First Independent Mena Newspaper
Sub-Saharan African nations are facing mounting fiscal strain as they increasingly turn to domestic banks to fund government budgets, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned in its latest Regional Economic Outlook. With global capital markets still hesitant and aid flows uncertain, governments are borrowing more at home — paying higher rates and placing pressure on […]
Morocco’s public enterprise reform experience took center stage at the World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington Wednesday, with Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah highlighting the sector’s pivotal role in national economic development and job creation during a panel on employment-generating public enterprise reforms. The kingdom’s 60 commercial public enterprises contribute significantly to economic vitality, […]
Morocco’s women entrepreneurs have accessed €30 million in financing and received comprehensive business support through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s decade-old Women in Business program, with 5,000 female business owners benefiting from the initiative over a decade. The figures were disclosed during the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the program held in […]
Economic leadership that was long concentrated in the West has decisively shifted towards emerging economies, whereby this historic global shift in trade and power is redefining Africa’s role in the world economy, says a new book ‘West to East: A New Global Economy in the Making’. Its author, economist Arno van Niekerk, described in a […]
The 2025 ranking of African banks by Tier 1 capital confirms a well-established continental hierarchy, with South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Nigeria dominating the top positions. Tunisia was absent. According to the latest data, the threshold for inclusion in the Top 20 now stands at approximately $2 billion in Tier 1 capital. Tunisia’s largest […]
Mauritania held talks on Tuesday, October 14, in Washington with the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development to explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and review development programs funded by the Fund. The discussions focused on key sectors including infrastructure, energy, and rural development, highlighting ongoing projects aimed at boosting the country’s economic growth […]
The Central Bank of Libya announced on Tuesday, 14 October 2025 that it has contracted to print 60 billion Libyan dinars (approximately 11.03 billion U.S. dollars) to sustain liquidity as it phases out old banknotes. The Tripoli-based institution described the move as a precautionary measure to replace the 1, 5 and 20 dinar notes with […]
Algeria’s Council of Ministers has approved the draft Finance Bill for 2026, allocating $25 billion to the army at the expense of economy diversification, infrastructure, and social services. The country has prepared a budget bill worth a record $135 billion, up from $128 billion in 2025 and $113 billion in 2024. Military spending represents 20.6% […]
Amid mounting financial tensions and a wave of sovereign credit downgrades, Morocco has defied the trend, earning an upgrade to investment grade status in 2025. The North African nation is now considered a “rising star” by Standard & Poor’s, reflecting its economic resilience and sustained reform momentum. Morocco’s transition from speculative to investment grade (BBB-) […]
Morocco’s government has approved comprehensive amendments to commercial code provisions governing check payments, aiming to restore confidence in this traditional payment method while reducing judicial burden and detention rates. Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas announced Thursday that the reforms address a critical economic issue affecting investors and businesses nationwide. Bank Al-Maghrib statistics for 2024 reveal the […]