West African Economic and Monetary Union : Financial Depth and Macrostability /

The financial system in the WAEMU remains largely bank-based. The banking sector comprises 106 banks and 13 financial institutions, which together hold more than 90 percent of the financial system's assets (about 54 percent of GDP at end-2011). Five banks account for 50 percent of banking asset...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Imam, Patrick
Other Authors: Kolerus, Christina
Format: Journal
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2013.
Series:Departmental Papers; Departmental Paper ; No. 2013/005
Online Access:Full text available on IMF
Description
Summary:The financial system in the WAEMU remains largely bank-based. The banking sector comprises 106 banks and 13 financial institutions, which together hold more than 90 percent of the financial system's assets (about 54 percent of GDP at end-2011). Five banks account for 50 percent of banking assets. The ownership structure of the sector is changing fast, with the rapid rise of foreign-owned (pan-African) banks. This contributes to higher competition but also rising heterogeneity in the banking system, with large and profitable cross-country groups competing with often weaker country-based (and sometime government-owned) banks. Nonbank financial institutions are developing quickly, notably insurance companies, but remain overall small. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the banking system.
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Physical Description:1 online resource (45 pages)
Format:Mode of access: Internet
ISSN:2616-5333
Access:Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students