As of today July 1 at midnight, any Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, Skype etc user in Uganda will be subjected to social network taxes. These include 200 Ugandan shillings ($0.05 US) per day, 1400 shillings ($0.36 US) per week and 6000 shillings ($1.56) per month. In his address on April 2018 to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and the Ministry of Finance requesting the introduction of this tax,...

Nestor Bankumukunzi (photo), head of Burundi’s National Communication Council (CNC) warned the country’s media against broadcasting information on social networks without permission. “We noticed that some media, disregarding the agreement signed with the CNC, post information on social networks,” the official stated. According to him, this situation does not allow the council to...

In Ghana, the 2017-18 cocoa mid-crop kicked off yesterday July 1 with the same farm gate price compared to the main season. “The producer price to be paid at all buying centers is 228 cedis per load of 30 kilograms for Grade 1 and II cocoa beans naked ex-scale, or 475 cedis per bag of 64 kilograms gross. A ton of 16 bags is 7,600 cedis,” Cocobod spokesman Noah Amenya said, adding that...

Ukrainian grain trader Nebulon will invest $2 billion to develop the cereal transport and storage system in the Nile Delta region, in Egypt. The news, relayed by Reuters, was announced July 1 by the supply ministry. This investment covers the construction of grain silos on two sites near the Alexandria and Damietta ports. It also planned the construction of 20 barges, each set to transport...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $22.4 million financing for Benin under an Extended Credit Facility (ECF), an institution statement reported June 29. This new investment is reportedly to encourage the country to pursue reforms undertaken in recent years. IMF indicated that last year, the country witnessed higher economic growth and inflation was kept at a relatively low...

Nigeria will benefit from $2.1 billion provided by World Bank to promote good governance and improve access to electricity, Reuters reported June 28. The money, granted as concessional loans, will serve to revive the economy. More than half of the resource will be pumped into various schemes in energy and climate change adaptation while another part will go to fiscal transparency. This...

In Burkina, the national trader’s union (SYNACOM-B) plans to develop two solar plants estimated at 150 MW. One in Nobéré (100MW) and another of 50MW in a soon-to-be-known place. To this end, the association acquired a legal entity and joined an international consortium to carry out this project. Speaking during the signing of the agreement with the consortium, Rock Nagalo, the union's...

World Bank approved $350 million in financing to Tanzania to develop water supply projects, the bank said in a statement on June 27. According to Xinhua, the scheme covers the establishment of improved sanitation facilities in 17 administrative regions. It is set to improve water access for nearly 3 million people in the country. “Through this program, up to 1,250 communities and 1,500...

National Fund for Agricultural Loans (CNCAS) will benefit from a refinancing line worth CFA5 billion approved June 27 by the West African Development Bank (BOAD), Agence de presse sénégalaise (APS) reports.  BOAD says the fund will be used to “consolidate CNCAS’ financial resources to meet agricultural input suppliers’ cash requirements”. This covers the acquisition of about...

Tanzania’s government plans to boost cotton shipment revenues to $150 million by 2020, up from the current $30 million. This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Mary Mwanjelwa. According to information relayed by Xinhua, the government have set since 2007, a battery of measures as to bring the cotton output to 600,000 tons. Mwanjelwa said that during the 2018...