The cost of currency convertibility deadlock in East Africa

A currency trader in Kinshasa, DR Congo

A currency trader changes US dollars at a market in Kinshasa, DR Congo.  

East African Community partner states are losing hundreds of millions of dollars annually because of persistent bottlenecks in currency convertibility, forcing traders and banks to rely on the US dollar for regional transactions.

More than a decade after signing a framework to ease the exchange and repatriation of regional currencies, implementation gaps continue to undermine trade, investment and financial integration across the bloc.