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It will see suspended payments repaid from 2027 to 2029 after a grace period from 2025 to 2026, the Paris Club said in a statement, noting that the deal was reached on Nov. 23. If Ethiopia does not get an IMF staff-level agreement by March 31, the official creditor committee "reserves the right to declare the suspension null and void", the Paris Club said. The Paris Club said 10 of its members were on Ethiopia's official creditor committee, which is co-chaired by France and non-Paris Club member China. Other non-Paris Club committee members are India, Kuwait, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. "We welcome the recent announcement of an interim standstill agreement with official creditors," the IMF spokesperson added.

Persons: Tellimer, Patrick Curran, Rachel Savage, Rodrigo Campos, Alex Richardson, Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Paris Club, French Treasury, Ethiopian, IMF, Club, OCC, China, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, China, Addis Ababa, Tigray, Ethiopia, France, India, Kuwait, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Turkey

☆ Zambia debt rework delaying impede key investments, hitting the 'most vulnerable' - FinMin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Karin Strohecker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Zambia's Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane takes part in a panel during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, following last month's deadly earthquake, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 14, 2023. Zambia defaulted three years ago and is trying to rework its debt under the G20 Common Framework, a programme designed to ensure swift and smooth debt overhauls for low-income nations. The first African country to default in the COVID-19 era, Zambia's debt restructuring had started with drawn-out negotiations with bilateral creditors including China. "Zambia’s debt restructuring has dragged on too long," Musokotwane said in emailed comments. Musokotwane said the country had implemented some serious reforms and committed to improving management of government finances and boosting growth.

Persons: Situmbeko Musokotwane, Susana Vera, Musokotwane, Karin Strohecker, Rachel Savage, Kim Coghill Organizations: Zambia's, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Zambia, China

The IMF approved a tweaked deal, but official creditors again rejected it, Zambia said. The country's External Bondholder Steering Committee said it was deeply concerned with recent developments and that its latest offer would provide more debt relief than official creditors on a net present value basis, as well as a principal haircut when official creditors were offering none. The Common Framework has been severely criticised, as it is yet to provide any countries with debt relief. "If the OCC does not row back, sovereign debt restructuring would have taken a huge step backwards," said a second source familiar with the situation. Ghana, which is also undergoing Common Framework debt treatment, saw its international bonds slump up to 1.4 cents on the dollar .

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bhargav Acharya, Marc Jones, Libby George, Alexander Winning, William Maclean, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, IMF, OCC, Government, Paris Club, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Zambia Zambia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, JOHANNESBURG, Zambia, China, Base, France, India, London

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Zambia's official creditors including China rejected a deal the country struck with its international bondholders because they believed its "base case" scenario did not deliver debt relief comparable to what they offered in a separate deal, two sources familiar with the talks said. Official creditors said the agreement in principle, which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also rejected, did not comply with "Comparability of Treatment", said the sources, who declined to be identified as the discussions are private. Both bondholders and official creditors had proposed extending the maturity of Zambia's debt and that it be paid back quicker if the country's economy performs better than expected. The bondholder deal proposed they would be paid more than $700 million before 2026 in the base case, while official creditors had offered a longer three-year grace period. Bondholders would need to offer more debt relief in the base case scenario for the deal to be acceptable to official creditors and the IMF, one of the sources said.

Persons: Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Marc Jones, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, Paris Club, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, LONDON, China, Zambia

Reuters GraphicsMuch of China's growing rescue lending is denominated in renminbi, the report found, with loans in the Chinese currency overtaking U.S. dollars in 2020. Overdue payments to Chinese lenders have also risen. The arrangement is controversial because it gives China debt seniority, meaning other lenders, including multilateral development banks, could get paid second during any coordinated debt relief. Half of its non-emergency lending in 2021 was syndicated loans, 80% of that alongside Western banks and international financial institutions. Loan commitments to African countries fell from 31% of the total in 2018 to 12% in 2021, while lending to European countries almost quadrupled to 23%.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, AidData, Xi Jinping, —, Mary, Brad Parks, Rachel Savage, Clare Baldwin, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Beijing, Initiative, People's Bank of China, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Mary university, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights JOHANNESBURG, HONG KONG, U.S, Sri Lanka, Zambia, renminbi, Africa

