Banking

NEW YORK (Capital Markets in Africa) – House Democrats on Monday released a package of tax increases that falls short of President Joe Biden’s ambition, an acknowledgment of how politically precarious the White House’s $3.5 trillion economic agenda is for party moderates. The Democratic proposal from the Ways and Means Committee would raise the top corporate tax rate from 21% to 26.5%, less than the 28% Biden had sought. The top rate on capital gains would rise…

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Inaction could be a powerful option for Bank of England officials looking to scale back stimulus for the economy and shrink their swollen balance sheet. In a surprise move, Governor Andrew Bailey last week indicated that a “modest tightening” for monetary policy is likely in the next few years. When the time comes, it will begin with halting reinvestment of cash that comes from maturing investments in the BOE’s…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said its proposed digital currency, known as e-Naira, will be treated as a critical national infrastructure to protect it from operational and cyber-security risks. In a document obtained by THISDAY, which offered more insights into the digital money regime, especially the potential risks and mitigation measures, the apex bank said there would be a co-existence of traditional payment systems and the CBN Digital Currency (CBDC) to address interoperability…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Quasi-sovereign bonds, notes from companies at least partially owned by a government, are in vogue for firms including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Barings LLC that are seeking strong returns amid lots of economic uncertainty. This debt, which includes some credit risk, pays more than sovereign notes and is often considered safer than pure corporate bonds. A Bloomberg Barclays gauge of emerging-market company and quasi-sovereign dollar debt returned 5.4% since the…

The government is considering removing restrictions on bankers’ bonuses as part of its plan to ditch EU rules and to make the City more competitive. The idea is at an early stage and not yet part of any public consultations, as officials fear scrapping the bonus cap could trigger a public backlash. But the move has support among some within the Treasury as a way to make London more attractive for senior bankers than Frankfurt,…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s central bank will probably keep the benchmark interest rate unchanged and lower its economic-growth forecasts on Thursday as the country reels from a third wave of Covid-19 restrictions and after deadly riots. While output rose more than expected in the three months through March and data, including the composite leading business-cycle indicator, suggest an acceleration in gross domestic product in the second quarter, the unrest that erupted in…

JOHANNESBUR (Capital Markets in Africa) — The World Bank’s International Finance Corp. will provide $150 million to Absa Group Ltd. in what the lenders called Africa’s first certified green loan. Funds allocated to South Africa’s third-largest bank will be used to lend to the nation’s renewable energy sector and aid its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a statement on Thursday. The IFC “estimates that there is a $588 billion investment opportunity in climate…