World Bank President David Malpass and his team seek to mobilize $12 billion to help developing countries access a potential covid-19 vaccine. David Malpass revealed yesterday in an interview with Reuters that he is seeking approval from the Bank’s Board for the financing plan. The objective is to give poor and middle-income countries the same chances as rich countries to get the vaccine....

Russia says it will give 25 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine -Sputnik V- to Egypt. The news was reported today September 30 by the Russian Sovereign Fund (RDIF) in a statement. Pharco, a major pharmaceutical group in Egypt, will be in charge of managing the doses once the distribution is authorized. The operation is expected to benefit about 25% of the country’s population. Russian...

The industrial sector is often said to be essential to economic development, but it is also a source of much controversy (environmental impact, labor law compliance, creation of decent jobs, etc.). This is why PROPARCO wanted to devote the latest issue of its review Private Sector & Development to the questions raised by the industrial sector at a time when we are embracing sustainable...

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) announced the government may soon tighten conditions for the emigration of doctors. According to the institution, the “Certificate of Good Standing” issued by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe now requires pre-approval from the government. The document enables health professionals seeking jobs or training abroad to prove...

Orange has reached a partnership with Google to launch a low-cost android device on African markets from October 2020. The first markets to receive the 4G phone -Sanza Touch- will be Guinea-Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, and Madagascar. The French operator intends to foster digital inclusion, thus allowing a greater number of people to have access to mobile internet, especially in rural areas. The...

The Congolese telecom regulator (ARPCE) gives operators until December 2020 to improve the quality of their services across the country. In a recent survey report, ARPCE found that MTN and Airtel dropped in their network coverage. Numerous white zones (localities not covered by telecom networks) were identified throughout the national territory. The current situation can be explained by the...

The Egyptian government will soon issue its first sovereign green bonds worth $500 million. The information was reported by local media quoting the Finance Minister Mohamed Maait (pictured). In July 2020, Minister Maait said the operation was at an advanced stage, and the banks approached to arrange the transaction are already known. This bond issue intended to finance sustainable...

France is expected to borrow up to €260 billion on money markets next year, a record level since 2018. This is included in the finance bill for 2021. The country, which has long been a privileged advisor on the macroeconomic framework for WAEMU and CEMAC countries, does not set a good example in terms of fiscal balance. This scenario will further increase France’s public debt, which was...

The National Bank of Egypt (NBE), one of the largest public banks in Egypt, has finalized the mobilization of EGP2 billion (about $127 million) for the benefit of Faragalla, an agricultural group. The resource will help finance the company's current expenses and help restructure its debt. NBE arranged the operation with the participation of several local and international banks, especially...

Marathon Day, the Bolloré Group’s solidarity run, returned this year in an all-new format. For the first time, it was held over a week, from 17 to 24 September 2020, using a mobile app. Given today’s health measures, Bolloré Group employees came together virtually on a special platform to tally up the kilometres walked, run or biked. The objective was to make the equivalent of an...