☆ South Africans call for holiday as they revel in World Cup success
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Nick Said | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Final - South Africa fans watch New Zealand v South Africa - Cape Town, South Africa - October 28, 2023 Fans celebrate in Cape Town after South Africa win the world cup final REUTERS/Esa Alexander TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Acquire Licensing RightsCAPE TOWN, Oct 29 (Reuters) - South Africans woke up in a jubilant mood and with some sore heads on Sunday, basking in the glory of back-to-back Rugby World Cup wins following their nail-biting 12-11 victory over old foes New Zealand in the 2023 final in Paris. Their record fourth World Cup victory from the eight tournaments they have played was won the hard way, and with no shortage of good fortune. "I think in the last World Cup (in 2019) we were quite ignorant about the game but this time we are all united. I think South Africa obviously had the power over New Zealand in the game." "Siya Kolisi and the 2023 World Cup champions have gifted us an extraordinary and inspiring national achievement that lifts our hearts and hoists our flag even higher."

Persons: Esa Alexander TPX, Johannesburg’s Nelson, Siya Kolisi, Zealand's Richie McCaw, Kolisi, Siya, Tshidiso Mnisi, Cyril Ramaphosa, Hendrick Ngobeni, Ramaphosa, Nick Said, Bhargav Acharya, Rachel Savage, William Mallard Organizations: Rugby Union, Rugby, New Zealand, South, Rugby World, Springboks, Sandile Ntu, Springbok, Thomson Locations: Africa, New, South Africa, Cape Town , South Africa, Cape Town, Paris, Rugby, Zwide

Zambia was the first African country to default in the COVID-19 era, in late 2020, but its restructuring process has been beset by delays. International bondholders also complained they were left out of the process, which started with drawn-out negotiations with bilateral creditors including China. Zambia's three international bonds rose sharply after the announcement, adding as much as 3.9 cents on the dollar, Tradeweb and MarketAxess data showed. The committee of bondholders owns or controls 40% of the outstanding bonds, Zambia's finance ministry added. Earlier this month, Zambia agreed a memorandum of understanding with its official creditors, including China and members of the Paris Club of creditor nations, to restructure about $6.3 billion of debt.

Persons: Situmbeko Musokotwane, Susana Vera, amortization, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bhargav Acharya, David Holmes Organizations: Zambia's, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, IMF, Bondholder, Amia, Amundi, RBC BlueBay Asset Management, Farallon Capital Management, Greylock Capital Management, Paris Club, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, JOHANNESBURG, Zambia, China, Rosario

World Bank project documents will make it clear that LGBTQ Ugandans should not face discrimination and that staff will not be arrested for including them, Victoria Kwakwa, the bank's head for eastern and southern Africa, told Reuters. She declined to give a timeline for assessing the measures' efficacy and moving to a decision on whether to resume new funding for Uganda. When the World Bank suspended new funding, Ugandan officials accused the development finance institution of hypocrisy, saying it was lending to countries in the Middle East and Asia that have the same or harsher laws targeting LGBTQ people. The World Bank's portfolio of projects in the East African country was $5.2 billion at the end of 2022. Reporting by Rachel Savage and Jorgelina do Rosario, Editing by Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ashley Karungi, Victoria Kwakwa, Kwakwa, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Bank, Reuters, Rights, World Bank, International Monetary, Uganda, Government, Thomson Locations: Kulambiro suburb, Kampala, Uganda, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Africa, Marrakech, East, Asia, Rosario

☆ Key takeaways from the IMF/World Bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Global inflation is seen dropping from 6.9% this year to a still-high 5.8% next. Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco said there was an impression markets were "reevaluating the term premium" as investors become more nervous about holding longer term debt. One debt restructuring deal emerged: Zambia finally agreed a debt rework memorandum of understanding with creditors including China and France. Sri Lanka said on Thursday it reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of debt, while talks with other official creditors are stalling. There was much talk ahead of Marrakech on revamping the IMF and World Bank to better reflect the emergence of economies like China and Brazil.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Mercy Tembon, Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Ceda Ogada, Kristalina Georgieva, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Ignazio Visco, Joyce Chang, Vitor Gaspar, Mehmet Simsek, Murat Ulgen, Kate Donald, Ahmed El Jechtimi, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Leika Kihara, Elisa Martinuzzi, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Rosario, Balazs Koranyi, Mark John, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank, Finance, International Monetary Fund, Emerging, Research, HSBC, Reuters, Export, Import Bank of, World Bank, Oxfam International's Washington DC Office, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Moroccan, Marrakech, Israel, Central, United States, China, Italy, Italian, Turkey, Kenya, Zambia, France, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China, Brazil, U.S

