The Bank of the Republic of Burundi has issued a regulation governing how the local-currency interbank market will operate for entities connected to the Refinitiv platform, following the platform’s go-live on 9 July 2025 for money market and foreign exchange operations. The measure is positioned as part of Burundi’s financial market modernisation and is intended to strengthen the legal and operational framework supporting monetary policy transmission. Under the new set-up, commercial banks with liquidity needs or surpluses can submit lending or borrowing intentions digitally to peer institutions, with rates freely negotiated. The update replaces a previously bilateral, bank-by-bank negotiation process that limited price competition and market visibility, and is intended to improve speed of execution, traceability and transparency, and the efficiency of liquidity allocation. It also gives the central bank a real-time view of market rates and sector-wide liquidity needs and surpluses, enabling it to intervene more appropriately at its discretion on either the buy or sell side, with the policy rate serving as the reference rate for Bank of the Republic of Burundi interventions.
Bank of the Republic of Burundi 2026-01-23
Bank of the Republic of Burundi issues a new framework for the local-currency interbank market on the Refinitiv platform
The Bank of the Republic of Burundi has regulated the local-currency interbank market on the Refinitiv platform, enhancing monetary policy transmission. This allows commercial banks to digitally negotiate lending or borrowing, replacing the previous bilateral process to improve transparency and efficiency. The central bank gains real-time insights into market rates and liquidity, facilitating more precise interventions.