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Kenya amplifies dedollarisation call at Nairobi AfCFTA talks

Industry and Trade
  • With tightening monetary policies globally, many African economies are struggling with falling forex reserves.
  • Low reserves have sent governments back to the drawing board strategising on how to survive future trends while balancing trade.
  • With this, leaders and policymakers in Africa are engaging in the de-dollarisation conversation.

Kenya has sent a strong message to economies in Africa on the need to accelerate dedollarisation of cross-border trade, further amplifying the global conversation on reducing reliance on the US dollar as the main mode of payment.

For over a decade, China and Russia have sought to drastically lower their usage of the US Dollar in what is commonly referred as “dedollarisation”.

This is in a move intended at shielding their economies from possible trade-limiting US sanctions. The strategy also reduces their exposure to adverse effects of US economic and monetary policy, while also asserting global economic leadership.

China, Russia slowly cutting dollar

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US Dollars

African currencies under pressure on US interest rates 

Regional Markets
  • Weaker currencies make the fight to tackle inflation harder given Africa’s dependence on imports.
  • According to the IMF, the average depreciation for the region since January 2022 is about eight percent, but events vary by country.
  •  Ghana’s cedi and Sierra Leone’s leone depreciated by over 45 percent. An analysis by The Exchange Africa shows the Kenya shilling has shed about 18.4 per cent since May last year.

Most African currencies have weakened against the US dollar, fanning inflationary pressures across the continent as import prices surge, IMF now says. This, together with a growth slowdown, leaves policymakers with difficult choices as they balance keeping inflation in check with a fragile recovery.

According to the IMF, the average depreciation across Africa since January 2022 is about eight percent though events vary by country. Ghana’s cedi and Sierra Leone’s leone depreciated by more than 45 per cent.

An analysis by The Exchange …

Kenya National Treasury.

Puzzle of Kenya’s low forex reserves amid huge debt obligations

Premium
  • Kenya's forex reserves dipped to $6.2 billion on May 19, an eight-year low, before a slight improvement to $6.4 billion on May 26.
  • At $6.4 billion, Kenya's reserves are just 3.60 months of import cover, which is below the Central Bank of Kenya’s desired target.
  • What's more, the reserves are below the East Africa Community preferred threshold of 4.5 months of import cover, hence exposing the country to high volatilities in the global market.

A dip in export earnings, coupled with reducing diaspora inflows at a time of huge debt repayments have left Kenya grappling with low forex reserves, raising concerns on the health of East Africa's economic powerhouse.

The low forex reserves are further compounding the dollar shortage problem that has been gripping importers for months. Importers, mainly in the manufacturing and the energy sectors, have been struggling to secure the greenback to replenish their suppliers.

Kenya's forex reserves

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The much acclaimed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that came into being last year may just have saved Africa from the new unfolding World trade order. Photo/UN

AfCTA Presents Golden Opportunity for Africa to Trade Equally with MNCs

Regional Markets
  • The change in patterns of trade triggered by these two major events is now forcing the MNCs to go back to the drawing board.
  • MNCs need to reconfigure their trade routes. They have to re-lobby for assured capital and they have to broker new destinations for their goods.
  • With the changing global trade polarities, the MNCs are rethinking China, and eyeing future giants like Africa. 

The much acclaimed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that came into being last year may just have saved Africa from a new world trade order.

Thanks to the global pandemic and then the Russia-Ukraine war, the plate tectonic of global trade is shifting. The resulting divergence and convergence are squeezing and pulling in different directions.

Multinational Companies (MNCs) have, for the last three decades or more, controlled trade. These international corporations have enjoyed the fruits of globalization more than any other business entity.

They

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Argentina & Brazil Joint Currency Lessons for Africa

Lessons from Brazil and Argentina’s Joint Currency Experiment for African Nations

Regional Markets

The two south American nations are exploring methods to increase bilateral commerce and wean themselves off the mighty US currency. Its announcement has been widely criticized since they are not a natural fit for a single currency. This is due to one country's relative economic prosperity and the other's economic upheaval. This experience between Brazil and Argentina is instructive and illustrative for African nations with comparable aspirations to develop a single currency.

