Economy | - Part 84

Africa: End of the Commodity Super-Cycle Weighs on Growth

Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth will slow in 2015 to 4.0 percent from 4.5 percent in 2014, according to World Bank projections released today. This downturn largely reflects the fall in the prices of oil and other commodities, notes Africa’s Pulse, a twice-yearly World Bank Group analysis of the issues shaping Africa’s economic prospects released today at the start of the World Bank Group’s 2015 Spring Meetings, which will draw the world’s finance and development ministers to Washington,…

Moody’s upgrades Egypt to B3 with a stable outlook

Posted on by The Editorial Team

Moody’s Investors Service has today upgraded Egypt’s issuer and senior unsecured bond ratings to B3 from Caa1, with a stable outlook. Key drivers for today’s rating action are: Improving macroeconomic performance, Reduction in external vulnerabilities, and Ongoing commitment to fiscal and economic reform. In today’s rating action, Moody’s has also raised Egypt’s foreign-currency bond ceiling to B2 from B3, the foreign-currency deposit ceiling to Caa1 from Caa2, and the local-currency country risk ceiling to Ba2…

Nigerian Political Landscape:Beyond the Change Chorus

Posted on by The Editorial Team

Beyond the Change Chorus… Open for Business Again? Against the intense apprehension by local and international observers, Nigeria’s 2015 Presidential Elections turned out peaceful and successful following the incumbent’s concession of defeat prior to the final announcement by the electoral umpire – INEC. The election, which was keenly contested by All Progressives Congress (APC) – Gen. Muhammad Buhari (GMB) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) saw the emergence of GMB as…

Nigeria: 2015 Election analysis

Posted on by The Editorial Team

At the time of writing, the election results had still not officially been declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Problems with biometric card readers delayed voter accreditation, and a few attacks on election centres caused a delay in the voting process itself. This led INEC to extend the vote by one day from March 28 to March 29 in some areas. We do not expect to see significant changes in policy regardless of…

Fitch Affirms Nigeria at ‘BB-‘; Outlook Revised to Negative

Posted on by The Editorial Team

London, March 30 (Fitch): Fitch Ratings has affirmed Nigeria’s Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at ‘BB-‘ and ‘BB’ respectively. The Outlooks on the Long-Term IDRs have been revised to Negative from Stable. The issue ratings on Nigeria’s senior unsecured foreign currency bonds are affirmed at ‘BB-‘. The Country Ceiling is affirmed at ‘BB-‘ and the Short-Term Foreign Currency IDR at ‘B’. Under EU credit rating agency (CRA) regulation, the publication of…

Tourism overtakes gold in foreign exchange earnings in Tanzania

Posted on by The Editorial Team

According to the East African News, tourism has now overtaken gold to become the chief foreign exchange earner for Tanzania. USD 2.05bn in earnings was generated in tourism in the 12 months to January 2015. This was an increase of 8.47% from the US$1.89bn earned in the 12 months ending January 2014, overtaking gold as Tanzania’s leading foreign exchange earner. The Bank of Tanzania’s February Monthly Economic Review indicates that gold exports plunged from USD…

Cote d’Ivoire forecasts double-digit growth for 2015

Posted on by The Editorial Team

Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s top cocoa producer whose economy was battered by a civil war and ensuing political unrest, should see double-digit growth this year according to Prime Minister Daniel Kablan. The West African country has seen its economy expand on average by 9.0% since 2012, and this year “we want to reach double-digit growth,” the Prime Minister added. “We are ambitious in Cote d’Ivoire,” he went on, adding that he expected the country to…

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