Bloomberg Vice Index of Cost of Drugs and Alcohol Around the World The cost of a weekly habit of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine and opioids costs a lot less in SA than in Australia The cost of maintaining a drugs, booze and cigarettes habit got a lot more expensive in the US last year,…
Details
Scaling up Finance for the Sustainable Development Goals The world currently faces the critical challenge of scaling up development finance, an indispensable requirement for the realization of the SDGs. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) can serve as effective institutional mechanisms to help finance the SDGs. This possibility is due to their clear mandate to support development-oriented programs, in-house expertise and track record on identification, development,…
DetailsThe Immense Promise of Africa’s Free Trade Area African leaders meet in Kigali to sign the continent’s free trade agreement. Paul Kagame/Flickr African leaders have just signed a framework establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, the largest free trade agreement since the creation of the World Trade Organisation. The free trade area aims to…
DetailsFlashpoints to Watch As Global Trade Tensions Mount President Donald Trump’s decision to levy aggressive tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has placed his America First economic ideals squarely at the forefront of the political agenda. Last year’s decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact hinted at the maverick president’s resolve to follow…
Details
Platinum mines in SA — the world’s top producer — are shrinking “Ramaphoria” boosted the rand and revived investor sentiment towards SA. But deep underground in the country’s platinum mines, there is very little cause for optimism. Producers in SA (which accounts for about 70% of the world’s mined platinum) are closing shafts and…
DetailsSouth Sudan’s Kiir under siege over civil war, economic flop South Sudan President Salva Kiir is a man under siege as the country’s economy teeters on the brink of collapse while civil war rages. In Summary On the domestic front, he is facing defiance from some of his ministers and military personnel, forcing him…
DetailsUganda’s Museveni bans graphite exports By Christopher Tusiime In Summary President orders that no mining or exportation licences should be issued. Australian firm Consolidated Africa Ltd (CAL) (CRA NSX) has finished exploration of a 323 square-kilometer area and found graphite deposits near Kitgum, some 660km northeast of Kampala. Once the mining starts, it is expected to create…
Details
Ghana Mortgages Sovereignty, Will Host US Military Base for $20m Ghana’s parliament on Friday night ratified a deal granting “unimpeded” access to the U.S. to deploy troops and military equipment in the West African nation in a vote boycotted by the opposition, legislators said. The Ghana-U.S. Military Cooperation agreement requires Ghana to provide unimpeded…
DetailsDR-Congo New Mining Tax “Untouchable”, Minister Tells Mining Companies Democratic Republic of Congo‘s mines minister rejected a proposal by mining companies on Friday to retain exemptions and scrap some taxes in exchange for higher royalties than those in a new mining code, calling the taxes “untouchable”. Mines Minister Martin Kabwelulu was reacting to a proposal from mining companies under which the companies would…
DetailsMoody’s Gives South Africa Another Chance to Avoid Junk Status SA gets another stay of execution, hovering one notch above junk, but with the outlook upgraded to stable — signalling cautious optimism about turnaround plans A change in the country’s leadership and a national budget that was well received by markets has helped SA escape…
Details