Amadou Sy on Why Africa is Keeping its Debt Closer to Home

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

African economies began tapping into overseas markets for funding in the early 2000s, after debt burdens had been alleviated by the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. However, surging interest rates on dollar- and euro-denominated loans in recent years have prompted countries to turn to domestic markets for their borrowing needs. Amadou Sy heads the IMF Regional Studies division. In this podcast, he says there are benefits to issuing debt in local markets and in local currency.

Transcript (https://traffic.libsyn.com/imfpodcast/Amadou_Sy-transcript-IMF_Podcast.pdf) : https://traffic.libsyn.com/imfpodcast/Amadou_Sy-transcript-IMF_Podcast.pdf

Read the article at IMF.org/FandD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWud9Fc9hsQ

Short Term Rentals

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

How are short-term rentals tracked in today’s global economy? In this episode of The Economy – How Do You Measure That?, host Jim Tebrake speaks with Venkat Josyula about how platforms like Airbnb fit into official statistics. From commissions to cross‑border transactions, they unpack how a single booking becomes multiple economic flows and why measuring it matters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI1eThiMEgI

Asia in 2050 Conference: Opening Remarks

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

Join us on March 5 at 9:30 AM ICT (March 4 at 9:30 PM EST) for the opening of the "Asia 2050" conference with Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Bank of Thailand Governor Vitai Ratanakorn. Together with leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, the conference will explore the structural forces shaping the region’s growth and the reforms needed to harness these transitions for inclusive prosperity. https://www.imf.org/en/news/seminars/campaigns/2026/10/thailand-2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5HoxorBWik

The Debt Reckoning: Rodrigo Valdés and Era Dabla-Norris

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

Unprecedented debt levels are pressing governments to make tough choices. While aging populations demand more public spending, resources are stretched thin, and the days of cheap borrowing that allowed the debt burden to be kicked down the road are behind us. Rodrigo Valdés and Era Dabla-Norris head the IMF Fiscal Affairs department and write about high debt and hard choices in the March edition of Finance & Development magazine. In this podcast, they say the erosion of public trust is a factor in reconciling competing fiscal priorities.

Transcript (https://traffic.libsyn.com/imfpodcast/Valdes-Dabla-Norris-AUDIO-transcript-IMF_Podcast.pdf) : https://traffic.libsyn.com/imfpodcast/Valdes-Dabla-Norris-AUDIO-transcript-IMF_Podcast.pdf

Read the article at IMF.org/fadd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bl74vgS4YY

Asia in 2050: Opening Remarks

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

Join us on March 5 at 9:30 AM ICT (March 4 at 9:30 PM EST) for the opening of the "Asia 2050" conference with Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Bank of Thailand Governor Vitai Ratanakorn. Together with leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, the conference will explore the structural forces shaping the region’s growth and the reforms needed to harness these transitions for inclusive prosperity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5HoxorBWik

Asia in 2050 Roundtable: Challenges Ahead for Central Banks in Asia

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

Join us on March 6 at 4:15 PM ICT (4:15 AM EST) as IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva; Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Amir Hamzah Azizan, Finance Minister of Malaysia; and P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of Sri Lanka discuss Asia-Pacific’s future, the forces reshaping the region, and policies to drive resilient growth.

This roundtable will be moderated by Bloomberg’s Haslinda Amin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aw3jIDl4b8

Merchanting

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

How do you measure trade when goods never cross a border? In this episode of The Economy – How Do You Measure That?, our host Jim Tebrake speaks with Kristy Howell about merchanting—when a firm buys goods in one country and sells them to another without physically importing them. Learn how these transactions are recorded in the balance of payments and GDP, and why these transactions matter for understanding today’s global economy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi55jG75WgI

Press Briefing: United States Article IV Consultation

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

The IMF will discuss in a press conference the staff findings from the 2026 consultation on the state of the United States’ economy. Follow live on February 25 at 4:30 PM ET with Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, and Director of the Western Hemisphere Department, Nigel Chalk, moderated by Julie Kozack, Communications Director.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RClZCeAFSCA

Monetary Gold

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

What is monetary gold, and why does it matter for the global economy? In this episode of The Economy – How Do You Measure That, host Jim Tebrake sits down with Jannick Damgaard to unpack how gold held by central banks differs from other forms of gold. Learn why monetary gold is treated as a financial asset, how it’s valued, and the unique role it plays in international reserves and financial stability today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bXJ4xbUS-g

Stolen Goods

Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)

How do national accounts treat stolen goods? In this episode of The Economy – How Do You Measure That, we explore how theft is handled in GDP measurement. Host Jim Tebrake speaks with Thomas Alexander about why theft is treated as a transfer rather than production, how it affects balance sheets, and when value added from stolen assets may still be captured in official statistics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UncM5sYEDLA