Ethiopia’s National Bank (NBE) has announced a cap on all foreign-exchange (FX) transaction fees at 4 percent, effective May 26, 2025. The move—part of a broader series of reforms to modernize the forex market—also bans supplementary service charges and mandates transparent, publicly disclosed pricing on the NBE website from June onwards (National Bank of Ethiopia). […]
Introduction The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is spearheading a vigorous campaign for transformative reforms in the Finance Bill 2025, urging lawmakers to adopt measures that strengthen the country’s industrial base, streamline the tax code, and institutionalize deeper private-sector input into fiscal policymaking. During a retreat in Naivasha on April 25, 2025, KEPSA engaged the […]
Introduction Nissan Motor Co., once a global frontrunner in electric vehicles with its Leaf model, finds itself at a critical juncture. The Yokohama-based automaker recorded a ¥670.9 billion (US $4.5 billion) loss for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, marking its worst financial performance in recent memory (AP News). With mounting headwinds from U.S. […]
Introduction In a landmark decision for Sub-Saharan Africa, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will officially begin operations in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria from July 2025. This follows the formal amendment to the EBRD’s founding treaty, approved by its shareholders in April 2025, which extends the Bank’s mandate beyond its traditional Eastern […]
The Kenyan government has instituted a moratorium on hiring and contract renewals across 42 State corporations slated for merger, dissolution, or restructuring, putting the livelihoods of hundreds of executives and staff on hold. The move, communicated in a May 16 memo from Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, follows Cabinet approval earlier this year to […]
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is pressing the European Union to unilaterally slash its tariffs on U.S. goods or risk a fresh round of 20 percent “reciprocal” duties, according to the Financial Times. In talks with European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, Greer is set to argue that Brussels’ latest “explanatory note” falls well short of […]
On May 22, 2025, Egypt’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) surprised markets by trimming its key overnight deposit rate by 100 basis points to 24 percent, and its lending rate by the same margin to 25 percent. This move, the second rate cut in 2025 following a pause of nearly a year, fell short of the […]
Key Highlights Background: Strengthening Kenya’s Debt Profile Over the past decade, Kenya’s outstanding Eurobond liabilities have climbed amid infrastructure and social-spending needs. As of early 2025, the country faced roughly US$7 billion in Eurobonds maturing between 2027 and 2034, straining its foreign-currency debt service costs. Recognising these pressures, the GoK, through the National Treasury & […]
Key Takeaways Procedural Milestone Sets Stage for Early-Morning Votes Shortly before midnight in Washington, the 13-member House Rules Committee reconvened after a nearly 22-hour marathon session. By an 8–4 margin, including no Democratic support, the committee approved a package of amendments and procedural motions to bring President Trump’s signature legislation—dubbed the “big, beautiful bill”—to the […]
Key Takeaways A Third Time’s the Charm: From VAT Hike to Budget Consensus Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his third iteration of the 2025 Budget speech on 21 May 2025, having twice postponed the exercise amid coalition wrangling over a proposed VAT rise (Government of South Africa, Xinhua). In March, he had outlined a phased […]
Kenya’s monetary policy cycle has entered a defining phase. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has lowered its benchmark rate...
In a development that signals a deeper convergence between traditional finance and digital assets, Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange...
When a nationalised bank in Maharashtra sold a life insurance policy to a 90-year-old man with an annual premium of...
Artificial intelligence has officially crossed a new threshold. For the first time, an AI system specifically AI voice agents can...