Zambia will pay about $750 million in the next decade compared to almost $6 billion that was due to official creditors before the debt restructuring. "The next step is to secure a comparable agreement with our private creditors," Zambia's finance minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, said. Zambia is committed to remaining in arrears to its commercial external creditors, the ministry said, until it secures a debt deal with comparable terms to the official creditor agreement. It is unclear how long the signing of the agreements between Zambia and each bilateral creditor is going to take. On Thursday, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Zambia had signed the MoU with official creditors, which was later walked back by Zambia's finance minister and the IMF.

Persons: Situmbeko Musokotwane, Susana Vera, Musokotwane, Kristalina Georgieva, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Giles Elgood Organizations: Zambia's, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Paris Club, OCC, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH, Zambia, China, France, Africa, Rosario

A child collecting chunks of coal looks on at a colliery while smoke rises from the Duvha coal-based power station owned by state power utility Eskom, in Emalahleni, in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, June 2, 2021. South Africa is facing its worst power crisis, with Eskom's ageing, coal-fired plants often breaking down. "It's a policy development loan which supports critical reforms," Marie-Nelly said of the potential World Bank funding. The World Bank loan would also support South Africa to make a "just transition" away from coal, to ensure vulnerable people do not suffer as a result, Marie-Nelly said. In November 2022, the World Bank approved $497 million in financing to decommission and repurpose one of Eskom's coal-fired power plants.

Persons: Siphiwe, Marie Francoise Marie, Nelly, Marie, Eskom, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Kopano Gumbi, Mark Potter, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, World, Reuters, Bank, South, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Emalahleni, Mpumalanga province, South Africa, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Marrakech, Africa, Rosario

MARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct 13 (Reuters) - After getting debt relief from China, Ethiopia is requesting similar treatment from other creditors, the International Monetary Fund's deputy director for Africa said on Friday. Ethiopian authorities said in August that China was allowing Ethiopia to suspend debt payments for the fiscal year running until July 7, 2024. "The Chinese authorities have already provided debt relief to Ethiopia and we understand that they're in the process of requesting a similar treatment from other creditors. "There is a debt service suspension with China, which is providing substantial relief," she said, adding that this was the agreement announced in August. Ethiopia regularly suffers from foreign exchange shortages and a wide gap between the official and black market currency exchange rates.

Persons: Africa's, Annalisa Fedelino, Fedelino, Rachel Savage, Dawit Endeshaw, Tannur Anders, Bhargav, Alexander Winning, Susan Fenton Organizations: Monetary, IMF, Boston University, birr, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, China, Ethiopia, Africa, Marrakech, birr, Addis Ababa

"We would like to start as quickly as possible," he said of the buyback. Exceptional access would allow Kenya to ask for more than its limit of IMF funding. As of Oct. 5, the central bank said it had $6.9 billion in usable foreign exchange reserves, enough to cover around 3.7 months' worth of imports. The central bank held its main interest rate (KECBIR=ECI) at 10.5% on Oct. 3. Despite Kenya's debt pressures, the economy is set to grow 5.5% this year and around 6% in 2024, Thugge said, above the IMF forecasts for Sub-Saharan Africa of 3.3% and 4% respectively.

