According to data from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), the average weekly volume of interbank transactions in the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA), all maturities combined, increased by 54. 5% at the end of April 2021 compared to the previous month.

WAEMU interbank transactions stood at CFAF 496.9 billion during the period under review against 321.7 billion in March 2021. The weighted average rate of the said transactions stood at 2.57% against 2.70% the last month. On the regional money market, the BCEAO notes that the average amount of bids on the weekly auction window stood at 3,152.1 billion FCFA in April 2021, down 5.5% in monthly variation and 18. 5% year-on-year. These auctions have been carried out since March 27, 2020 at a fixed rate, namely the minimum interest rate for tenders, which has been reduced from 2.50% to 2.0% as of June 24, 2020.

For the one-week compartment, the average volume of transactions stood at CFAF 211.0 billion during the month under review, after CFAF 310.0 billion in March 2021. The average interest rate on this window decreased to settle at 2.33% in April 2021 against 2.40% the previous month. Regarding banking conditions, the central bank survey reveals a decline in lending interest rates during the month of April 2021 compared to the previous month. Excluding charges and taxes, the borrowing rate in the WAMU thus stood at 6.40% against 6.49% in March 2021, i.e. a decline of 0.09 percentage point.