Nigerian Central Bank Keeps Key Policy Rate Unchanged at 14%

Nigerian Central Bank Keeps Key Policy Rate Unchanged at 14%

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria left its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fourth consecutive meeting to balance lifting the economy out of its worst slump in 25 years with fighting inflation that’s at almost double the government’s target. The Monetary Policy Committee held the key policy rate at 14 percent, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele told reporters in the capital, Abuja, on Tuesday. That was in line with the forecast of all 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. While inflation in Africa’s…

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Morocco’s central bank keeps interest rate at 2.25%

Morocco’s central bank keeps interest rate at 2.25%

RABAT (Capital Markets in Africa) – Morocco’s central bank maintained its key monetary policy rate at 2.25 percent and raised its forecast for inflation and growth slightly this year due to improved domestic demand and a rise in imported inflation.    The Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM), which cut its rate by 25 basis points a year ago in response to declining inflation, added monetary conditions tightened slightly last year due to an appreciation of the real effective…

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Tanzania central bank slashes its discount rate to 12 pct

Tanzania central bank slashes its discount rate to 12 pct

DAR ES SALAAM (Capital Markets in Africa) – Tanzania’s central bank cut its discount rate to 12 percent from 16 percent to help spur lending and boost economic growth, the first time it has lowered borrowing costs since 2013. The cut, which the central bank said in a circular to commercial banks seen by Reuters becomes effective on Monday, follows a steep drop in private sector credit growth last year. “The discount rate which is applicable…

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INTO AFRICA March 2017 Edition: Africa’s Lions: Trust in Fundamentals

INTO AFRICA March 2017 Edition: Africa’s Lions: Trust in Fundamentals

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Welcome to March edition of INTO AFRICA, the publication with fresh insight into Africa’s emerging capital markets. Please download by clicking: INTO AFRICA PUBLICATION: MARCH 2017 EDITION.  Recent years have been challenging for Africa: so is the honeymoon over or did the wedding even take place? The oil price crash has had a serious impact on several African countries; the strength of the dollar is causing financing and FX issues; incidences of terrorism…

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Botswana keeps lending rate unchanged at 5.5%, sees low and stable inflation

Botswana keeps lending rate unchanged at 5.5%, sees low and stable inflation

GABORONE (Capital Markets in Africa) – Botswana’s central bank maintained its benchmark Bank Rate at 5.50 percent and forecast low and stable inflation in the medium term, consistent with the 3-6 percent target range, that augurs well for accommodative monetary policy that can support lending to businesses and households.      Bank Botswana (BB), which cut its rate by 50 basis points in August 2016, also said it aimed for a 0.26 percent upward rate of crawl…

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Bank of Mauritius keeps the Key Repo Rate unchanged at 4%

Bank of Mauritius keeps the Key Repo Rate unchanged at 4%

PORT LOUIS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Mauritius unanimously decided to keep the Key Repo Rate unchanged at 4.00 per cent per annum at its meeting today. Growth in major advanced economies is likely to strengthen in 2017. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook Update released in January 2017 projects world growth to increase from 3.1 per cent in 2016 to 3.4 per cent in 2017 and…

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Nigerian MPC Member Turns on Central Bank over Policy Paradox

Nigerian MPC Member Turns on Central Bank over Policy Paradox

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria is undermining its own efforts to tame inflation and strengthen the naira by “pretending” to tighten policy while boosting the money supply, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee said in an extraordinary attack on the central bank published a day before the first interest-rate decision of the year. While the MPC raised the benchmark interest rate to a record 14 percent last year, the central bank’s management was…

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