Persons: Kamau Thugge, Thugge, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Duncan Miriri, Karin Strohecker, Elisa Martinuzzi, Jan Harvey Organizations: Reuters, Trade, Development Bank, African Export, Import Bank, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, Kenya, Marrakech, Saharan Africa, Rosario, Nairobi

REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Barbados is hoping to execute a "debt-for-climate" swap early next year to secure savings of around $300 million over a 15 year period to fund clean water supplies, the island state's finance minister told Reuters on Tuesday. In September 2022, Barbados carried out a "debt-for-nature" swap, which saw $150 million of international bonds swapped for cheaper debt, generating $50 million for marine conservation. The savings from the island's mooted "debt-for-climate" swap will be used to upgrade a water treatment plant to help better manage water resources and improve food security, Straughn said. Barbados's previous debt-for-nature swap funnelled money towards protecting and rehabilitating the surrounding Caribbean sea. A debt-for-climate swap would be an almost completely new concept, though, and one that other climate change vulnerable countries are likely to want to explore.

Persons: Toby Melville, Ryan Straughn, Straughn, We've, Rachel Savage, Marc Jones, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Inter, American Development Bank, European Investment Bank, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Bridgetown, Barbados, Rights MARRAKECH, Morocco, Marrakech

☆ Take Five: Volatile start to busy week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 9 (Reuters) - Financial markets have got off to a volatile start to the week, after Hamas militants launched an assault on Israel at the weekend, triggering violent conflict that left hundreds dead. A bond market rout last week and currency gyrations already had financial markets on edge ahead of U.S. inflation numbers and the start of earnings season. Here's your week ahead in markets from Kevin Buckland in Tokyo, Lewis Krauskopf in New York, Rachel Savage in Johannesburg, and Naomi Rovnick and Dhara Ranasinghe in London. Amid these tensions, the IMF and World Bank are trying to boost their lending.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, gyrations, Kevin Buckland, Lewis Krauskopf, Rachel Savage, Naomi Rovnick, Wells, LSEG IBES, Rishi Sunak's, Sumanta Sen, Pasit, Vineet, Karin Strohecker, Kim Coghill Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Financial, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Labour, JPMorgan, Citigroup, PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, UnitedHealth, Reuters, LABOUR, Conservative, Labour Party, MOROCCO Finance, Monetary Fund, U.S, Bretton Woods, IMF, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Israel, Tokyo, New York, Johannesburg, London, Central, Morrocan, Marrakech, China

How the $13 trillion economy's slowdown will affect other emerging markets is still an unanswered question for investors. "Lower for longer Chinese growth is shaping a new regime of investments," Amundi's head of emerging markets Yerlan Syzdykov told Reuters. The World Bank trimmed its 2024 China growth forecast to 4.4% from 4.8%. 6/DEVELOPING REFORMThe World Bank, IMF and other multilateral development banks are under pressure to boost lending to poorer countries to fund development and tackle climate change. China and other large emerging economies have long demanded a greater say in the global financial architecture, which is still dominated by parameters set out by the 1944 Bretton Woods meeting, where the IMF and World Bank were established.

Persons: Abdelhak, Joseph Cuthbertson, Syzdykov, Anna Gelpern, Gregory Smith, Smith, Mehmet Simsek, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, drubbing, Timothy Ash, Jorgelina, Rosario, Rachel Savage, Marc Jones, Karin Strohecker, Christina Fincher Organizations: International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Palais des, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, International Monetary, PineBridge Investments, Reuters, Bank, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, Paris Club, IMF, American, London, G Investments, JPMorgan, Egypt IMF, Fitch, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Finance, BlueBay Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Palais, Palais des Congres, Marrakech, Morocco, Argentina, Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt, CHINA, China, UKRAINE, Ukraine, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Georgetown, Nigeria, TURKEY, Ankara, New York, Washington, London, Woods

☆ Gabon dollar-denominated bonds slide after military says it seized power
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON/Johannesburg, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Gabon's dollar-denominated bonds fell by more than 13 cents on Wednesday after the military said it had seized power in the west African nation, according to Tradeweb data. The 2025 maturity fell the most, by 13.238 cents on the dollar to 79.673 cents at 0724 GMT. A group of senior military officers in Gabon claimed to have seized power in the early hours of Wednesday, minutes after the Central African state's election body announced that President Ali Bongo had won a third term. Gabon completed a $436 million "debt for nature" swap earlier this month, where it exchanged parts of the 2025 and 2031 Eurobonds for a "blue bond" maturing in 2038. Reporting By Libby George and Rachel Savage; Editing by Amanda Cooper and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ali Bongo, Libby George, Rachel Savage, Amanda Cooper, Conor Humphries Organizations: Central African, U.S . Development Finance Corporation, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, Gabon

