insert_link South Africa South Africa’s Deputy President Outlines Steps to Boost Foreign Investment and Economic Reform South Africa's Deputy president Paul Mashatile says the government has implemented several steps to stimulate foreign investment including simple tax rules, and a competitive regulatory framework. He answered questions in the National Assembly yesterday on a range of issues including the economy, the water crisis, and challenges in municipalities. Mashatile says the government of national unity intends to continue with fundamental economic reform and improve the business operating environment: todayNovember 1, 2024 11
insert_link Business / Economics South Africa nears compliance with the Financial Action Task Force’s financial crime requirements South Africa is close to meeting the Financial Action Task Force's requirements to combat financial crimes like money laundering and terrorism financing. In his first medium-term budget policy statement for the seventh administration, Finance minister Enoch Godongwana said only six items remain to be addressed by February next year, with 16 of the 22 requirements already fully or mostly completed: todayOctober 31, 2024 12
insert_link Business / Economics South Africa’s central bank cuts interest rates South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago has announced that the Monetary Policy Committee has decided to reduce the country's repo rate by 25 basis points to 8%. The announcement comes a day after SA’s inflation was reported at 4.4-percent in August, lower than the Reserve Bank's target of 4.5-percent. It is expected that the rate will also be lowered at the bank's next meeting in November. todaySeptember 19, 2024 27
insert_link Africa Biden Administration supports AGOA re-authorisation The Biden administration is supporting the early extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, allowing over 30 sub-Saharan African countries to maintain duty-free access to the U.S. market. Joy Basu, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of African Affairs, confirmed this during a press briefing, saying the United States supports an early re-authorization before AGOA expires in September 2025. Since its enactment in 2000, the […] todayJuly 30, 2024 29
insert_link World New UK finance minister vows to power economy New UK finance minister Rachel Reeves vowed Monday to immediately "fix the foundations" of Britain's economy, fuelled by onshore wind power and house building, after her Labour party won power. In her first major speech since being appointed the UK's first woman chancellor of the exchequer by new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Reeves said there was "no time to waste" on reversing "the legacy of fourteen years […] todayJuly 8, 2024 13
insert_link Africa Kenya’s protests are different this time: 3 things that make it harder for government to crush them By Awino Okech, SOAS, University of London On 25 June 2024, a youth-led protest primarily composed of Gen Zs, as they are popularly referred to, stormed Kenya’s parliament. Legislators voted to pass the Finance Bill 2024 in its third and last reading ahead of presidential assent. This was the second countrywide protest over the proposed taxes in the draft law and excesses in government […] todayJuly 8, 2024 19
insert_link Business / Economics Bank of Namibia keeps repo rate at 7.75% The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Namibia has decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 7.75 percent, with the prime lending rate holding steady at 11.50 percent. Governor of the Bank Johannes !Gawaxab says this policy stance will continue to safeguard the one-to-one link between the Namibia Dollar and the South African Rand and support domestic economic activity. UNAM economics lecturer, Dr. Omu Kakujaha-Matundu, believes that consumers […] todayJune 19, 2024 64
insert_link Africa Ghana’s economic crisis was caused by government borrowing – the central bank did the best it could: economist By Emmanuel Ameyaw, Tohoku University Ghana is going through its worst economic crisis in a generation. The past two years have seen record high inflation in the country. Ghana’s central bank (the Bank of Ghana) has been criticised in some quarters for its role in the country’s economic malaise, which has hit the profitability of Ghanaian banks. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo speaks to […] todayJune 17, 2024 14
insert_link 2 Africa Zimbabwe urges swift adoption of new but ‘scarce’ currency Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has ordered all government agencies to accept payments in the newly introduced gold-backed currency amid reports of acute shortage. Ncube in a statement said the Zimbabwe Gold, introduced last month, was now the official unit of exchange for transactions in the country. He the BBC that the government would soon introduce regulations to ensure businesses stick to the official rate. todayMay 9, 2024 10 2