The Groupe des Superviseurs Bancaires Francophones (GSBF) unanimously elected the Bank of Mauritius, represented by Mr Kona Yerokunondu, First Vice-Governor and Mrs Pauline Charazac, Advisor in International and Institutional Relations, as the new President of this international body. 28 countries were represented at the annual meeting of the GSBF held on 14 November 2022 under the outgoing Moroccan chairmanship.
The Governor of the Bank of Mauritius, Harvesh Seegolam, will assume the role of Chairman of the GSBF and lead its work for a two-year term until December 2024.
The next annual meeting of the GSBF will be held in Mauritius on 30-31 March 2023. It will focus on the growing role of banking supervisors in meeting the highest standards of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).
Governor Harvesh Seegolam said, “It is an honour for the Bank of Mauritius to be entrusted with the chairmanship of the Groupe des Superviseurs Bancaires Francophones by the unanimous vote of its members, especially since the Bank joined the GSBF in September 2020. As Chair of the GSBF, I look forward to continuing to strengthen the mutually beneficial links between member supervisors and regulators and international institutions, particularly in the areas of AML/CFT, implementation of Basel standards, sustainable finance and supervisory issues surrounding digitalisation.”
Commenting on the incoming Mauritian presidency, the Secretary General of the GSBF, Mr. Emmanuel Rocher stressed that “the choice of the Bank of Mauritius testifies to the strong commitment of its Governor to strengthen cooperation among francophone supervisors on key issues on the international agenda, such as the fight against money laundering; This election will also fully reflect the diversity of the regions and institutions making up the GSBF, by giving pride of place to the countries of the Indian Ocean, for the first time since the Group was created in 2004. “.
Previous GSBF Presidents have been Governor Abdellatif Jouahri and Mrs. Hiba Zahoui of the Central Bank of Morocco, and Governors Jean-Félix Mamalepot and Philibert Andzembe of the Bank of Central African States, Governor Riad Salamé of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Governors Mustapha Kamel Nabli and Chedly Ayari of the Central Bank of Tunisia and Governor Tiémoko Meyliet Kone of the Central Bank of West African States.
