In recognition of her commitment to promoting strong fiscal and macroeconomic policies towards enhancing the economic outlook of Madagascar, the Honourable Minister for Economy and Finance, HE Mrs Rindra Hasimbelo Rabarinirinarison was recently honoured by the African Leadership Magazine as one of the Top 25 African Finance Leaders 2023 during a Networking Cocktail, which held on 13 April 2023 at the National Press Club in Washington DC – USA on the margins of the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Following a motion presented by Representative Rosalyn D. Henderson-Myers and signed by both the speaker and clerk of the South Carolina Representatives, the Honourable Minster was also conferred with a special congressional commendation for leading key reforms to promote transparency, accountability and economic development in the country.
The African Leadership Magazine’s listing of Top 25 African Finance Leaders 2023 is a special recognition of the outstanding contributions of Africa’s topmost finance leaders for providing the leadership and innovative policies, programs and actions that have helped in stabilising many challenged national economies in Africa, while driving recovery and stimulating growth, even when slow, amidst global economic shocks. The list, which draws from finance ministers, central bank governors, as well as Chief Executives of leading banking, finance and development institutions from across Africa, is a showcase of finance leaders helping in the drive to finance Africa’s development and those who, through strong fiscal and macroeconomic policies have enhanced the national economic outlook and especially supported the growth of small businesses in spite of current global economic climate.
As a graduate of political sciences, public laws and public management at Harvard University, HE Rabarinirinarison is a magistrate with specific expertise on fiscal affairs and public procurement. The Minister had been a judge at the Supreme Court of Madagascar before her appointment as a procurement manager at the Ministry of Justice. She also held the role of Chiief of Service in the Ministry of Finance, in charge of the procurement review before getting the position of the Chairperson of the National Procurement Board within the same Ministry. After ten years in this procurement field, she was appointed the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance before being the Minister.
In an exclusive interview with the African Leadership Magazine, the Minister highlighted some of her achievements in office, including her commitment to good governance and having adopted transparency as her priority. She stated that “before my appointment, finding data about finance in Madagascar was not obvious. Publishing a report on how the Government has executed the financial law is now an ordinary work of my Ministry. We put open data in place, published on our website. Such transparency is a prior action for better accountability to my fellow taxpayers and the best way to fight against corruption”. The Minister has led and still leads different kinds of reforms, including treasury management, customs management, and budget management.
HE Mrs Rabarinirinarison was honoured alongside the Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, Dr Patrick Ngoroje; and the Governor of the Central Bank of South Sudan, Hon. Johnny Ohisa Damian; with the unveiling of the listing of the Top 25 African Finance Leaders 2023.
