Washington, United States | AFP | The US economy grew at its fastest pace in more than two years in the second quarter, hitting President Donald Trump’s goal for the first time since he took office, according to data released Wednesday. Higher consumer spending and business investment prompted a sharp …
Read More »France calls off probe into Gabon, Equatorial Guinea elite’s wealth
Paris, France | AFP | French judges have ended their investigation into the substantial assets of Gabon’s late president Omar Bongo and his family, none of whom have been charged, sources close to the case said Wednesday. French prosecutors have been investigating since 2010 whether the fortunes amassed in France …
Read More »BAD ECONOMY: Analyst sees more banks shutting branches, cutting jobs
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Commercial banks in Uganda are in bad mood after recording bad performance in the first half of 2017. According to industrial data, profits dropped 4% year-on-year as at June 2017 compared to 18% growth in the same period last year. Industry client loans and advances …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Sudhir, BoU fallout
Sudhir, BoU fallout: An inside account of the politics behind the tycoon’s troubles Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | On July 6, President Yoweri Museveni chaired a meeting at which tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia and officials from Bank of Uganda (BoU) sought to resolve a crisis resulting from the takeover of Crane …
Read More »Minister says no to NOTU on NSSF
But it does not mean workers strike goes ahead in November. Here’s why Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Another stalemate looms over the Pension Reform Bill, which was first tabled in parliament six years ago, as National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU) warns of a strike and the Minister …
Read More »Equatorial Guinea demands 73 mn euros from Total over ‘fraud’
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea said Monday it has demanded 73 million euros from French oil giant Total over “fraud” in fuel sales made between 2010 and 2012. “Following an investigation, we found a suspicious and fraudulent situation,” said Finance Minister Miguel Egonga Obiang as he announced …
Read More »KCCA increases city parking fees
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has doubled street parking fees in the city. Parking charges for the first hour have shot up from sh400 to sh1000, and the charge will now apply for the first two hours of uninterrupted parking in the same space. KCCA …
Read More »Akol’s new tax strategy
Analysts say the new initiative has to be all-inclusive to succeed Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Uganda Revenue Authority(URA) is designing a Medium Term Revenue Mobilisation Strategy (MTRS) seeking to meet the ever growing annual revenue collection targets. The MTRS’ core objective is to ensure that revenue collection matches …
Read More »51 bankers, businessmen on trial in Vietnam for fraud
Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP | A former banking magnate and 50 others went on trial in Vietnam Monday over a multi-million dollar fraud at a major private bank, as the communist nation cracks down on corruption in the sector. Authorities have vowed to clean up an industry plagued by favouritism …
Read More »Nigeria seizes $21 million from ex-oil minister
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | A Nigerian court seized $21 million on Monday from bank accounts linked to a former oil minister accused of corruption as investigators continue to claw back her fortune. Federal high court judge Abdulazeez Anka ordered the immediate forfeiture of 7.6 billion naira ($21 million, 17.9 …
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