts themselves, and in the immediate peace-building and longer-term reconstruction and development phases. The paper acknowledges that the topic of private sector development cuts across political, governance, and security dimensions, as well as a broad range of development themes. It also considers international efforts to support the private sector in fragile and conflict affected settings to date, identifying gaps and making recommendations to address them. The paper does not focus on detailed operational issues or the use of various reform tools.

У статті проаналізовано монетарні критерії ефективності кредитних програм співпраці України з Міжнародним валютним фондом. При цьому особливу увагу приділено обгрунтуванню їх вибору з-поміж інших показників, що характеризують стан розвитку грошово-кредитного ринку. The article undertakes a thorough analysis of the monetary performance criteria used in the programs of cooperation between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund. In this connection, special attention is paid to the proper choice of these criteria amid available indicators of money market development.