The Central Bank of Malta Governor, Professor Edward Scicluna attended the 2023 Spring Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held between 10 and 16 April 2023.
The Spring Meetings serve as a platform for finance and development ministers, central bank governors, private sector executives, and academics to discuss issues of global concern including the world economic outlook, external environment, and development challenges. Governor Scicluna attended the meetings of the IMF Committee, which foster a dialogue on the global economic, fiscal, and financial outlook as well as its challenges for the coming years.
In the IMF Spring Meetings’ margins, Professor Scicluna, accompanied by Mr Alexander Demarco, Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy, met senior IMF and WBG officials, including IMF Executive Director Mr Giammusso and World Bank Executive Director Mr Bugamelli. They also met the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank delegation where cooperation recent developments were discussed. Meetings were held with the IMF’s EUR Article IV Mission, chaired by Ishi Kotaro, the World Bank Mission working on projects related to Malta, and with top officials from leading rating agencies.
Governor Scicluna was invited together with World Bank Governors from the 27 EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland to a high-level ministerial meeting with the US nominated candidate for World Bank President, Mr Ajay Banga. Governor Scicluna intervened and engaged in the dynamic discussion. The meeting was hosted by the Swedish EU Presidency and chaired by the Swedish Minister of Finance, Ms Elisabeth Svantesson.
Professor Scicluna attended the Group of Thirty Spring Meeting entitled “Getting to Goldilocks: Lessons from The Last Two Economic Crises”. The Group of Thirty, established in 1978, is an independent global body comprised of economic and financial leaders from the public and private sectors and academia. In addition, the Governor was interviewed by CNBC News on developments of monetary policy in the euro area. He also attended an event organised by H.E. Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States of America.