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☆ India raises windfall tax on petroleum crude
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 31 (Reuters) - The Indian government has hiked windfall tax on petroleum crude to 4,250 Indian rupees ($51.68) per tonne from 1,600 Indian rupees with effect from Aug. 1. A windfall tax on diesel has been increased to 1 rupee per litre from nil earlier, according to a government notification on Monday. The windfall tax on petrol and aviation turbine fuel has been left unchanged. Earlier this month, the government raised the windfall tax on petroleum crude to 1,600 Indian rupees per tonne from zero. India last July imposed the windfall tax on crude oil producers and extended the levy on exports of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel after private refiners wanted to make gains from robust refining margins in overseas markets, instead of selling at home.

Persons: refiners, Shivani Tanna, Nikunj, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Maju Samuel Organizations: Thomson Locations: India

☆ Subomi Plumptre: A woman on a mission to build prosperity in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Susan Williams For Cnn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

However, one woman says she has made it her life’s mission to empower Africa’s squeezed middle class. She is the co-founder of Volition Cap, an investment cooperative that aims to help Africans build wealth and financial stability. But the middle class are the ones that create the most small and medium scale enterprises. So my focus on the middle class is actually very deliberate, because I realize that the middle class is the economic destiny of Africa,” Plumptre told CNN. That was what happened to my parents.”This tragedy made Subomi realize that she, like many middle class individuals, lacked a safety net when faced with critical emergencies.

Persons: Africa’s, Cap, Plumptre, ” Plumptre, “, ” Organizations: CNN, African Development Bank Group, International Labour Office, World Bank, SEC Locations: Nigeria, Africa, Europe, America

☆ Bangladesh police clash with opposition supporters calling on PM to resign
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DHAKA, July 29 (Reuters) - Bangladesh police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at stone-throwing opposition party supporters blocking major roads in the capital Dhaka on Saturday to demand the prime minister’s resignation. The main opposition party, in disarray since its leader Khaleda Zia was jailed in 2018 on graft charges, has held bigger protest rallies in recent months, including one on Friday, drawing tens of thousands of supporters amid anger over the cost of living. They were only trying to ease the traffic flow,” said Faruq Ahmed, a spokesman for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. [1/5]Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attack armed vehicles of police at Shonir Akhra area, during their sit-in rallies on the main entry points of the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 29, 2023. Concern flared after accusations of vote-rigging and suppressing the opposition marred elections in 2014 and 2018.

Persons: Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina, ”, Faruq Ahmed, “, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Hasina, jailing, Ruma Paul, Giles Elgood Organizations: Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Police, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, Dhaka, Shonir, Bangladesh, United States

☆ China's gasoline demand peak nears as EV boom hastens transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Mohi Narayan | Thomson Reuters | Reports On Everything How Asia S Fuel Use Recovers The Fallout Of To Tracking How The Global Energy Transition Impacts Refinery Expansion Plans | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and consultancy Rystad Energy have brought forward forecasts of China's peak gasoline demand by about a year to 2024, while Chinese state majors PetroChina and Sinopec (600028.SS) see it in 2025. The earlier halt in gasoline demand growth in the world's No. Reuters GraphicsAs a result of accelerating EV sales, Paris-based IEA now expects Chinese gasoline demand to peak in 2024 at about 3.7 million barrels per day (bpd), bringing forward an earlier projection of demand plateauing in 2025/2026. The research arm of China's state refiner CNPC expects gasoline demand to peak in 2025, citing accelerating sales of EVs, and sees gasoline demand shrinking 2.3% annually between 2026 and 2030. China's massive move into petrochemicals is already causing a glut globally, prompting companies to shift investments to high-end energy transition materials.

