The Editorial Team |

Cameroon Budgets $1 Billion to Boost Cocoa, Coffee Output

Cameroon, Capital Markets in Africa: Cameroon plans to spend 600 billion CFA francs ($1 billion) doubling cocoa and coffee production by 2020, an agriculture ministry official said. The money, which will be raised from cocoa and coffee export taxes, will help boost the quantity and quality of beans, Agriculture Ministry Inspector General Yankam Njonou said in an interview Wednesday. Cocoa export duties were tripled last season. “The government intends to step up cocoa production to 600,000…

Emerging Assets Halt Five-Day Gain as Oil Falls, Ringgit Weakens

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Emerging-market assets halted a five-day gain as a slide in oil prices sapped demand for higher-yielding assets. A gauge of developing-nation shares dropped from the highest level in a year, led by losses in Slovenia, Estonia and the Philippines. Malaysia’s ringgit fell the most among emerging-nation currencies as the country derives 20 percent of its revenue from energy-related sources. The Korean won weakened as the central bank governor said there was still room to…

Egypt Reaches Initial IMF Accord on $12 Billion Program

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CAIRO. Egypt, Capital Markets in Africa: Egypt reached an initial agreement with the International Monetary Fund over a $12 billion package designed to restore the confidence of foreign investors and ease a crippling dollar shortage hampering economic growth. The three-year agreement aims to “improve the functioning of the foreign exchange markets, bring down the budget deficit and government debt, and to raise growth and create jobs,” said Chris Jarvis, the IMF Egypt delegation head. He said the…

Why Listing on a Public Exchange adds value for Business and Investors

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Africa has long been regarded as the ‘last frontier’ in terms of economic growth and investors have pinned their hopes on the latent potential of the continent. However, the tapering off of commodities prices following lower demand from China provides evidence that many countries have still been too dependent on oil and other commodities for export. The reliance on commodity-related growth and lack of restructuring in many economies have…

Delivering Successful Infrastructure Projects through Public Private Partnerships

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: What are the challenges in implementing successful and sustainable infrastructure projects in Africa? Why do projects take so long to become a reality? Surely one of the biggest challenges for Government Authorities is the organization and administration of a framework that will reduce bottlenecks and facilitate project promoters to address risks appropriately, such that projects can proceed. Over the past ten years, more African countries have recognized the advantages…

Kenya Banks Commit to Cutting Rates After Lawmakers Threaten Cap

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Kenyan banks committed to lowering commercial lending rates after lawmakers proposed imposing a limit on how much interest lenders can charge. Lenders in East Africa’s biggest economy signed a memorandum that sets out measures to boost lending, including allocating 30 billion shillings ($295 million) to small- and medium-sized enterprises and women at concessionary rates, Lamin Manjang, chairman of the Kenya Bankers Association said Wednesday. Banks will also enhance their business…

Kenya Must Curb Borrowing to Keep Debt Affordable, IMF Says

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: At the rate Kenya is borrowing to fund its spending, the East African nation could accumulate more debt than it can afford to repay comfortably, according to the International Monetary Fund. While the nation’s current debt stock is sustainable at 49.8 percent of gross domestic product, the Treasury has at times struggled with cash management because of maturities coming in very close together, Armando Morales, the IMF’s resident representative in…

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