Press Digest

November 29, 2011 I Issue No. 73
Press Digest
 English-Language Press 
Nigeria: Bankers Committee Moves to Increase Credit Into the Economy
Daily Trust; 25 November 2011
Nigerian banks have indicated that they will introduce measures to surge credit into the
economy from next year, with the take-off of 'cash-lite' transaction and e-payment system,
indications have emerged.
Nigeria: Crippling the Bank of Agriculture
Daily Trust; 25 November 2011
The revelation that politicians and other influential Nigerians owed the Bank of Agriculture (BOA)
a staggering 12 billion naira is an indictment of the government's policy on agriculture. Chairman
of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Bwacha, who made the disclosure when
he led other members to the Kaduna headquarters of the bank as part of the committee's
oversight function further observed that the debt has made it impossible for the bank to grant
loans to prospective farmers.
Nigeria: UBA Targets 55 Million Unbanked With U-Mo
This Day; 25 November 2011
The United Bank of Africa (UBA) said yesterday that it would deploy its mobile banking productU-Mo, to ensure that the over 55 million unbanked populations in the country were brought into
the banking system.
Zambia: 'More Decent Houses for Citizens'
Times of Zambia; 25 November 2011
First National Bank (FNB) Zambia yesterday launched a 20-year home loan product facility which
local Government and Housing minister Nkandu Luo described as an innovation answering calls
for more decent houses for Zambians.
Standard & Poor’s Cuts Egypt Sovereign Rating on Political Crisis; Outlook Negative
The Washington Post; 24 November 2011
Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s on Thursday pushed Egypt’s sovereign credit
ratings deeper into junk status, citing the country’s dire political and economic situation and the
increased risk of civil strife.
Making Finance Work for Africa Secretariat
www.mfw4a.org
c/o African Development Bank
15 Avenue du Ghana, BP 323
1002 Tunis Belvédère, Tunisia
Tel. (+216) 7110 3953
Fax: (+216) 7133 4484
[email protected]
Weekly Press Digest
November 29, 2011 I Issue No. 73
Angola: Drivers to Pay Fines Through ATM By 2012
Agência Angola Press; 23 novembre 2011
Drivers will pay their fines resulting from some infringements through ATM by 2012
at the incident site, so as to avoid the retention of their driving licenses to the traffic police
officer.
Zimbabwe: Banking Sector Stability Possible - FBC
Zimbabwe Independent; 24 November 2011
FBC Holdings CEO John Mushayavanhu says banking stability is possible in an environment where
there is good corporate governance, experienced and professional management (preferably not
owner-managers), strong internal controls, sound liquidity management, sound credit policies
and credit discipline. He was speaking at the Zimbabwe Independent's 2011 Banks and Banking
Survey, whose theme was Banking on Stability.
Zimbabwe: Banking Sector Makes Proposals to Restore Confidence
Zimbabwe Independent; 24 November 2011
The Bankers Assocation of Zimbabwe (Baz) has proposed a cocktail of measures which they
believe will restore confidence in the banking sector and key to it mobilising deposits for onlending to the productive sector.
Tanzania: Stanbic Introduces Innovative Solutions to Customers
Tanzania Daily News; 24 November 2011
Stanbic Tanzania, on Wednesday introduced a new scheme for its customers, which will enable
them access more services at the bank.
Kenya: Housing Finance to Source Funds from Foreign Investors
Business Daily; 24 November 2011
Mortgage lender Housing Finance has announced plans to tap international markets for longterm funds to finance fixed-rate home loans.
East Africa: CRDB Bank to Cross-List to EA Stock Markets
The Citizen; 24 November 2011
The quick recovery of the East African Community's banking sector and the need to increase a
regional presence and competitiveness have prompted CRDB Bank to plan a cross-listing to main
regional stock markets.
Nigeria: Cashless Policy - ATM Card Users to Hit 10 Million Mark
This Day; 24 November 2011
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Making Finance Work for Africa Secretariat
www.mfw4a.org
c/o African Development Bank
15 Avenue du Ghana, BP 323
1002 Tunis Belvédère, Tunisia
Tel. (+216) 7110 3953
Fax: (+216) 7133 4484
[email protected]
Weekly Press Digest
November 29, 2011 I Issue No. 73
With the commencement of the second edition of the Interswitch Verve National Consumer
promo, cardholders, and users of the ubiquitous ATM in Nigeria would push the usage rate of
the card over 10 million.
Nigeria: 'Corporate Borrowers Are Subsidised By Banks'
Leadership; 24 November 2011
Banks in the country have been accused of not providing a level playing field for borrowers,
preferring to subsidise interest rates of corporate and influential borrowers, while small and
medium borrowers’ access banks' funds at cut-throat rates.
AfDB loans Morocco 224 million Euros to Boost Financial Sector
Morocco World News; 23 November 2011
The African Development Bank(AfDB) approved, on Wednesday, a loan of 224
million Euros (2.5 billion dirhams) to support the development of the financial sector in Morocco.
The loan aims at improving the access of households and enterprises to credit with a view to
enhancing the living standards of the population and bolstering the Moroccan economy’s
competitiveness, the Bank’s representative to Morocco said during a press conference in Rabat.