  • Brazil and Argentina announced early last month that they would create a joint currency to increase trade and political relations.
  • Similarly Africa has expressed the same ambitions at different times. The advent of AfCFTA gives further impetus to the concept that Brazil and Argentina has reignited.
  • Brazil and Argentina first came up with the idea of a joint currency in the 1980s but it never took off because economic fundamentals.
  • The joint currency experiment by Brazil and Argentina
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TransCentury gets nod to reopen $20Mn rights issue

Corporate Suite
  • TransCentury Plc’s right issue is set to be reopened following approval from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) after the initial issue failed to hit a 50 per cent threshold. 
  • Unfortunately, the rights issue performed below expectations, and as a result, CMA has invoked its powers under Section 14 of the Public Offers and Listings Regulations to allow TransCentury to reopen the issue. 
  • The rights’ issue will be open from March 20 -30 this year with additional information provided in the secondary prospectus to be issued by March 17 as the firm seeks  shareholders’ approval to enable the conversion of shareholder loans to ordinary shares as a mode of payment for rights.

TransCentury Plc’s right issue is set to be reopened following approval from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA)  after the initial issue failed to hit a 50 per cent threshold. 

TC shareholders had until January 23, 2023 to take …

2022 U.S-Africa Summit.

Why Africa wants AGOA Act renewed this year

Industry and Trade
  • AGOA has been a cornerstone of the U.S trade policy in Sub-Saharan Africa since the year 2000.
  • The non-reciprocal trade preference programme that provides duty-free access to the U.S market.
  • A range of manufactured goods and processed mineral products account for the bulk of exports.

African countries are pulling together to lobby the U.S Congress to approve the renewal of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) this year.

Kenya and South Africa are leading the push to have a 10-year extension on the pact that allows a select number of African countries to export finished products to the US.

AGOA has been a cornerstone of the U.S trade policy in Sub-Saharan Africa since the year 2000.

The non-reciprocal trade preference programme that provides duty-free access to the U.S market, for about 40 eligible African countries, is set to expire in 2025.

Initially, it was intended to last 15 years …

Transport infrastructure will help better integrate Africa and increase trade

East African economies struggle with rising debt amid weak currencies

Regional Markets
Before the Covid-19 Pandemic struck, East African countries had a common agenda to invest in infrastructure development.
As the three main economies of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda they sought to become competitive and attractive investment destinations, the issue of borrowing in foreign currencies created the debt burden they face today.
The mega investments in roads, railways, ports and aviation, have all been challenges, as low revenue collections and high recurrent expenditures continue to plague their respective governments.

Most of the countries have no choice but borrow to bridge budget deficits. According to the IMF, the major EAC nations, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, together, had borrowed more than $100 billion in both external and domestic borrowing.

With the global economy in teeters post Covid-19 and the impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, economies worldwide are contracting, leaving East African nations in a perilous situation.

According to the IMF, about

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Kenya’s ARM Cement to Meet Creditors to Discuss Liquidation Status

Business
  • Kenya’s Athi River Mining Cement PLC administrators have called for a creditors meeting to discuss liquidator’s acts and dealings.
  • The Company was placed under Administration effective 17 August 2018 and subsequently placed in liquidation effective 1 October 2021.
  • Creditors entitled to attend the meeting are entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and ask questions on their behalf.

Kenya’s Athi River Mining Cement PLC administrators have called for a creditors meeting to discuss liquidator’s acts and dealings, and the conduct of the liquidation during the preceding year.

The Company was placed under Administration effective 17 August 2018 and subsequently placed in liquidation effective 1 October 2021.

“Section 413 (1) of the Act provides that, if the liquidation of the Company continues for a period of twelve months or more, the Liquidator shall convene a meeting of the Creditors. In line with the above, notice is therefore hereby given that a …