Persons: Aly, refiners, Toril Bosoni, EV's, Gaurav Batra, Mukesh Sahdev, Ma Yongsheng, Mohi Narayan, Carman Chew, Matthew Chye, Chen Aizhu, Zoey Zhang, Andrew Hayley, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Porsche, Auto Shanghai, REUTERS, International Energy Agency, Rystad Energy, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, China, Shenghong Petrochemical, Energy, Graphics, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Jan, Sinopec, Asia, Reuters Graphics China, Paris, U.S, North America, India, Sun, New Delhi, Singapore, Beijing

Meanwhile, the black market for smuggled subsidised Nigerian fuel in Togo and neighbouring Benin and Cameroon has collapsed, further reducing demand for shipments via Nigeria. Average monthly West African (WAF) gasoline imports fell by 56% in the second quarter compared with the first, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. "The key point is demand from West Africa is drying up," said Refinitiv Lead Oil Analyst Raj Rajendran. There may simply be a baseline decrease in demand," said Sparta Commodities gasoline market analyst Philip Jones-Lux. The challenge is coming from the new refineries in the Middle East that are expanding from their traditional East Africa market to now include West Africa and beyond even to the Americas," Rajendran said.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Jeremy Parker, Raj, naira, Philip Jones, Jones, Lux, Rajendran, Shadia, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Nigeria's, West, ARA, Reuters Graphics, Sparta Commodities, Thomson Locations: Africa, Nigeria, North America, West Africa, Europe, United States, Asia, Ukraine, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Sparta, Mideast, Russia, European, East Africa

☆ Strong gas business helps to cushion Eni profit fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Italian energy group Eni reported a 49% fall in its adjusted net profit in the second quarter because of weaker commodity prices but a strong performance from its gas business helped it to beat forecasts. Adjusted net profit in the period came in at 1.94 billion euros ($2.13 billion) down from a bumper result of 3.81 billion euros a year ago, but above an analyst consensus of 1.64 billion euros. Eni now expects the gas business to reach an adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) figure of between 2.7 billion and 3.0 billion euros for the year versus previous guidance of 2.0-2.2 billion euros. It also improved its full-year outlook for its low-carbon unit Plenitude and trimmed plans for capital expenditure this year to below 9 billion euros from a previous estimate of 9.2 billion euros. Group's expectation for adjusted EBIT for this year is confirmed at 12 billion euros even after taking into account a weaker oil and gas prices.

Organizations: Eni Locations: Cyprus, Nicosia, Ukraine

☆ Slowing Australia Q2 inflation lessens rate hike pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In the first quarter, inflation was at 1.4%. That was balanced by a sharp fall in goods inflation, which slowed to an annual rate of 5.8% from 7.6% the quarter before. Adelaide Timbrell, senior economist at ANZ, said both headline and trimmed mean inflation are tracking below the RBA's forecast for the second quarter. "(The data) highlight that a 4.1% cash rate may be restrictive enough to bring inflation down. The RBA has warned that some further tightening may be required to bring inflation to heel.

Persons: Robert Carnell, Carnell, Adelaide Timbrell, Stella Qiu, Wayne Cole, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Wednesday, ING, ANZ, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific

☆ UK minister: petrol car ban immovable but some green policies to be relaxed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] View of the exhaust of a queuing car on the North Circular Road in London, Britain, June 26, 2023. Britain's green agenda has been thrown into question after the governing Conservatives won a vote for a parliamentary seat last week by attacking London's flagship anti-pollution policy. Asked on Times Radio if banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars was an immovable target in Britain, Gove said: "Yes." Gove later told LBC radio that the government would make changes to planned timetables to make them more achievable. "When it comes to landlords in the private rented sector, the timetable that we have for meeting particular energy efficiency standards will be relaxed," he said.

Persons: Toby Melville LONDON, Michael Gove, Gove, Rishi Sunak, Kylie MacLellan, Kate Holton Organizations: REUTERS, Conservatives, London's, European Union, Times, LBC, Times Radio, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, United States

☆ Private micro gyms costing $11 an hour are popping up all over Singapore and the model is going global
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Micro gyms costing around $11 an hour in Singapore are popping up near parks, malls, and petrol stations. The Gym Pod has 140,000 registered app users worldwide with interest growing after the pandemic. According to Bloomberg, it has 120,000 registered users in Singapore. Another company, My Gym Lab, also founded in Singapore, offers small spaces it calls labs across the city. The Gym Pod is hoping to expand into international markets and will be launching its first pod in China in the coming weeks, the spokesperson said.

