Rabat – Abdellatif Jouahri is one of the best central bank governors in the world, according to the American magazine Global Finance. In its Central Banker Report Card 2017, Jouahri earned a prestigious “A” grade with ten other international senior bankers.
In the magazine’s 2017 survey of central bank heads in 83 countries and the European Union published late August, Jouahri and nine counterparts around the world received an “A” score for excellent performance in areas spanning currency stability, economic growth goals, inflation control, and interest rate management.
In the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, Jouahri, the governor of Bank Al-Maghrib, aced a shining “A”, improving his “A-” score from 2016. Jouahri joins Riad Salameh, the governor of the central bank of Lebanon, and Karnit Flug of Israel, as the only bankers from the Arab world to have ranked among the top worldwide.
When it comes to the banking sector, Jouahri is regarded as a rockstar, nationally and internationally. At 78 years of age, his frankness and sometimes even spectacular wrath are always something to behold.
But despite his well-run show, Bank Al-Maghrib’s governor is far from being a show off. His competence and rigor are unanimous. The former minister of finance also serves as a Chancellor at Université Al-Akhawayn, a Director of Union de Banques Arabes et Francaises, and a Director at Fonds Hassan II, the British Arab Commercial Bank in London, and the Banca UBAE in Rome.
According to Global Finance, governors who earned the “A” or “A-” grade will be honored at a ceremony on Oct. 14 in Washington during the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.
Founded in 1987, Global Finance launched its annual report cards for central bank heads in 1994. Joseph Giarraputo, the monthly magazine’s publisher and editorial director, said the latest edition notes that global central bankers are entering a tightening phase as they try to pull back from monetary policies like quantitative easing.
“Our performance reviews for these finance leaders show that some manage to stay ahead of the curve even under difficult circumstances, while others are hampered by political or economic realities,” he wrote.
