Egypt’s Draft Budget Hints at Slower Fiscal Consolidation, a Credit Negative

Egypt’s Draft Budget Hints at Slower Fiscal Consolidation, a Credit Negative

Cairo, Egypt (Capital Markets in Africa) — Last Thursday, Egypt’s (B3 stable) Ministry of Finance announced the draft budget for the 2016 fiscal year that starts 1 July. The draft budget, which the cabinet approved and awaits sign-off from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, projects a fiscal deficit of 9.9% of GDP, down from the revised budget deficit of 10.8% during the current fiscal year. However, the budget hints at a slower fiscal consolidation pace than…

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Zambia’s Midyear Budget Deficit Is Double Original Projection, a Credit Negative

Zambia’s Midyear Budget Deficit Is Double Original Projection, a Credit Negative

Lusaka, Zambia (Capital Markets in Africa) — On 16 June, Zambia (B1 negative) Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda released the midyear budget update, which revealed a deficit of ZMW20 billion (roughly $2.7 billion, or around 10% of GDP) for the first six months of this year, more than double the original projection. He also sought parliamentary approval to nearly double the external borrowing limit to access international capital markets to plug the deficit. The credit-negative larger-than-expected…

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Democratic Republic of Congo: Economic outlook favorable over the medium term says IMF

Democratic Republic of Congo: Economic outlook favorable over the medium term says IMF

Kinshasa, DR Congo (Capital Markets in Africa) — The International Monetary Fund projected the Democratic Republic of Congo’s real GDP growth rate at 9.2% in 2015, unchanged from 2014, constituting one of the highest growth rates in the world. It anticipated economic activity to be supported by mining production, especially copper and gold. It indicated that the country’s medium-term outlook continues to be promising with low inflation and high economic growth, to be supported by…

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Côte d’Ivoire: Economic growth at 7.7% in 2015 and 7.8% in 2016, net FDI at 2.9% of GDP

Côte d’Ivoire: Economic growth at 7.7% in 2015 and 7.8% in 2016, net FDI at 2.9% of GDP

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (Capital Markets in Africa) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected Côte d’Ivoire’s real GDP to grow at 7.7% in 2015 and at 7.8% in 2016 compared to a growth rate of 7.5% in 2014. In parallel, it forecast growth at 4.5% in 2015 and 5.1% in 2016 for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and at 6% in 2015 and 6.2% in 2016 for the West African Economic and Monetary Union, to which Côte…

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Ethiopia’s favourable growth prospects and low debt burden support B1 rating says Moodys

Ethiopia’s favourable growth prospects and low debt burden support B1 rating says Moodys

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Capital Markets in Africa) :- Ethiopia’s (B1 Stable) government bond rating is supported by its strong growth prospects, prudent fiscal management and large and stable donor inflows, Moody’s Investors Service says in its latest credit analysis of the country today. However, Ethiopia’s relatively small economy, low per capita income and weak institutional strength all constrain the rating. The report is now available on www.moodys.com. Moody’s subscribers can access this report via the link…

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Moody’s Affirms Zambia’s B1 Sovereign Rating, Changes Outlook to Negative

Moody’s Affirms Zambia’s B1 Sovereign Rating, Changes Outlook to Negative

Lusaka, Zambia (Capital Markets in Africa) — Global rating agency Moody’s has downgraded Zambia’s economic outlook rating from stable to negative on account of deteriorating debt metrics,” as evidenced by a rapidly rising debt burden and increasing debt servicing costs” amongst other drivers. In a statement, Moody’s observed that there was a trend of missed fiscal targets that point to high execution risks for the current deficit reduction plan to arrest the upward debt trajectory,…

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Moody’s: Mauritius’s diversified and resilient economy support rating; fiscal challenges

Moody’s: Mauritius’s diversified and resilient economy support rating; fiscal challenges

Port Louis, Mauritius (Capital Markets in Africa)  — Mauritius’s small yet diversified economy, good record of attracting investment and its resilience against external shocks underpin its Baa1 (Stable) government bond rating, Moody’s Investors Service said in its latest credit analysis of the country published this week. The Mauritian authorities’ key challenges are to continue to foster domestic and foreign investment, maintaining the country’s financial stability and consolidating the public finances to help meet its government…

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