A dual Irish and British national, Antony Thompson is the new World Bank (WB) Group Country Manager for Uganda. He succeeds Swedish Christina Malmberg Calvo who had been holding that office since 2015.
Under his leadership, the World Bank will continue supporting inclusive growth and poverty reduction through a wide array of financial products and technical assistance. The World Bank Group (WBG) Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for the period 2015/16 to 2020/21 supports the Government of Uganda’s vision of a transformed, modern and prosperous country by 2040.
The program is focusing on raising rural incomes by increasing agricultural productivity and commercialization and reducing vulnerability to shocks; investing in better service delivery, particularly in health and education, improving the business environment and access to infrastructure services, all of which are underpinned by strengthening governance and accountability.
Thompson will be overseeing a portfolio of 26 projects totaling close to US $3 billion. The Bank’s portfolio in Uganda is primarily financed from the International Development Association (IDA), which provides grants and credits.
The credits are on concessional terms (interest free) and only attract an administrative service charge of 0.75 percent on the disbursed amount. Credit repayments are stretched over 38 years, including a six-year grace period.
This is complemented by trust fund resources that support technical assistance and analytical work to help the country share and apply innovative knowledge and solutions to the challenges it faces.
Thompson was the Country Manager for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, since August 2014. He also served as the Manager for Strategy and Operations at the Human Development Network, based at the World Bank Group (WBG) Headquarters in Washington, DC.
Thompson joined the WBG in 1992 as part of the Young Professional Program, working on Human Development for the Middle East and North Africa region’s country Operations Department. He has worked in several different capacities, including Operations Officer, Lead Financial Sector Specialist, Operations Advisory, and Sector Manager. Throughout his career in the World Bank, he has worked extensively in Financial Sector, Private Sector Development, and Tax Administration.
In addition to human development, Thompson’s areas of expertise include health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and financial sector reforms.
Thompson holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) from the University of Ulster and a Masters of Business Administration (Honors) with a specialization in Finance from the University of Chicago.