Persons: Damian Chow, Omar Martin Organizations: Service, Bloomberg Locations: Singapore, Wall, Silicon, Chicago, China

KARACHI, Pakistan, July 20 (Reuters) - Fuel pump operators across Pakistan are to hold a nationwide strike on July 22 in a bid to secure larger margins amid an inflation crisis, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association said on Thursday. "We will shut down all petrol pumps across Pakistan on July 22, 6 p.m.," said the association, which says it has more than 10,000 members. In a statement it said interest rates and inflation have hit operators' businesses and called for the dealership margin to be increased. "Around 8,000-9,000 (operators) ... represented by us, will be shut on July 22," Abdul Sami Khan, chairman of the association, told Reuters. Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdul Sami Khan, Ariba Shahid, Conor Humphries Organizations: Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Karachi

CNN —A wave of deadly protests has hit Kenya as anger over tax hikes and the cost of living spilled into the streets. Brian Inganga/APHowever, 10 months after being sworn into office, the cost of living has continued to rise, and the raft of new tax hikes have only made living conditions worse. But many Kenyans are unhappy about these policies that continue to worsen the country’s cost of living crisis. There’s a very high cost of living, and they already have many levies and taxes on their pay slips. The opposition leader Raila Odinga and his Azimio la Umoja (One Kenya) coalition have led calls for protests over hikes.

Persons: WIlliam Ruto, Here’s what’s, Herman Manyora, Ruto, Brian Inganga, he’s, ” Manyora, ”, Nagudi, “, Raila Odinga, Odinga, Opiyo Wandayi, lobs, Thomas Mukoya, Moses Odhiambo Organizations: CNN, UN, Veteran, AP, Kenyan, CNN . Riot, Reuters, Kenya Locations: Kenya, Nairobi, Mathare, COVID, Mlolongo, Machakos county

ABUJA, July 20 (Reuters) - Nigeria's naira traded at a record low of 860 per dollar on the black market on Thursday, according to traders, weakening below its official rate a month after the country devalued the currency and ahead of a central bank policy meeting next week. The naira has been swinging widely on the official market since the devaluation. It touched a new low of 853 naira per dollar on Wednesday, according to OTC market regulator, FMDQ Exchange. The currency closed at 742 naira against the dollar on the official market on Thursday, Refinitiv data showed. Dollar shortages on the official market have seen customers turning to the black market, helping to widen the gap between the spot rate and the black market, one trader said.

Persons: Nigeria's naira, Bola Tinubu, Elisha Bala, Andrew Cawthorne, John Stonestreet, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: FMDQ Exchange, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria

☆ Nigeria to distribute grains, fertiliser to soften impact of rising fuel prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The grain and fertiliser distribution will be through the central bank, the vice president's office said in a statement, adding that state governors have backed the plan. Last week, the Senate approved a request by President Bola Tinubu to borrow $800 million from the World Bank to help address rising fuel prices after stopping a popular but costly petrol subsidy in May. Nigerian petrol prices reached 617 naira ($0.78) per litre on Tuesday, the highest ever. Labour unions have criticised government's ending of the fuel subsidy without measures to mitigate rising prices. Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, imports almost all its refined fuel due to inadequate refining capacity and neglect of existing refineries.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, Felix Onuah, Chijioke Ohuocha, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: World Bank, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa's