Some investors and economic analysts are sceptical that expansion will lead to increased foreign direct investment (FDI) within the bloc. Still, BRICS leaders and other investors touted the increased economic heft from the expansion. Increasing use of national currencies to reduce U.S. dollar dependence was another goal BRICS leaders discussed at the summit in Johannesburg. And with oil producer heavyweights among the newcomers, investors said this would feed speculation that Saudi Arabia might increasingly switch to non-dollar-denominated currencies for oil trade. "The short-term consequences could be seen in oil," said Kaan Nazli, a portfolio manager at asset manager Neuberger Berman in London.

Persons: Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China Xi, Cyril Ramaphosa, India Narendra Modi, Sergei Lavrov, Viktor Szabo, Li Kexin, Ola El, Chris Turner, Jakob Ekholdt Christensen, Hasnain Malik, abrdn's Szabo, Kaan Nazli, Neuberger Berman, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bansari Mayur, Marc Jones, Jorgelina, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Russia's, Iran, United Arab Emirates, abrdn, Emerging Markets, ING, Reuters Graphics, China, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: China, India, Sandton, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, JOHANNESBURG, LONDON, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Johannesburg, United States, Saudi, London, Van Eck, New York, Copenhagen, Dubai, Bangalore, Rosario

President of China Xi Jinping attends the plenary session during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/JOHANNESBURG, Aug 24 (Reuters) - China's leader Xi Jinping told African leaders at a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit on Thursday that China would launch initiatives to support Africa's industrialisation and agricultural modernisation. "China will better harness its resources for cooperation with Africa and initiatives of businesses to support Africa in growing its manufacturing sector and realizing industrialisation and economic diversification," Xi said without providing details. Xi's pledge was made as the BRICS Summit wrapped up, during a meeting with leaders and ministers from the African Union and 11 African countries including Libya, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia. "In 2009, it issued grants and loans worth $88 billion to support infrastructure projects in Africa.

Persons: China Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi Jinping, Xi, Xi's, Wu Peng, Brad Parks, William, William & Mary, Parks, David Monyae, Michael Martina, Carien du Plessis, Rachel Savage, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, African Union, U.S, William &, University of Johannesburg's Centre, Thomson Locations: China, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, JOHANNESBURG, Africa, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Brazil, Russia, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, China Africa, Kenya

☆ BRICS nations should strengthen cooperation on cross-border payment: China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING,/JOHANNESBURG Aug 24 (Reuters) - BRICS nations should strengthen cooperation on cross-border payment, a Chinese foreign ministry official said on Thursday, the final day of a three-day BRICS summit in South Africa. They should also study local currency cooperation payment tools and platforms, and promote local currency settlement, said Li Kexin, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs of the Foreign Ministry of China. The leaders of BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - agreed at the summit in Johannesburg to encourage more local currency usage in trade and financial transactions, as they seek to shift away from dependence on the U.S. dollar. "So it's important to have a more sophisticated payment system... Many of Russia's top banks were cut off from the SWIFT messaging system last year under sweeping Western sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Li Kexin, Sergei Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Li, SWIFT, Rachel Savage, Marc Jones, William Maclean, Emelia Organizations: Department of International Economic Affairs, Foreign Ministry of China, U.S ., Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Johannesburg, Russians, Ukraine, London

Leslie Maasdorp, Vice President and chief financial officer (CFO) of New Development Bank (NDB), speaks during an interview with Reuters at the bank's headquarters in Shanghai, China July 10, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The New Development Bank of the BRICS group of nations will not be announcing new members at the BRICS Summit in South Africa this week, its Chief Financial Officer Leslie Maasdorp told Reuters on Wednesday. The bank, which was set up in 2015 to give BRICS members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa a greater say in financing infrastructure than in Western-led institutions like the World Bank, is keen to attract new members to boost its capital base after U.S. sanctions on Russia hobbled its lending. "The process of ratifying new countries is happening at the discussion of the (BRICS) leaders, which they are having without us as the bank," Maasdorp told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the summit. ($1 = 94.4650 roubles)Reporting by Rachel Savage; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Leslie Maasdorp, Aly, Maasdorp, Rachel Savage, Bhargav Acharya, Alexander Winning, Emelia Organizations: New Development Bank, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, World Bank, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, Western, Egypt, Bangladesh, United Arab, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina

