World Bank set to approve S Africa utility loan
The World Bank is set to approve a controversial $3.75bn loan to help South African state utility Eskom develop a coal-fired power plant despite objections from the US and environmental groups. Eskom has argued it has no immediate alternative but to develop the 4,800-megawatt Medupi coal-fired plant in the northern Limpopo region to ease chronic […]
World Bank lending hits record $100bn
The World Bank stepped up lending in July 2008 at the request of member countries as demand from developing countries increased in the face of a worsening world recession and sharp drop in global trade. The bulk of the lending since the onset of the crisis in 2008, about $60.3bn, was to middle-income countries, which […]
Volcker: Taxes likely to rise eventually to tame deficit
The US should consider raising taxes to help bring deficits under control and may need to consider a European-style value-added tax, White House adviser Paul Volcker has announced. Volcker, answering a question from the audience at a New York Historical Society event, said the value-added tax “was not as toxic an idea” as it has […]
Southeast Asia could grow 5.6% this year – ASEAN
Southeast Asian economies will grow up to 5.6 percent this year but the expansion could be jeopardised if economic stimulus is withdrawn too early, according to a report by a regional body. Nevertheless, the governments of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) need to design an orderly exit strategy to show that they […]
China’s influence silences Asia on yuan peg
China’s increasing regional influence will keep Asian governments from pressuring the world’s fastest growing economy into letting its currency strengthen for fear of economic or political repurcussion. China has repeatedly said a decision on unshackling the yuan would depend on domestic conditions, after effectively pegging it to the US dollar for the past 20 months, […]
Taiwan using China trade deal to sell foreign FTAs
Taiwan has leveraged its goal of a landmark trade deal with China to open talks with Japan, the US and other powers on free trade deals expected to boost the long-isolated island economy, officials have declared. Appealing to countries that have been barred by Taiwan’s political rival China from signing FTAs with the island, Taiwan […]
Dubai in $9.5bn debt offer, no new Abu Dhabi aid
The Dubai government unveiled plans to recapitalise its indebted Dubai World flagship and repay Nakheel bonds in full, injecting what it said was $9.5bn in new funding, but without new aid from Abu Dhabi. In a statement, the government said $5.7bn in remaining funds from a loan made by Abu Dhabi would provide the lion’s […]
Central bank autonomy in spotlight post-crisis
Here and there around the world, governments are urging central banks to ease the pain of belt-tightening – and ward off the risk of an economic relapse – by taking their time to shrink balance sheets that have billowed during the financial crisis. The risk for markets is clear: if supine central banks are unwilling […]
China official rejects US complaints on currency
Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Zhong Shan, in Washington at a time of heightened US-China trade and political tensions, told business leaders that changing the exchange rate was not the way to fix a huge bilateral trade imbalance. “Revaluing the renminbi is not a good recipe for solving problems,” he told the US Chamber of Commerce, […]
Ghana sees $800m annual budget boost from oil
The figures, in a website survey asking Ghanaians how the windfall should be used, underline that proceeds from output at its Jubilee field due to start late this year will only transform the poor West African state if used carefully. Using a 10-year average price of oil at $65 barrel, the ministry predicted that annual […]
