De-Dollarization Not Our Goal: Pan-African Payment System Head
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System is a real-time settlement infrastructure for cross-border payments in local currencies. The initiative was publicly launched in January 2022. The move mirrors other initiatives around the world to develop financial systems independent of the US dollar. While it promotes soft de-dollarization, completely moving away from the greenback may not be its intended action. De-Dollarization Not The Goal Of The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System Source: Freepik According to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System chief Mike Ogbalu, “ Our goal, contrary to what people might think, is not de-dollarization. “ Bypassing the US dollar seems like a prudent alternative. Ogbalu highlights how African economies struggle to find third-party global currencies to settle transactions. Commercial banks in Africa often rely on overseas counterparts. Partnerships with overseas counterparts significantly add to transaction costs. Trade in Afri...