IMF Deal Comes a Step Closer for Economically Battered Sudan

IMF Deal Comes a Step Closer for Economically Battered Sudan

SUNDA (Capital Markets in Africa) — Sudan took a further step toward agreeing to a staff-monitored program with the International Monetary Fund, a deal the North African country says is crucial to overhauling its battered economy. The IMF and Sudan’s transitional government have reached a preliminary accord on policies for the prospective one-year, non-financial program, the lender said in a statement. The announcement comes before a Thursday donor conference where Sudan, blighted by years of…

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World Bank Comes to Congo’s Aid with $1 Billion Package

World Bank Comes to Congo’s Aid with $1 Billion Package

CONGO (Capital Markets in Africa) – The World Bank approved a $1 billion aid package for the Democratic Republic of Congo in a sign of confidence that the country’s new government can grow revenue and distance itself from a long history of corruption. The Washington D.C.-based lender agreed last week to spend $800 million on primary-school education and another $200 million on maternal and infant health in the country. President Felix Tshisekedi, who took over Congo…

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Nigeria Will Not Seek Debt Relief, Rules Out Eurobond Sale

Nigeria Will Not Seek Debt Relief, Rules Out Eurobond Sale

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Nigeria will not request a delay in debt-service payments this year from bilateral and commercial creditors, the largest economy yet to turn down a debt holiday offered to the world’s poorest nations. “Nigeria is not planning to ask for debt repayment deferment for our commercial loans or for our bilateral loans from our bilateral creditors,” Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said in a call with investors organized by Citigroup. The…

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Mo Ibrahim Urges More African Access to IMF Reserves Amid Virus

Mo Ibrahim Urges More African Access to IMF Reserves Amid Virus

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Poor African nations should be allowed to borrow more from the International Monetary Fund’s reserves to help mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim. “There’s a lot of goodwill but where is the beef?” Ibrahim said in an interview during the virtual Bloomberg Invest Conference on Wednesday. “We are here waiting for the IMF to deploy this very powerful tool they have,…

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Budget Depicts Havoc Virus Wreaked on South Africa’s Economy

Budget Depicts Havoc Virus Wreaked on South Africa’s Economy

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni delivered a grim assessment of the nation’s finances in a special adjustment budget that forecasts a deep recession and plunging tax revenue. Gross domestic product is forecast to shrink 7.2% this year, the most in almost nine decades and the consolidated budget deficit is expected to surge to 15.7%. While gross debt-to-GDP is to peak at 87.4% in four years, investors were cheered…

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The impact of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s power sector: How can power companies weather the storm?

The impact of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s power sector: How can power companies weather the storm?

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, the Nigerian power sector had been enmeshed in lingering challenges of inadequate and obsolete power generation, transmission and distribution facilities, that had made it impossible for the Nigerian state to meet the power requirements of resident individuals and businesses operating in the country. For most operators in the Nigerian power sector, the initial optimism that heralded their entry and subsequent investments in…

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Boris Pledges $1.2 Billion of Catch-Up Schooling for U.K. Kids

Boris Pledges $1.2 Billion of Catch-Up Schooling for U.K. Kids

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a $1.2 billion package to help U.K. children catch up on schooling they missed during the coronavirus lockdown. State primary and secondary schools will be able to draw on 650 million pounds of funding, with school principals to decide on how it’s spent, Johnson’s office said in an emailed statement, adding that small group tuition should be the favored intervention. A separate 350 million-pound…

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