April 19, 2023 /Economy/ — The cost of living crisis is a global issue, and it is having a significant impact on people in the UK. Energy bills, food prices, and fuel costs are all rising, and this is putting a strain on household budgets. There are concerns that the cost of living crisis could lead to social unrest, and there is no clear timeline for when this could happen.
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April 18, 2023 /Business/ — The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) of Zambia has published a report on trade-based money laundering (TBML) in the country. The report found that TBML is a serious threat to the Zambian economy and that it is being used to finance a variety of criminal activities, including terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking.
The report identified a number of factors that make Zambia vulnerable to TBML, including: Continue reading
Philippe Burger, University of the Free State
Public debt repayments in some African countries are at their highest levels since 1998. The Conversation Africa’s founding editor Caroline Southey talks to dean and economics professor Philippe Burger about the danger of debt problems some African countries face.
April 17, 2023 /Economy/ — Purchasing-power parity (PPP) is a measure of the value of different currencies, taking into account the cost of living in different countries. It is often used to compare the standard of living in different countries.
Exchange rates, on the other hand, are the prices of one currency in terms of another. They are determined by supply and demand in the foreign exchange market.
There are a few reasons why PPP is a better metric for comparing people’s well-being than exchange rates. Continue reading
April 17, 2023 /Economy/ — The future of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency is uncertain. The dollar has been the world’s reserve currency for over 70 years, but there is a growing trend of countries using other currencies for oil deals. This trend is being driven by a number of factors, including the rise of China and other emerging economies, the increasing volatility of the dollar, and the desire of some countries to reduce their reliance on the United States.
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April 16, 2023 /Finance/ — If Zambia’s debt restructuring proposal is successful, it will help to improve the country’s economic outlook and create a more stable environment for businesses and investors. This will ultimately benefit the Zambian people by creating jobs, improving infrastructure, and providing access to basic services.
It is important to note that there are a number of risks associated with Zambia’s debt restructuring proposal. If the proposal is not successful, it could lead to a further deterioration in Zambia’s economy and could potentially lead to a default on Zambia’s debt.
Zambia sent a debt restructuring proposal to bondholders on April 14, 2023. The proposal includes the following key points: Continue reading
The IMF Transcript of the 2023 Fiscal Monitor Press Briefing discusses the following topics:
The impact of the pandemic on fiscal policy.
The role of fiscal policy in supporting monetary policy.
The need to reduce debt levels.
The risks to financial stability.
The need to support vulnerable members.
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Steve Schifferes, City, University of London
UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spring budget is a tricky one in terms of timing. Having announced a set of steadying measures in the autumn statement after the Truss/Kwarteng debacle, this budget is likely to be the last but one before a 2024 general election. This makes it a little early for eye-catching tax cuts or business boosts.
The International Gas Union (IGU) in partnership with Hawilti Ltd. released an important new study on Gas for Africa, assessing the potential for domestic gas resources to energise Africa in line with the global energy transition. The African Energy Commission (AU-AFREC) and the Africa Finance Corporation endorse the report and its findings. Continue reading
Research from the CBI and Finastra, canvassing the opinions of UK small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), suggests that there’s a gap between the ambition of firms to trade internationally and the reality of doing so. While just 44% of businesses surveyed currently engage in international trade, only 23% said they were not interested in doing so. One third of respondents believe there’s potential value, but do not trade internationally due to perceived barriers and a lack of support. Continue reading