Tanzania:
The economic growth decreased to a 6.9% in 2016 (World Bank): "The uncertainty about the government policies and the slowdown in the private sector are the reasons cited by the World Bank for explaining the Tanzanian growth regression of 30 basis points, to a 6.9% in 2016 compared with a 7.2% the previous year. While this level of activity is still supported by the government investment in major projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway, the uncertainties linked to the reforms launched by the government of the President John Magufuli, nicknamed "The Bulldozer" for its style of governance, feed the fears of the investors..."
The government aims to generate, by 2025, 200 MW with geothermal energy: "In Tanzania, the government plans to start, in 2018, the exploitation of the geothermal energy of Lake Ngozi, in the town of Mbeya, in order to generate electricity. This information was entrusted to The Citizen by Shakiru Kajungus, the manager of the Tanzania Goethermal Developement Company (TGDC). The manager also said that the feasibility study was completed for two other geothermal energy projects in the Songwe and Mbaka Kiejo areas. All of this exploratory work required about 8 million Dollar. In the long term, it is expected that an additional 200 MW will be supplied by geothermal power factories by 2025..."
Tigo, Airtel and Zantel launch "Taifa Moja", a new service Mobile Money common: "More than two years after the effectiveness of Vodacom's interoperability, Tigo, Airtel and Zantel in Mobile Money, the mobile operators Tigo, Airtel and Zantel decided to push the adventure further. The last weekend, the three telecom companies have put in the market a new Mobile Money service called "Taifa Moja", which means "one nation". The particularity of this new product is that it allows the transfer of money by mobile between the three companies at the same rate. Interoperability allowed only the connection of Mobile Money platforms of different companies, with services charged at the rates of each..."
Kenya:
The World Bank lowers its growth forecast to a 5.5% in 2017: "The World Bank has lowered its growth forecasts for the Kenyan economy in 2017 to a 5.5% against an initial projection of a 6%. The Washington-based institution points to the tightening of loan to the private sector, drought and rising fuel prices as reasons for this decline. In fact, the prospects for 2017 remain less favorable than a year ago, due to the drought that hit the country leaving more than 2.7 million people in need of food aid. Added to this is the drop in the annual growth in credit to the private sector, which fell to a 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in February 2017 against a 17% at the end of 2015..."
Kenya will experience a deficit of 1.9 million Ton of sugar cane during the 2016/2017 season: "On behalf of the 2016/2017 season, Kenya is expected to experience a deficit of 1.9 million Ton of sugar cane. This is revealed by a recent report published by the Kenya Sugar Directorate (KSD), the regulator of the Kenyan sugar industry. This production deficit, which could be explained by disenchantment of stem producers due to low production capacity and limited access to inputs, should add a little more to the local production of already low sugar (580,000 tons in 2015/2016 according to the USDA) in the context of a demand approaching 900 000 Ton..."
Nigeria:
The customs service wants to stop the illegal imports of rice that thrive through the free zones: "Determined to enforce the measure prohibiting the importation of rice into the country, the Customs of Nigeria (NCS) prohibited the export of cereals from the free zones of the territory. The spokesman for the NCS, Joseph Attah, who recently made the statement in Abuja, said that Nigerians benefited from the free status of certain areas of activity located in the territory, to illegally import rice into Nigeria. "The NCS has discovered that several actors are taking advantage of the free trade area status to evade the law banning the import of rice across land borders," said the official..."
Shell knew that a portion of the payment to the government for OPL 245 would go to Malabu: "A new turn in the case of the oil bloc OPL 245 in Nigeria. In fact, Royal Dutch Shell, one of the companies involved in this corruption scandal, has just admitted that it knew that part of the payments to the Nigerian government, for block rights, would be transferred to the Malabu Oil and Gas accounts. According to the spokesman of the Anglo-Dutch company Andy Norman, who revealed this in an email to Reuters, the group was aware that the Nigerian executive would "compensate Malabu for its rights over the bloc". The announcement contradicts the old version of Shell which denied having knowledge of the transaction between the government and Malabu..."
