IFC Launches Plan for Infrastructure Growth

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has launched a multi-million shilling project aimed at transforming African financial markets. East African Standard / http://allafrica.com

Infrastructure Boost for Continent

Uganda, Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of an increase in the World Bank financial commitments in International Development Association (IDA) resources in the last fiscal year. Business Day / http://allafrica.com

UN targets Africa with online "bazaar" for carbon

United Nations environment agencies have launched a virtual marketplace to bring together buyers and sellers of carbon offsets in rich and poor countries. africa.reuters.com

World Bank Hopes to Light Continent

The World Bank hopes to bring affordable and environmentally-friendly lighting products to up to 250 million Africans by the year 2030. allafrica.com

Move for global health care

Gordon Brown kick-starts a campaign to build national health systems in some of the world's poorest countries. bbc.co.uk

APEC issues "urgent request" for Doha deal

Leaders of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Sunday urged a speedy resolution to the stalled Doha round of world trade talks. africa.reuters.com

ILO Report Flags Poverty-Productivity Link

A new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has highlighted the linkage between poverty and labour productivity. BuaNews / http://allafrica.com

Nigeria: Infrastructural Challenge is Greatest Impediment to Growth, Says President

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has lamented that the deteriorated infrastructure in the country, which "remains the greatest impediment to the economic growth", would require between $6 billion and $9 billion annually to solve. This Day / http://allafrica.com

Zambia says restructures, reduces domestic debt

Zambia has started to reduce short-dated Treasury Bills and is issuing long-term instruments as it strives to cut its huge domestic debt, Finance Minister Ng'andu Magande said on Friday. Magande said in a statement that the 8.9 trillion Zambian kwacha domestic debt would be reduced by eliminating outstanding debt that had built up over a number of years. africa.reuters.com

Zimbabwe currency devalued

Zimbabwe devalues its currency as part of its battle to tackle its deepening economic crisis. bbc.co.uk

Slowdown clouds SA's economy

A string of gloomy data has clouded some of the optimism surrounding the South African economy, raising fears of another interest rate hike and casting doubt on government growth forecasts. iafrica.com

Mozambique: Shift to Bio-Fuels Won't Compromise Food Security

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza said in Brasilia on Saturday, where he is on a five-day state visit started on Tuesday that incrementing production of bio-fuel crops will not compromise food security in the country. Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique / http://allafrica.com

Uganda: Good Labour Practices Bloom in Flower Industry

A highly profitable industry has blossomed in "the Pearl of Africa", yielding not only exceptional returns on investment but helping raise labour standards. Rising from nearly zero production ten years ago, Uganda has emerged as a global power in the floricultural world and is now Africa's fifth largest exporter of cut flowers. ipsnews.net / http://business-humanrights.org

MTN to spend $181 mln on S.Africa fixed network

Sub-Saharan Africa's biggest mobile operator, MTN, said on Friday it plans to roll out a $181 million fixed-line network, days after it confirming it was in talks with Telkom. africa.reuters.com

Food giant sells out of Zimbabwe

The state takes full control of one of Zimbabwe's main food processors by buying out US firm HJ Heinz. bbc.co.uk

S.African tribunal fines Mittal SA $95.5 mln

South Africa's competition tribunal has fined Mittal Steel SA, a unit of the world's top steel maker, 691.8 million rand for charging "excessive prices" on flat steel products. africa.reuters.com

S.Africa looks to independents to ease energy crunch

South African state utility Eskom will become the sole buyer of power from the nation's independent producers in a move to spur investment in power generation and ease an energy crunch, the government said on Thursday. africa.reuters.com

Anglo Platinum in $4.85 bln black empowerment deal

The world's biggest platinum producer Angloplat announced a series of deals on Tuesday worth 35 billion rand to sell mines and projects to two black-led companies and distribute shares to its mostly black workers. africa.reuters.com

South Africa: U.S. Firm in Equity Deal With Black Investors

NASDAQ-listed networking giant Cisco Systems has become the first US hi-tech company to sell shares in its business to local black investors. Business Day / http://allafrica.com

IBM, Business Partners, DTI and IFC launch web portal

IBM, Business Partners, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Department of Trade and Industry, have come together to provide South Africa’s budding entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises with a free Web-based toolkit to help them start, finance and grow their business. prdomain.com