World Bank President Ajay Banga has urged policymakers to avoid hasty reactions to policy announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
Speaking to Reuters during the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar Es Salaam, Banga said policymakers should wait to see which policies are implemented and engage with the administration to present their positions.
Banga highlighted his prior experience working with Trump, describing him as pragmatic and data-driven. He emphasized the importance of explaining the benefits of policies to the administration to gain support.
The U.S. and Colombia avoided a trade conflict on Sunday after Colombia agreed to accept deported migrants on U.S. military aircraft. The White House had previously threatened steep tariffs on Colombian imports and travel restrictions on Colombian officials.
Banga noted that potential U.S. travel restrictions could impact World Bank operations if visas for its employees were affected. However, he said the lender has not been impacted by the recent “stop-work” order on U.S. foreign assistance, as the World Bank operates independently from bilateral aid programs.
On World Bank return-to-office policies, Banga reiterated that staff are expected to work in the office four days a week, with no plans to increase this to five days. Meanwhile, Trump has directed federal employees to return to in-person work five days a week.