The new plant is expected to be built in Somerset, south-west England, while Jaguar Land Rover's UK factories are based near Birmingham, central England. With an initial output of 40 gigawatt hours, Britain said the factory would provide almost half of the battery production needed by 2030. The Faraday Institution has projected UK battery demand to reach over 100 GWh a year by that time. "With this strategic investment, the Tata Group further strengthens its commitment to the UK," Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said in the statement. "Almost every car producing nation in the world (is) offering a lot of incentives in order to ensure that they preserve the integrity of their car industry," he said.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, N Chandrasekaran, Mike Hawes, Andy Palmer, Aston Martin, Jeremy Hunt, wouldn't, Alistair Smout, Sarah Young, William James, Paul Sandle, Emma Rumney Organizations: Tata Motors, REUTERS, Danish, India's Tata Group, Rover, Tata, BBC, European Union, Nissan, Rover's, Faraday, Tata Group, EV, BBC Radio, Britain, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Britain, Spain, Somerset, England, Birmingham, United States, Europe, China, EU

☆ Reactions: UK inflation cools in June, pound drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sterling dropped broadly, falling against the dollar, the euro and the yen, as interest-rate futures showed investors no longer expect UK rates to peak above 6%. COMMENTS:KEVIN BRIGHT, GLOBAL LEADER, CONSUMER PRICING PRACTICE, MCKINSEY & COMPANY, LONDON:"Inflation dipped more than expected; but the gulf between the UK and the Eurozone inflation levels remains. Despite most categories seeing a decline, food & non-alcoholic beverage inflation at 17.3% remains only 1.8% below its peak in March 2023. "Continued rising prices, higher interest rates and below inflation wage growth – are a triple blow to household budgets. NEIL BIRRELL, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, PREMIER MITON INVESTORS, LONDON:"Some good news on UK inflation at last, coming in below expectations for June and most importantly the core inflation rate fell more than thought.

Persons: Sterling, BoE, KEVIN, JOE TUCKEY, JORDAN, NOMURA, CHRIS BEAUCHAMP, Andrew Bailey, JEREMY BATSTONE, CARR, RAYMOND JAMES, ” KENNETH BROUX, It's, JOSEPH CALNAN, NEIL BIRRELL, Amanda Cooper, Andrew Heavens, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank of England's, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, MCKINSEY, COMPANY, LONDON, Bank of England, JORDAN ROCHESTER, CPI, IG GROUP, Bank of, SOCIETE GENERALE, U.S, EMEA, Thomson Locations: homebuilders, Bank of England, EUROPEAN

The BoE said in May it expected June inflation would fall to 7.9%, moving further away from October's 41-year high of 11.1% but still way above its 2% target. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the core measure of price growth to hold at 7.1%. Despite June's drop, Britain's inflation rate remains the highest among the world's top seven rich economies. In Western Europe, only Iceland had a higher rate of inflation in June. Suren Thiru, Economics Director at ICAEW, an accountancy body, said July's inflation rate was likely to slow to below 7%.

Persons: Sterling, BoE, James Smith ,, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, William Schomberg, William James, Sarah Young, Catherine Evans Organizations: Reuters, Bank of, Bank of England, U.S ., Reuters Graphics, National Statistics, Labour Party, Sunak's Conservative Party of, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Bank of England, May's, Western Europe, Iceland, Britain

☆ UK set to secure commitment from Tata's JLR for new EV battery plant - Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - Britain is set to secure a commitment from Tata's Jaguar Land Rover to build a battery plant in southwest England to supply a new range of electric Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. India's Tata has chosen a site in Somerset, the Bloomberg report said, citing people familiar with the plans. The company is set to outline its decision as soon as this week, the report added. A government spokesperson said there was no update on any timelines for an announcement. Reporting by Muvija M and Alistair Smout; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: India's Tata, Tata, Rishi Sunak's, Muvija M, Alistair Smout, William James Our Organizations: Rover, Bloomberg, Britain, Thomson Locations: Britain, England, Somerset, Spain