Mozambique to Issue Record $100 mln Bond
Africa Reuters; 23 November 2011
Mozambique will issue a 2.6 billion meticais ($98 million) 5-year Treasury bond later this month,
the southern African largest country ever, to finance its budget deficit, a stock exchange official
said on Wednesday.
South Africa: Absa Rolls Out Tap-and-Go Payments
SouthAfrica.info; 23 November 2011
Paying for low-value purchases in South Africa is about to get a lot faster and more efficient, with
banking group Absa making its "tap-and-go" contactless payment facility available both to
standalone point of sale (POS) merchants and to those using advanced or integrated point of sale
till systems.
Nigeria: Revamping the Mortgage Sector for Easy Home Ownership
Leadership; 23 November 2011
In developed countries and emerging economies across the world, home ownership is mostly
achieved through well-structured mortgage schemes.
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Making Finance Work for Africa Secretariat
www.mfw4a.org
c/o African Development Bank
15 Avenue du Ghana, BP 323
1002 Tunis Belvédère, Tunisia
Tel. (+216) 7110 3953
Fax: (+216) 7133 4484
[email protected]
Weekly Press Digest
November 29, 2011 I Issue No. 73
 Revue de Presse Francophone 
Ethiopie: L'USAID s'associe à des banques éthiopiennes pour élargir l'accès au crédit
United States Department of State (All Africa); 28 novembre 2011
L'Agence des États-Unis pour le développement international (USAID) a signé, le 22 novembre,
avec la Banque d'Abyssinie, la NIB Bank et la Zemen Bank deux accords destinés à augmenter
sensiblement les crédits accordés à des projets en agriculture et en santé. De l'aide aux petits
agriculteurs, davantage de services pour les malades du sida, tels sont deux des résultats
attendus du partenariat conclu entre le gouvernement des États-Unis et ces trois banques
éthiopiennes.
Afrique de l'Ouest: Moyens de paiements - Vers une intégration entre l'Uemoa et la
Cemac
Le Soleil; 28 novembre 2011
Au cours de leur rencontre à Abidjan, les gouverneurs de la Banque centrale des Etats de
l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO), et de la Banque des Etats d'Afrique centrale (BEAC), ont évoqué la
nécessité d'un approfondissement des processus d'intégration financière entre la Communauté
économique d'Afrique centrale et l'Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine.
Afrique: Transfert de fonds - La Banque Mondiale et l'Union Africaine se donnent la
main
Le Pays; 27 novembre 2011
La Banque mondiale et l'Union africaine créent une base de données pour comparer les coûts
des envois de fonds vers l'Afrique et à l'intérieur du continent. L'initiative devrait bénéficier à
120 millions de personnes, expéditeurs et destinataires confondus, grâce à une transparence
accrue.
Algérie: Près de 24% des crédits des banques publiques sont non performants
El Watan; 24 novembre 2011
Les créances non performantes (crédits non remboursés) des banques publiques
sont estimées à 24% du cumul des crédits accordés par ces banques, engagées dans un
processus de financement soutenu de l'investissement dont celui réalisé dans le cadre du
dispositif de soutien à l'emploi des jeunes, a indiqué jeudi dernier à Alger le ministre des
Finances Karim Djoudi.
La Banque africaine de développement contribue au développement du secteur
financier marocain
Econostrum; 24 novembre 2011
Le Conseil d’administration de la Banque africaine de développement (BAD) a accordé, le 23
novembre 2011 à Tunis, un prêt de 224 M€ (2 501 dirhams) pour financer le programme d’appui
au développement du secteur financier marocain dans sa phase II (PADESFI II). Le PADESFI II
s'inscrit dans la continuation du PADESFI I approuvé par la BAD en décembre 2009 et des deux
projets d’appui institutionnels approuvés en 2010 pour "renforcer le dispositif marocain de
régulation et de contrôle des marchés financiers ainsi que celui des garanties aux PME".
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Making Finance Work for Africa Secretariat
www.mfw4a.org
c/o African Development Bank
15 Avenue du Ghana, BP 323
1002 Tunis Belvédère, Tunisia
Tel. (+216) 7110 3953
Fax: (+216) 7133 4484
[email protected]
Weekly Press Digest
November 29, 2011 I Issue No. 73
Angola: Gouvernante pour le renforcement de la régularisation et supervision du
système financier
Agência Angola Press; 23 novembre 2011
La secrétaire d'État des Finances, Valentina Martins Filipe, a défendu mercredi à Luanda la
nécessité de renforcer la régularisation et supervision du système financier afin d'augmenter la
confiance et minimiser les effets négatifs des probables crises qui surviendront à l'avenir.
For more news on African financial sectors please click here.
Pour plus d’actualités sur la finance en Afrique veuillez cliquer ici.
Compiled by:
Alessandro Girola I Research & Knowledge Manager I [email protected]
Rim Nour I Research Officer I [email protected] (English-language press)
Olivier Vidal I Research Assistant I [email protected] (French-language press)
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Making Finance Work for Africa Secretariat
www.mfw4a.org
c/o African Development Bank
15 Avenue du Ghana, BP 323
1002 Tunis Belvédère, Tunisia
Tel. (+216) 7110 3953
Fax: (+216) 7133 4484
[email protected]