An End to Debt Déjà Vu

Ms. Yan Liu is Deputy General Counsel in the Legal Department of the International Monetary Fund. Ms. Liu has advised on all aspects of the IMF’s policies and operations, including the design and implementation of its financial assistance programs, the surveillance over member countries’ economies and the technical assistance to its members. She currently oversees the IMF’s work to help member countries strengthen their legal frameworks in the areas of central banking and financial sector – including in response to the opportunities and challenges posed by technological changes – corporate and household insolvency, debt enforcement, public debt management, and fiscal policies. In addition, she is leading the Legal Department’s work on the development and implementation of the IMF policies on lending and has spearheaded the IMF’s work on public debt transparency. Ms. Liu frequently lectures and has published extensively on the law of the IMF and on various topics related to debt, insolvency, commercial and financial law.

Sheila Masinde has 19 years’ work experience in anti-corruption, governance, programme management, media and outreach. She is currently the Executive Director of Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya), having served as Programmes Manager/Head of Programmes between 2015 and 2020. She joined TI-Kenya in 2014, as Research and Learning Manager, from BBC Media Action (British Broadcasting Corporation’s international development charity) where she was the Communications and Training Manager from 2012 to 2014. She first worked for Transparency International Kenya from 2009 to 2012 as the Advocacy and Communications Programme Officer. She has also worked at the Nation Media Group from 2006 to 2009 as a radio news presenter and online sub-editor, and I Choose Life Africa as Programme Trainer and Assistant Programme Manager working in Public Relations, Outreach and Monitoring and Evaluation departments between 2003 and 2006. She has served on the boards of National Taxpayers Association, I Choose Life Africa and Elimu Yetu Coalition. Transparency International Kenya is a not-for-profit organisation, and an autonomous chapter of the Transparency International movement, a global coalition against corruption. TI-Kenya’s vision is that of a corruption-free society. TI-Kenya has been at the forefront of the fight against corruption and governance reforms, supporting citizens, public institutions and the private sector to effect transparency and accountability, since 1999. TI-Kenya has focused on interventions targeting enhanced transparency and accountability in political funding and election campaign financing through legislative reforms and advocacy, and public interest litigation.

Ma. Theresa Ferreros is the Director, Accounting Systems Development and Other Services Office, Government Accountancy Sector of the Philippine Commission on Audit.  Prior to her recent post, she was the Director, Cluster 2-Oversight and Public Debt Management Agencies, National Government Audit Sector, with audit jurisdiction over national government agencies involved in the management of the Philippines’ public debt. As Director, she provided guidance on the foci of audits particularly on public debt-related accounts and areas considering the results of risk assessments by audit teams, and spearheaded the ongoing review of the negotiation and contracting process for foreign loans. She had also served as Supervising Auditor of the Bureau of the Treasury which issues debt securities and serves as back office for the national government’s public debt, and for a special audit on legal frameworks for public debt management.  In the Commission’s early efforts to audit public debt, she was a Team Supervisor/Audit Team Leader in various audits of foreign loans, and programs and projects financed by said loans. 

Ms. Ferreros is also presently the Vice-Chair of the Technical Working Group, INTOSAI Working Group on Public Debt, which the Commission chairs, providing technical guidance and inputs on various projects on audit guidance and activities of the Working Group, and those in collaboration with the INTOSAI Development Initiative. 

Also, as a United Nations External Auditor, she had been on audit engagements to the United Nations Headquarters and its specialized agencies, such as the FAO, WHO, ILO, UNIDO and UNICEF, and a resource person on the audit of international organizations. 

Ms. Oniha began her career at Icon Limited Merchant Bankers in 1986, where she rose to the position of a Manager, before joining First Securities Discount House Limited (now FSDH Merchant Bank Ltd.) in 1992. She rose to the position of General Manager/Director before joining Ecobank Nigeria Limited in 2000. Between 2004 – 2008, Ms. Oniha was in Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd. as a General Manager.

After a fulfilling career in the banking sector spanning over 22 years, Ms. Oniha made a career move to the public sectors when she joined the DMO in 2008 as Director, Market Development Department. In this capacity, Ms. Oniha brought her banking experience to bear on various aspects of the DMO’s activities.

Ms. Oniha obtained a B.Sc. Economics, First Class Honours from the University of Benin in 1983 and went on to earn an M.Sc. Finance from the University of Lagos in 1985. She is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in 1990 and a Fellow in 2008. She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.