☆ Turkey increases fuel tax as it bolsters stretched budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, July 16 (Reuters) - Turkey raised tax on petrol on Sunday to help to fund a 1.12 trillion lira ($42.2 billion) increase to its 2023 budget after February's earthquakes and the May presidential election sent spending soaring. The wider deficit was largely because of increased spending ahead of May elections, when President Tayyip Erdogan was elected for a third term, as well as on rebuilding work after the earthquakes in southern Turkey. The earthquakes, which killed more than 50,000 people, are expected to cost Turkey more than $100 billion in total. In the latest step to strengthen the Treasury's cash reserves, the tax rate for gasoline was increased to 7.52 lira per litre from 2.52 lira ($0.1) while tax on diesel oil rose to 7.05 lira from 2.05 lira. The 1.12 trillion lira boost to Ankara's budget was approved by parliament on Saturday and follows various other recent tax increases among efforts to bolster government coffers, including a two percentage point increase to VAT.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ali Kucukgocmen, Diane Craft, David Goodman Organizations: stoke, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey

☆ Protesters clash with Kenya police over tax hikes, two killed, officers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the capital Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa and several other towns, according to Reuters reporters and footage aired on Kenyan television stations. Police officers patrolling the expressway, who did not give their names, told Reuters they had shot dead two protesters as they sought to repel an advancing crowd. You promised them that you are going to help them, but you didn't," Bernard Ochieng, a protester in Nairobi's informal Kibera settlements, told Reuters. The government says the tax hikes, which include a doubling of the fuel tax and the introduction of a levy to fund affordable housing, are needed to deal with growing debt repayments and to fund job-creation initiatives. At least six people were killed last Friday during protests called for by opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Persons: Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Young, Bernard Ochieng, Odinga, Thomas Mukoya, Jefferson Kahinju, Humphrey Malalo, Aaron Ross, Alex Richardson, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Kenya Alliance, Police, Kenyan, Reuters, Kenya's, Thomson Locations: Read, NAIROBI, Nairobi, Mombasa

☆ Italy collects around $3 bln from 2023 energy windfall tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Giuseppe Fonte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Tax take slightly above Treasury estimatesItaly phasing out expansionary fiscal policySpike in energy prices has largely reversedROME, July 10 (Reuters) - Italy has collected around 2.8 billion euros ($3.07 billion) from this year's windfall tax on energy companies, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. The Treasury in December estimated the levy would yield around 2.6 billion euros. Under the terms set in the 2023 budget, around 7,000 producers and sellers of electricity, gas and petrol products were required to pay the levy. This year's windfall tax replaced a levy in 2022 that reaped a similar amount of money but triggered criticism and refusals to pay from multiple firms. Italy has promised to gradually phase out the expansionary fiscal policy adopted since 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis.

Persons: refusals, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Giorgia, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, Treasury, Energy, Thomson Locations: Italy, ROME, Ukraine

☆ Nigeria's cost-of-living crisis is getting worse daily after an 'abrupt' fuel hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The hike in fuel price has caused a scarcity of passengers,” Hanwa, 50, added. “Before the hike in fuel price, Abuja to Kano was 5,500 ($7.26) but is now 8,500 ($11.22),” he said. Successive governments had carried on with fuel subsidy since its introduction in the 1970s but had also mooted deregulating the country’s oil sector. Along with soaring transport fares, food prices and costs for other essentials have skyrocketed across the country. Economist Bismarck Rewane agrees that halting fuel subsidy “makes economic sense,” but mentions that the saved proceeds from the scheme must be ploughed back into bettering the lives of Nigerians.

Persons: Hanwa, ”, ” Hanwa, Jume Hanwa, Nimi Princewill, Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, Usman Imam, “, Sam Amadi, ” Amadi, ” Fabian Grace, Grace, who’s, Fabian Grace, ” Grace, “ I’ve, I’m, Bismarck Rewane, ” Rewane Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, CNN, CNN Transport, National Petroleum Corporation, ” Travelers, Usman, Abuja School of Social Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Nigeria’s, Nimi, Kano, Africa’s, Maraba, Nasarawa State, Edo State

