Inside Story

Can BRICS counter the West?

Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa launch a $100bn development bank.

The New Development Bank, announced at the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, will fund infrastructure projects in the founding members’ countries, as well as in developing nations.

With its headquarters in Shanghai, China, and someone from India expected to be its first president, the bank will start out with $50bn in capital, with each BRICS country contributing an equal amount.

Total capital is expected to eventually double to $100bn.

A so-called Contingent Reserve Arrangement will also be created, in which each country will put in a designated amount in case of a currency crisis.

The contingency fund will amount to $100bn, with China contributing $41bn, followed by Brazil, Russia, and India putting in $18bn each, and South Africa chipping in $5bn.

But do the BRICS nations have enough in common to sustain a shared institution? And will it give them a bigger political say on the world stage?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests: 

Aly-Khan Satchu, economist and CEO of Rich Management.

Rajiv Biswas, senior director and Asia Pacific chief economist for IHS Global Insight.

Simon Freemantle, senior analyst in the Africa political economy unit with Standard Bank.