Representatives from eight Central Banks of COMESA Member States, namely Burundi, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have participated in a training on Macroeconomic Linkages and Economic Policy Analysis organized by the COMESA Monetary Institute (CMI).

 The training which was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 5th to 9th February 2024, aimed at enhancing participants’ comprehension of key macroeconomic accounts and their interconnections, emphasizing the policy implications stemming from changes in each account’s parameters.

It provided participants with skills to grasp macroeconomic accounting principles and establish connections between various accounts, interpret the behavioral relationships among macroeconomic accounts and create a platform for participants to exchange knowledge and experiences related to macroeconomic policy analysis

Director of the CMI Dr. Lucas Njoroge, said the training was a hands-on exploration of the four main macroeconomic accounts including real, fiscal, external, and monetary sectors and their intricate linkages. Hence, it involved scenarios for the economy, the introduction of policy shocks, analysis of alternative policy mixes, and the projection/forecasting of economic outcomes.

The event was also intended to empower bankers with skills to assess the economic consequences of policy actions, compare the current economic situation with various policy alternatives, and forecast key macroeconomic variables, thereby facilitating evidence-based decision-making.