Paris, France | AFP | The EU will soon unveil a plan for taxing major internet companies like Amazon and Facebook by imposing a levy of two to six percent on revenues in every country where they operate, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said Sunday. “The range will be …
Read More »Bad economy pushes Kasaija, Muhakanizi in tight corner
Finance under attack over Shs.750 bn fresh borrowing, faces tough IMF Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | Matia Kasaija and his team at the Finance Ministry find themselves in a very tight corner as they look for Shs29.2 trillion to finance a new budget. Previously, finding cash did not present …
Read More »Trump tariffs have world traders steeling for conflict
Paris, France | AFP | By opting to place heavy tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium, US President Donald Trump is on the surface hoping to protect jobs at home. Yet his policy threatens not only to frustrate trade partners but also cost US workers dear, many analysts as …
Read More »Trump tariffs fuel sell-off in steel and aluminium firms
Hong Kong, China | AFP | Steel and aluminium producers across Asia sank Friday on news of Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs, though some analysts said the long-term effects on the sector might not be as bad as thought. The president said Thursday he would slap levies of 25 percent on …
Read More »Erdogan makes first visit to Mauritania in West Africa tour
Nouakchott, Mauritania | AFP | Recep Tayyip Erdogan landed in Mauritania on Wednesday flanked by businessmen and primed to sign several cooperation deals in the first visit by a Turkish president to Nouakchott. He is undertaking a four-nation African tour to ramp up Turkey’s growing influence throughout the continent, where it …
Read More »Erdogan hails Algeria trade deals on Africa tour
Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the signing of trade deals with Algeria on Tuesday as he visited the country on the first leg of a tour of Africa. Erdogan said the agreements would allow Ankara and Algiers to diversify trade pending the signing of “an …
Read More »No politics, please: DR Congo tycoon Forrest shares secret of success
Lubumbashi, DR Congo | AFP | Rebels have wanted to kill him, NGOs accuse him of exploitation and Chinese newcomers have rattled his Congo mining empire, but George Forrest, one of Africa’s biggest businessmen, remains unbowed. The head of the Forrest Group, which is worth an estimated $800 million (650 …
Read More »S.Africa hikes sales tax in ‘tough’ post-Zuma budget
Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | South Africans were hit by the first sales tax increase since apartheid when the country’s finance minister delivered a tough budget on Wednesday, dampening optimism spurred by the country’s new reformist president. President Cyril Ramaphosa took over last week from the scandal-plagued Jacob …
Read More »COMMENT: Commercial farming models in Africa
Different kinds of commercial farming will have different effects on the economy COMMENT | RUTH HALL, DZODZI TSIKATK, IAN SCOONES | Colonialism brought large-scale farming to Africa, promising modernisation and jobs – but often dispossessing people and exploiting workers. Now, after several decades of independence, and with investor interest growing, …
Read More »Sudan frees dozens of activists detained after protests
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan on Sunday released dozens of opposition activists arrested last month in a crackdown on protests against rising food prices, an AFP correspondent reported. The release of detainees, including some top opposition figures, came three days after the US embassy voiced concern over the arrests …
Read More »