insert_link World Raising revenue from land: what African cities might learn from Hong Kong’s unique land-lease system By Astrid R.N. Haas, University of Toronto Land prices across many African cities are soaring. This is because land is a city’s key asset. As urbanisation progresses, demand for land will rise, and therefore so will land prices, because the supply of land in cities is limited. Investments in public infrastructure, and zoning regulations that convert land to alternative uses, will also boost land value. In fact, […] todayAugust 12, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Ghana’s new vehicle tax aims to tackle pollution – expert unpacks how it’ll work and suggests reforms By Theophilus Acheampong, University of Aberdeen Ghana has introduced an annual carbon levy on vehicles and industrial emissions. It’s only the third African country to introduce an explicit carbon tax, after South Africa and Mauritius. The tax is intended to address harm associated with vehicle emissions. But it has prompted a pushback from various citizens, civic and consumer groups. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo spoke […] todayFebruary 16, 2024 15
insert_link South Africa South Africans are opting to go off-grid: how they’re being helped, and hindered, in their efforts By Germarié Viljoen, North-West University and Felix Dube, University of Pretoria Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, struggles to generate and supply a stable flow of electricity to meet demand. In 2023, there were times when households and businesses had no power for up to 11 hours a day. Eskom has warned that load shedding will be worse in 2024. The result is that many South Africans […] todayFebruary 2, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Will Kenya’s strategic mining reforms catalyse a sector renaissance? By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency Kenya's mining and extractives sector is flourishing, reaping the rewards of recent reforms that promise to increase sector revenues as the country positions itself for economic gains from the burgeoning industry. From legal and legislative reforms to seamless mapping and surveying of available resources, the East African country is showing increased interest in tapping into new revenue-generating opportunities in the sector. […] todayJanuary 30, 2024 8
Africa IMF tracking shows that no African state has sought comprehensive debt relief in over a year indicating a trend of growing fiscal hygiene across the region By Seth Onyango, via bird story agency Countries in Africa are showing signs of improving fiscal management, as they navigate through a cascading set of global shocks that exacerbated their debt vulnerabilities. Remarkably, no state has sought comprehensive debt relief since Ghana’s request over a year ago, signalling a trend of growing fiscal discipline across the region. The improvement bucks the trend of recent years, given that […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 7