Ghana:
The government wants to use artificial pollination to boost its cocoa production: ""The Ghanaian executive announced on Wednesday, that he plans to experiment with manual pollination in order to return to a production level of 1 million Ton by 2020, irrespective of the current price of the raw material," reveals Reuters. In fulfillment of this objective, which was announced at the beginning of the mandate of the new Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, several measures will be implemented this year. Thereby, according to William Agyapong Quaittoo, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, 5,000 people will be employed to pilot artificial pollination in 30 districts across the country..."
Zimbabwe:
The livestock could soon be used as a banking guarantee: "In Zimbabwe, the commercial banks may soon be forced to accept cattle as collateral for funding to the informal sector. This is in any case the initiative brought by the bill submitted to parliament by the Minister of Finance, Economy and Development, Patrick Chinamasa. According to the text, the Central Bank of the country will have to create and maintain a register of guarantees in which small companies and individuals can register their personal assets as collateral for financing. In addition to livestock, vehicles, televisions, refrigerators and other computers may also be used as guarantees after evaluation and be recorded in the Central Bank file..."
Senegal:
82 000 Ton of groundnuts collected after 18 weeks of marketing: "Since the start of the peanut marketing campaign launched in the 1st of December, the National Oilseed Company of Senegal (Sonacos S.A) purchased more than 82,000 Ton of peanuts. This is what Pape Dieng, the general manager of the company, indicates to the APS. While this figure has the merit of an increase of 75,000 Ton compared to the small quantity acquired last year, it remains far from the target of 200 000 Ton to be achieved before the end of the campaign, in the 30th of April. According to Mr. Dieng, who ensures that 22 billion CFA Franc (CFAF) are still available for the purchase of seeds from producers out of the initial 45 billion FCFA, this supply deficit is explained by the scarcity of seeds on the local market..."
The IMF welcomes the positive outlook of the Senegalese economy: ""The International Monetary Fund (IMF) welcomes the positive outlook of the Senegalese economy for the year 2017 with an expected growth rate above a 6%. The macroeconomic performance remains good in 2016 with a GDP growth rate above a 6% for the second year in a row," says an IMF mission (March 30th to April 12th) led by Ali Mansoor..."
Gabon:
The WWF is satisfied with the standards adopted for the production of palm oil in Gabon: "The producers of palm oil in Gabon have achieved a level of compliance with environmental standards. The Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), has just approved the RSPO standard for palm oil produced in Gabon. An initiative welcomed by the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) in a statement, that it now allows "the Gabonese producers to develop palm oil plantations that do not harm precious forests, communities or workers"..."
BURKINA FASO :
Exclusive: Burkina Faso has a fund of 10 billion CFA Franc to finance its entrepreneurs: "According to information from Jeune Afrique, the Burkinabe executive endorsed the creation of an annual fund of two billion CFA francs over five years to finance start-ups of the country. He hopes to boost innovation and ultimately create around 500 small and medium-sized companies..."
MALI:
Hummingbird borrows 60 million Dollar to finance the construction of the Yanfolila mine: "Hummingbird Resources has signed a 60 million Dollar loan agreement with Coris Bank International (CBI) to finance the development of its Yanfolila gold project in Mali. The loan will be in two tranches, a first of 25 million Dollar to be delivered immediately to Hummingbird and a second of 35 million Dollar over the next five months. The repayment will be made over a period of four years with an interest rate of a 9%. If it is not made in time, the company will benefit from an additional 12 months..."
IVORY COAST:
West Africa: The family farming to ensure food security: "A meeting of the RPCA, the Network for the Prevention of Food Crises in West Africa, ended in Paris, at the OECD headquarters, yesterday, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The network comprises 17 countries, NGOs, UN agencies and producer associations. During this meeting, the RPCA examined the case of family farming as a solution to the problem of food insecurity, which today threatens nearly 10 million people in the subregion..."
CAMEROON:
Alassane Ouattara supports the CFA Franc: "The Ivorian President denounced in Abidjan, the Economic Capital of Ivory Coast, on Monday, the denigration campaign against the CFA franc. He was at a special WAEMU session, of which he is the current Chairman. For him, the common currency of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA - eight countries) is "healthy and in good hands." The former governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), maintains that the WAEMU zone has foreign exchange reserves representing more than five months of imports, whereas the rule adopted is about three months"..."
Crédit : IMPERIUM MEDIA