Delegates walk past the logos of the BRICS summit during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. WHY DOES LULA WANT A BRICS CURRENCY? A BRICS currency "increases our payment options and reduces our vulnerabilities," he told the summit's opening plenary session. In July, India's foreign minister said, "there is no idea of a BRICS currency". WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF SETTING UP A BRICS CURRENCY?

Persons: GIANLUIGI, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, LULA, doesn't, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Lesetja Kganyago, you've, Kganyago, Herbert Poenisch, Putin, Rachel Savage, Ethan Wang, Marcela Ayres, Gabriel Stargardter, Naomi Rovnick, Libby George, Marc Jones, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Mercosur, South, Zhejiang University, Federal Reserve, FX, International Monetary Fund, Bank of International, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Russian, videolink, African, Ukraine, Beijing, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, London

A view of logo of New Development Bank (NDB) at its headquarters in Shanghai, China July 10, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The development bank founded by the so-called BRICS countries is planning to issue its first Indian rupee bond by October, its chief operating officer said on Monday, as the lender comes under pressure to raise and lend more in local currencies. "We're going to tap (the) Indian market - rupees - maybe by October in India," Kazbekov said. "Now we start thinking seriously... to use one member country's currency to finance projects with that currency in another member. Kazbekov declined to give a target size for the Indian rupee bond program, which Reuters had previously reported was in the process of being set up.

Persons: Aly, Vladimir Kazbekov, Kazbekov, Leslie Maasdorp, Rachel Savage, Hugh Lawson Organizations: New Development Bank, REUTERS, Rights, United, Russia, ., Reuters, South, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Johannesburg, India, CNY

☆ Take Five: Summer at Jackson Hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Jason Reed Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - It's summer camp season and not to be left out, U.S. rate setters and overseas pals gather in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to talk central banking. U.S. Federal Reserve officials (plus friends from the ECB, BoE and BOJ) descend on Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Aug. 24-26 for their annual central bank confab. Inflation remains sticky in places and investors want to know how long it will take for central banks to switch to easing. European PMIs could provide a bigger signal on whether the European Central Bank will hike again in September and if the Bank of England opts for a big rate increase. Turkey's central bank is poised to raise rates on Thursday for the third time in a row since Hafize Gaye Erkan was appointed as governor in early June.

Persons: Jason Reed, Ira Iosebashvili, Li Gu, Yoruk, Rosario, Marc Jones, Rachel Savage, BoE, Jackson, Vladimir Putin, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Erkan, Tayyip Erdogan, Dhara Ranasinghe, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S . Federal, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Reserve, ECB, Nvidia, CARE, HK, China, European Central Bank, Bank of England, West, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, China, Ira, New York, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Jorgelina, London, Johannesburg, confab, CHINA, Beijing, United States, European, Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Turkey

[1/2] China's President Xi Jinping takes his seat at the first closed session of the leaders of the BRICS summit meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 26, 2018. China's interactions with African leaders will follow last month's Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg, where Russian President Vladimir Putin held court with the 17 African heads of state who attended out of the 54 African countries invited. Chen said Xi and African leaders will draw up a blueprint for cooperation to create jobs and improve livelihoods in Africa. It is not clear yet how many heads of state will attend the Aug. 22-24 BRICS summit, but South African officials said more than 70 had been invited. Between 2000 and 2020, Chinese lenders, mostly state-owned banks, agreed to lend $160 billion to African countries, according to Boston University, and Chinese companies have also invested heavily in mining on the continent.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Gianluigi, Chen Xiaodong, Xi, Cyril Ramaphosa, Vladimir Putin, Chen, Macky Sall, Azali Assoumani, Carien du Plessis, Rachel Savage, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Rights, Forum for China Africa Cooperation, Union, Boston University, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights PRETORIA, China, Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, South, Pretoria, St Petersburg, Comoros

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