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Egypt reaps $5.6bn from expansion of Suez Canal

Egypt is reaping bountifully from its strategic investments on the Suez Canal, a major shipping route for international maritime. President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi had envisioned the expansion of the canal as a major boost to the economy.

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Egypt is reaping bountifully from its strategic investments on the Suez Canal, a major shipping route for international maritime. President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi had envisioned the expansion of the canal as a major boost to the economy.

The North African country’s revenue from the Suez Canal for the 2017-2018 financial year rose 11.5 per cent to a record high $5.585 billion (Dh20.5 billion), the canal authority said in a statement on its website on Sunday.

The financial year has not yet finished, however. Egypt’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to the end of June.

The canal authority did not explain why it had released figures ahead of the end of the fiscal year.

It announced on Saturday increased revenue in May, and predicted a record yearly figure, attributing this to increased international trade and improvements in the shipping industry.

Egypt under President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi invested in an expansion of the Suez Canal which began in 2014, one of the former military commander’s mega-projects designed to revive an ailing economy and restore the country’s place as an important trade hub.

Egypt’s finances were hit badly by unrest that followed a 2011 popular uprising which toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

Critics have slammed some projects, including the Suez expansion, as a waste of money.

Cairo is also imposing a raft of harsh austerity measures tied to a $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which some economists say are helping get the economy back on track, but which have hit ordinary Egyptians hard.

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Nigerian banks can now trade with deposited FX

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The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced a free foreign exchange deposit window for banks in the country with instructions on how to implement it.

The procedures for commercial, merchant, and non-interest banks to join the programme were outlined in the rules that the CBN published on Tuesday.

John Onojah, the acting director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department, and Dr. Adetona Adedeji, the acting director of the Banking Supervision Department, jointly signed the notice of the scheme guidelines, which go into effect on Wednesday.

The “Guidelines On Implementation Of The Foreign Currency Disclosure, Deposit, Repatriation And Investment Scheme, 2024” paper states that banks are free to deal with the foreign exchange that scheme participants make available.

“Commercial, merchant, and non-interest banks may trade with any deposited ITFC (Internationally Tradable Foreign Currencies) not immediately invested by a participant, provided that the funds would be made available to the participant when needed.

“Interest payment by CMNIBs on the balance in the designated domiciliary account shall be in line with relevant provisions of the Guide to Charges by Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria,” part of the guidelines read.

The Nigerian government recently announced a nine-month scheme that will allow people to deposit dollar bills held outside of the official banking system without being scrutinised. The program will start on October 31, 2024.

In its most recent instructions, the apex bank also said that banks must request information such as a Tax Identification Number (for legal people) or a Bank Verification Number and National Identification Number (for natural persons and directors of incorporated businesses).

The applicant’s designated domiciliary account details, the amount of the ITFC to be deposited, and any other information the bank may occasionally need are among the other criteria.

Additionally, the CBN insisted that banks not violate anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism financing, and anti-proliferation financing rules and regulations.

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Ghana’s inflation rises to 22.1%

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Ghana’s consumer inflation increased to 22.1% in October, up from 21.5% in September, according to the statistics department on Wednesday.

Government statistician, Samuel Kobina Annim, told a news conference that food and non-food inflation increased last month.

“Three divisions – food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing, water and fuel, and transport – contributed about two-thirds of the overall rate of inflation for October,” Annim said.

Inflation reached its highest level since June in October.

The West African nation that produces oil, gold, and cocoa has been struggling to recover from the worst economic catastrophe in a generation.

An overhaul of $13 billion worth of foreign bonds was accepted by investors last month, bringing Ghana’s debt restructuring process closer to a conclusion.

Additionally, a third assessment of its $3 billion loan package was agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund.

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