[1/2] A Tesla logo is seen outside a showroom of the carmaker in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoBEIJING/SHANGHAI, July 4 (Reuters) - U.S. automaker Tesla (TSLA.O) and its chief Chinese rival BYD (002594.SZ) achieved record deliveries of their China-made vehicles in the second-quarter, China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data showed, as a fight for market share heats up. Tesla reported record deliveries of 466,140 globally for the second quarter. This was also the first time BYD's monthly sales surpassed 250,000 units and meant that between April to June, BYD delivered 700,244 vehicles, the data showed. In June, Beijing announced 520 billion yuan ($71.67 billion) worth of purchase tax breaks on new-energy vehicles through the end of 2027.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Tesla, BYD, Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Christopher Cushing, Himani Sarkar, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, China Passenger Car Association, EV, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, SHANGHAI, Shanghai

☆ Analysis: Caught between riots and debt crises, African countries cut fuel subsidies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Senegal, like Nigeria and Angola, is removing costly fossil fuel subsidies – a move once considered politically unthinkable but which has become a necessity due to crushing debt, a spike in borrowing costs and high fuel prices. SHEER FISCAL NECESSITYNearly every country on earth has some fossil fuel subsidies, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Now, high costs have effectively locked many out of international bond markets. According to the World Bank, almost half of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa are in or at high risk of debt distress. The World Bank estimates that subsidy removal, and scrapping foreign exchange controls, would save Nigeria some 21 trillion naira ($27.49 billion) from 2023 to 2025.

Persons: Abdoulaye Diallo, Diallo, Stanley Achonu, Goolam Ballim, Angola's, David Amaglobeli, Amaglobeli, Gregoire Garsous, Achonu, Karin Strohecker, Ngouda Dione, Hugh Lawson Organizations: ONE, LONDON, CFA, Global, International Energy Agency, Reuters Graphics, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Standard Bank, World Bank, OECD, Bank, Christian, Thomson Locations: Africa, Nigeria, Senegal's, Dakar, Senegal, Angola, Ukraine, Russia, Johannesburg, China, Saharan Africa, Zambia, London, Brazzaville

☆ Anglo-French deal could create Europe’s biggest lithium producer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A French minerals company is buying a British startup in a tie-up that could produce enough lithium carbonate to power 500,000 electric vehicles a year. That year is important as Britain is set to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030, forcing manufacturers to switch to electric vehicles. The combination of the new facility and an existing one in France “would make Imerys the largest integrated lithium producer in Europe, representing more than 20% of the announced European lithium output by 2030,” the company said. They will require that 45% of the value of electric vehicles traded between Britain and the European Union are sourced from one of the two regions in order to avoid costly tariffs. The deposit of lithium being developed there is set to be the largest in the country, according to Imerys.

Persons: that’s, Imerys, France “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, European, Peugeot, Fiat, Industry Locations: Hong Kong, Paris, British, Cornwall, England, Britain, France, Europe, European Union, English

☆ Analysis: Nigeria's Tinubu faces daunting hurdles after reform sprint
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nigeria today faces record debt, unemployment is worryingly high, and power shortages have contributed to years of anaemic growth. "The path to political power in Nigeria, over time, has always been through these vested interests," said Bismarck Rewane, CEO at Financial Derivatives Company in Lagos. ENTRENCHED NETWORKSTinubu's ambitions to build a $1 trillion economy in eight years could come unstuck in part due to chronic power shortages. Getting the lights on would be a major win, but to do so some say Tinubu must remove grid subsidies and cut red tape. Tinubu suspended the head of the financial and economic crimes agency, but has yet to outline an anti-graft plan.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Jason Tuvey, Bismarck Rewane, Tinubu, Tunau Taiwo, Nnamdi Obasi, Prince Ojeabulu, Muhammadu Buhari, jihadists, beholden, Joe Bavier, Conor Humphries Organizations: New, Capital Economics, Financial Derivatives Company, International, Rensource Energy, Nigeria Delta, Observers, Thomson Locations: Nigeria, LAGOS, New Nigerian, Lagos

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