African governments and citizens must decide what kind of union Africa needs to meet its aspiration of a regional body that advances peace, expands prosperity, and effectively represents African interests in international forums. The African Union (AU) has been criticized for a lack of robust leadership on major crises like the Democratic Republic of the…
The United Kingdom has unveiled a sweeping package of trade reforms aimed at boosting African exports, creating jobs and fostering economic growth across the continent. Unveiled on 10 July, the reforms centre around updates to the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), the UK’s flagship trade preference programme launched in 2023. The scheme covers 65 countries…
…Seeks equity in financial, health, climate architecture President Bola Tinubu on Saturday called for a comprehensive reevaluation of global governance, financial structures, and health systems, advocating for a fairer, more inclusive world order that truly reflects the interests of emerging and low-income economies, particularly in Africa. Speaking at the 17th BRICS Summit of the Global…
Geneva — In an era defined by the gig economy and pervasive job insecurity, advocating for permanent contracts within the United Nations might seem anachronistic, even counterintuitive. Yet, clinging to a culture of short-term, precarious contracts is not just detrimental to staff well-being; it’s a strategic and financial misstep that undermines the UN’s core mission….
President Cyril Ramaphosa President Cyril Ramaphosa has voiced his support for the process undertaken by communications minister Solly Malatsi to introduce equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs) in the ICT sector. Malatsi in May published a draft policy directive, which he intends issuing to Icasa, urging the communications regulator to investigate how EEIPs, which are already…
Washington — The World Bank has approved $115 million in concessional financing to support Senegal’s efforts to improve public debt sustainability, strengthen public financial management, and increase domestic resource mobilization. The financing, provided through the International Development Association (IDA), will help implement the government’s flagship reform program, the 2025-2029 Senegal Program for Transparency in Public…
Italy — VICE-PRESIDENT Dr Philip Mpango has said that the development partnership between Africa and Italy under the Mattei Plan, along with the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative, holds great potential to accelerate Africa’s progress in infrastructure, human capital development, agriculture and digital transformation. Dr Mpango made the remarks in Rome, Italy, where he represented…
Aligning digital asset classification with onshore status could strengthen SA’s position in the fast-evolving digital finance space. South African crypto-currency players are calling for regulatory changes that will see digital currencies being declared onshore assets in the country. They note South Africa’s regulatory grey zone around digital currencies may be holding back significant investment potential….
