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Ghana May Hold Rate to Aid Economy Growing Slowest Since ’83

ACCRA, Ghana, Capital Markets in Africa: Slowing inflation could give Bank of Ghana Governor Abdul Nashiru Issahaku room to continue supporting an economy forecast to expand at the slowest pace since 1983. The Bank of Ghana will probably leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 26 percent for a fourth consecutive meeting on July 18, all four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg said. The central bank raised the rate four times by a total of 500 basis points last year to prop…

Egypt’s Dilemma as Central Bank Meets on Rates

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CAIRO, Egypt, Capital Markets in Africa: Soaring inflation and a long-running dollar shortage suggest Egypt’s central bank has ample reason to raise interest rates when officials meet on Thursday. On the flip-side, doing so would increase interest payments for a government trying to plug a hole in its finances. A Bloomberg survey shows economists are split, with three predicting a hold and three predicting an increase to the benchmark rate. The central bank raised Egypt’s key interest…

Foreign Exchange | As Nigeria Dithers on Naira, Foreign Companies See Funds Trapped

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: As Nigeria’s policy makers dither on plans to loosen capital controls and let the naira weaken, foreign companies such as Nampak Ltd. of South Africa and British Airways Plc are battling to get their money out of the country. Nampak, Africa’s biggest producer of beverage cans, is considering currency swaps that would enable the Johannesburg-based company to repatriate money trapped due to the shortage of foreign exchange in Nigeria, its chief executive officer said….

Kenya Cuts Rates for First Time Since 2013 on Slow Inflation in May

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Kenya’s central bank cut its key rate by 100 basis points to 10.5 percent, the first reduction in three years, as the rate of inflation decelerates to within the government’s target corridor. Only two of nine economists and analysts polled by Bloomberg expected the decision. Central bank Governor Patrick Njoroge said in an interview in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this month falling consumer prices, which are now within the government’s 2.5 percent…

South Africa | SARB Serves Economy Best With Price Stability, Mminele Says

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: The Reserve Bank can best serve the South African economy by ensuring price stability, even if higher interest rates affect growth over the short term, Deputy Governor Daniel Mminele said. “The long-term interests of the South African economy are served by focusing on that price stability mandate and avoiding any temptation to try and play a short run trade-off between inflation and growth,” Mminele said Friday in an interview at the World…

Kenyan Central Bank Has `Room to Adjust’ Tight Monetary Policy

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Kenya’s central bank has room to adjust interest rates in East Africa’s biggest economy as inflation falls back within the government’s target range, Governor Patrick Njoroge said. “One can say comfortably that there is room to adjust from the tight monetary stance that was there,” Njoroge said in an interview Thursday at the World Economic Forum on Africa in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. “I think that it is a decision that the…

Kenya | Kenya Central Bank Sees Current-Account Gap Narrowing on Inflows

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Dollar inflows into Kenya will result in a narrower current account gap this year and are among reasons the shilling has a “bias toward strengthening,” Central Bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge said. The deficit, the broadest measure of trade in goods and services, is expected to shrink to 6.3 percent of gross domestic product this year, Njoroge said in an interview Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Kigali, the…

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