First Independent Mena Newspaper
“Algeria continues to face important challenges posed by lower oil prices (…) and growth in the nonhydrocarbon sector slowed under the effects of spending cuts”, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Inflation increased from 4.8 pc in 2015 to 6.4 pc in 2016 and stood at 8.1 pc year-on-year in January 2017. As to unemployment, […]
Morocco’s Central Bank announced that measures will be gradually taken to ensure a more flexible exchange rate of the Dirham amid promising macro-economic conditions marked by low oil prices and increasing demand on phosphates. The floating of the pegged dirham was encouraged by the IMF which sees in a more flexible exchange regime a move […]
A private Russian security firm said it sent agents to Eastern Libya to deliver arms to Khalifa Haftar confirming concerns in the West over a growing Russian influence in Libya, Reuters reported. Oleg Krinitsyn, owner of private Russian firm RSB-group said in an interview with Reuters that a force of several dozen Russian armed private […]
In a pessimistic tone that bodes ill for Algeria’s economic prospects, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal announced yet a new slump in the country’s foreign exchange reserves, which currently stand at $112 billion. As Algeria’s revenues continue to be battered by the slump in oil prices, Sellal, who was speaking in Annaba at a meeting […]
Morocco’s leading bank group, Attijariwafa bank, has set sails towards Ghana where it seeks to conquer the banking market. In a first step, it signed a partnership agreement with GCB Bank Ltd, the second top bank group of the West African country. After it established its presence in several francophone countries neighoring Ghana, Attijariwafa bank […]
Morocco and Ghana opened a new chapter in their bilateral ties with the signing of 25 cooperation agreements during a ceremony chaired by King Mohammed VI who is currently paying an official visit to Ghana and Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo. Five of the agreements were signed between the two governments to promote bilateral cooperation […]
Morocco’s economic capital, Casablanca, has been ranked second African city to house the largest number of billionaires by Forbes Africa Magazine in its 2017 ranking of African billionaires. The city comes right behind the Kenyan capital Nairobi, which has toppled the South African capital Johannesburg. Casablanca, according to the famous magazine, is home to 5,000 […]
Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde lauded Morocco for the efforts it undertook to restructure its economy. In an interview with weekly magazine, Jeune Afrique, Lagarde said Morocco is leading successful restructuring of its economy without depending on oil or agricultural commodities. She recalled that the credibility of Morocco’s reform earned it an […]
Bahrain’s Al Baraka group forged a partnership with Morocco’s BMCE Bank of Africa to create AL Baraka Maroc which aims at creating a network of 25 agencies in Morocco in the first quarter of 2017. The Bahraini group made the announcement after Morocco’s central bank gave the green light to five Moroccan banks to set […]
As expected, Morocco’s Central Bank has finally given its green light to five Moroccan banks to set up Islamic banks – known locally as participative banking- and allowed three banks to sell Islamic products. The regulatory approvals concern the three major Moroccan banks Attijariwafa Bank, BMCE of Africa and Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP), and two […]