Nigeria Central Bank Hits Out at ‘Unpatriotic’ Policy Critics

Nigeria Central Bank Hits Out at ‘Unpatriotic’ Policy Critics

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s central bank lashed out at critics of its efforts to prop up the naira and said that weakening the currency would only harm poor people. “Intelligence reports at the disposal of the bank reveal the involvement of some unpatriotic elements funding the push to have the Central Bank of Nigeria and the federal government reverse its foreign-exchange policy,” Isaac Okorafor, a spokesman, said in a statement on the Abuja-based central…

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Economic Recovery in Nigeria Hobbled by Oil, Currency Policy

Economic Recovery in Nigeria Hobbled by Oil, Currency Policy

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) Nigeria’s economy may struggle to rebound from its worst slump in 25 years unless President Muhammadu Buhari can end an armed conflict in the nation’s oil-producing region and fix a currency policy that’s blocked investment. Pipeline attacks in the Niger River delta cut oil production by a third last year, slashing government revenue, while central bank intervention and trading restrictions that prop up the value of the naira have stymied trade and…

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Tunisian banks pressurise amid significant asset risk and challenging operating conditions

TUNIS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Moody’s Investors Service says that subdued economic growth, evolving regulation and significant asset risk pressure will maintain pressure on Tunisian banks’ performance. Moody’s report, entitled “Banks – Tunisia: Subdued economic growth, evolving regulation and significant asset risk will maintain pressure on banking performance,” is available on www.moodys.com. “Asset risk is a major issue facing Tunisian banks, and we expect non-performing loans to remain at high levels — at around…

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PwC Survey: CEO Confidence Rises Despite New Risks, Uncertainty

PwC Survey: CEO Confidence Rises Despite New Risks, Uncertainty

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Worldwide, CEOs’ confidence levels for their growth prospects and outlook for the economy is back on the rise amidst new risks and uncertainty. In PwC’s (www.PwC.com) 20th annual survey of CEOs worldwide, 38% (2016:35%) are very confident about their company’s growth prospects in the next 12 months while 29% (2016:27%) believe global economic growth will pick up in 2017. Just over one-third (33%) of South African CEOs are very…

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Kenya’s economy to grow at a slower pace this year, IMF Rep Says

Kenya’s economy to grow at a slower pace this year, IMF Rep Says

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenya’s economic growth rate will slow in 2017, from about 6 percent last year, due to sluggish credit growth and as investors take a wait-and-see attitude before a presidential election in August, a senior IMF official said on Monday. Armando Morales, the International Monetary Fund’s representative in Kenya, said growth is likely to remain within the 5-6 percent range of the past five years, despite the slowdown. “We expect a…

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Uganda Growth Seen Accelerating to 5.5% on Oil-Industry Spending

Uganda Growth Seen Accelerating to 5.5% on Oil-Industry Spending

KAMPALA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Growth in Uganda may accelerate to 5.5 percent next fiscal year, helped by increased spending on the oil industry, the Finance Ministry said. The growth rate may increase from a projected 5 percent in the current fiscal year and may reach 6 percent in 2018-19, the ministry said in the National Budget Framework Paper e-mailed to reporters on Monday in the capital, Kampala, by the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group. Amos…

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Mozambique to Miss Coupon Payment on Eurobond, Ministry Says

Mozambique to Miss Coupon Payment on Eurobond, Ministry Says

MAPUTO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Mozambique will miss an interest payment on dollar bonds this week because of its deteriorating fiscal position. The government’s capacity to make debt payments is “extremely limited in 2017, and does not allow the republic room to make the scheduled interest payment on the notes,” the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in an e-mailed statement on Monday. Mozambique is in talks with the International Monetary Fund about resuming…

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