First Independent Mena Newspaper
One of the first economic reforms under President Al-Sisi has been announced. Henceforth, a 10% tax will be levied on capital gains and stock dividends but the percentage could be lowered to 5% in some cases. The taxes are expected to generate between 3,5 and 4,5million Egyptian pounds. The new law was approved by the […]
Hopeful presidential candidates have started preparing their dossiers with more than 10 candidates expected to vie for the post. Current interim President, Moncef Marzouki, will be among them. He could be facing a stiff competition from Mustapha Ben Jaafar, a leading member of Tunisia’s former Troika government and the leader of the Democratic Forum for […]
The Barqa rebels, found in eastern Libya, that are in charge of Libya’s largest oil-export terminal are willing to hand it over to the government if the new parliament takes office. Legislative elections were held last week and results are expected to be announced in a fortnight. The rebel group controlled four oil ports but […]
Tunisia is reviewing its drug laws which have easily put many people behind bars especially during the Ben Ali era. Tunisia’s population is around 11 million but tens of thousands have easily been convicted of these laws which do not distinguish between hard and soft laws. The reform of the law is part of efforts […]
Members of the Tunisian parliament have finally agreed on the days to be set aside for the parliamentary and presidential elections. The country’s transition towards democracy after the departure of President Ben Ali has been challenging. A caretaker government has been overseeing the process after the Ennahda led coalition government was forced to step down. […]
The much criticized presidential election by the opposition has come to an end and President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has triumphed. In a victory speech address to all the Mauritanians, the president assured his countrymen that he will serve without favor. Most of the opposition parties boycotted the elections claiming that it was a forgone […]
With barely less than 48hours before the opening of the polls for the legislative elections in Libya, the United Nations Security Council and the European Union have expressed their concerns about the situation in the country. The elections are being held at a time when rebels control certain parts of Libya with the government struggling […]
Morocco has highlighted the key role south-south cooperation can play in promoting stability and progress in Africa and pointed that the continent’s natural resources and human potential can create an “African miracle.” This came in a message that Morocco’s King Mohammed VI sent to the 25th annual meeting of the Crans Montana Forum, held in […]
Egypt’s Minister of Investment Ashraf Salman has shown his determination to revive the economy if there is political stability. He has fixed the bars for his term in office as he set his sights on increasing the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by almost 100%. In 2008, Egypt’s FDI reached $13,2billion but shrunk drastically after the […]
Ali Zeidan has returned to Libya claiming that he is the legitimate Prime Minster of the State. Zeidan was fired from his post by the General National Congress (GNC) after allegations of embezzlements. His return to the North African country with demands to be reinstated as Prime Minster could further worsen the political crisis especially […]