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Red Sea crisis to affect global trade, fuel inflation in Africa and beyond

Escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea have not only unraveled a key global trade route, sending shipping and insurance costs soaring, but they are also threatening to again push up the cost of living in Africa that is already struggling with crippling debt. The Red Sea crisis and the […]

Africa Business Community Finance Headlines International

Remittances from African diaspora grew in 2023, set to exceed $100bn in 2024

Global remittances from African diaspora to their home continent are set to exceed $100bn a year amid demographic trends in Europe such as an aging population and a low birth rate that are creating a need for continued migration. Remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) grew an estimated 3.8% last year, a moderation from […]

Business Finance Headlines

Fitch agency: Moroccan Banks Net Income Reaches Record Levels 2023

Moroccan banks’ profitability continued to recover strongly in 1st half of 2023, with aggregate net income reaching record levels, says Fitch rating agency, noting that the positive trend should continue in 2nd semester due to higher interest rates and loan book growth. The seven largest banks’ aggregate net income increased by 28% yoy in 1st […]

Finance Headlines International

IMF Director: Price stability is a basic condition to achieving growth; WB President eyes longer, cheaper loans

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday that price stability is “is a prerequisite for growth and it protects people, especially the poor.” This means the fight against inflation remains paramount. In her address at the plenary session of the 2023 annual meetings of the World Bank and the […]

Headlines Tunisia

Tunisia’s new Prime Minister takes oath

Ahmed Hachani, Tunisia’s new Prime Minister swore in on Monday July 31 right after his appointment, before President Kais Saied, a few hours the latter fired the country’s first female Premier Najla Bouden. “There are great challenges that we must meet with determination and a strong will to preserve our homeland, our State and civil […]

Business Features Finance Headlines Tunisia

AfDB forecasts 2.3 growth rate for Tunisia over 2023-2024 period

Tunisia will witness a 2.3 per cent economic growth rate in 2023 and 2024, the African Development Bank (AfDB) announced Wednesday, as it presented its economic outlook for 2023. The Abidjan-based institution also projects inflation to stand at 8.8 per cent over the same period. The inflation figure is slightly higher than that of the […]

Africa Business Finance International

Kenyan default fears intensify as anti-government protests are to resume

Investors are unloading Kenya’s dollar bonds due 2028, whose yields have climbed to 14.6% and the shilling has also trading at a record low, while opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) party has said protests against government policies would resume after Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, if no progress had been […]

Business Emerging Markets Headlines Morocco

Morocco suspends VAT for agricultural production tools

The Moroccan government adopted a decree canceling the value-added tax on agriculture inputs in a bid to lower food prices. The measure is in line with government efforts to curb inflation for farm produce after food inflation soared 20.1% in February. The VAT exemption covers production equipment and other products used to maintain plants in […]

Africa International

In Ghana, US VP Harris promises to boost ties, investment for Africa

US Vice President Kamala Harris arrived Sunday (26 March) in Ghana for the start of a weeklong visit to Africa intended to deepen her country’s relationships amid global competition over the continent’s future. “I’m very excited about the future of Africa,” Harris said and added that she wanted to promote economic growth and food security […]

Columns Finance Headlines Morocco Opinions

Moroccan government, central bank at odds over inflation

Morocco’s central bank and the Moroccan government are pursuing policies that are triggering opposite impacts on inflation. As the central bank tightens its monetary policy by raising the key interest rate for the third time in a row to 3%, the government continues its expansive budgetary policy in line with its goals to spur private […]