November 9, 2022

St Kitts and Nevis creates new opportunities for business by rooting out corruption

Basseterre, Nov. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The new administration of St Kitts and Nevis is committed to rooting out corruption and providing fertile new ground for business with its Anti-Corruption Act.

The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Micheal Drew is looking to unleash the full potential of the country through proactive policymaking, instilling good governance and eradicating corruption. In this way, the government sees the new Anti-Corruption Act as one step towards reactivating its infrastructural and social growth and building a more resilient and inclusive economy.

The proposed Act will enable the appointment of a Special Prosecutor who will examine and prosecute criminal acts of corruption in the civil services, statutory boards and government-owned companies.

St Kitts and Nevis’s anti-corruption efforts are thus an essential part of a broader plan to attract international business and investors to the country. The country’s focus on ensuring ease of business and eradicating corruption has, in particular, generated significant interest from West African investors who are eager to launch their businesses overseas.

The wider aim of the anti-corruption drive is to promote ease of business in the country, with St Kitts and Nevis inviting investors to be part of its economic development. The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Drew, is specifically focused on formulating policies that attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to the country.

While corruption is a global problem, the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranks sub-Saharan African as having notably high levels of perceived corruption. In West Africa, particularly Nigeria, corruption has become a massive obstacle to business, undermining public trust, distorting markets and increasing costs to firms.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a leading professional services network headquartered in London (UK), recently published a study indicating that Nigeria’s corruption could cost it up to 37% of its GDP by 2030 if it’s not dealt with immediately. The report further highlights the significant impact of corruption on Nigerians – including its wide-ranging effects on finance, business investment and standards of living.

All these difficulties are prompting West African investors to look further afield for business opportunities that offer safe and profitable returns. Many of these investors are turning to St Kitts and Nevis.

As an indicator of its commitment to citizens and investors, the government of St Kitts and Nevis is taking strict and serious action to ensure transparency in government. These measures and the general ease of doing business in the country are proving attractive to Nigerian investors who, facing a difficult situation at home, are looking to expand their horizons.

Meeting this interest is St Kitts and Nevis’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI). For nearly four decades the programme has been inviting people to invest in the country as a route to gaining citizenship. Through an investment in the country’s Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF), investors are granted alternative citizenship, including the ability to conduct business freely in the country.

The CBI programme also helps investors to gain access to the world’s most exclusive markets, assisting with the expansion of business beyond national borders. Since St Kitts and Nevis is just a short flight away from the USA, citizens have the additional benefit of easy accessing the international community.

Alternative citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis is therefore becoming a crucial part of many individuals’ wealth diversification plans. Prospective Nigerian investors are viewing it as a means to preserve their wealth within an economically stable context, appreciating that St Kitts and Nevis’s economy is growing and free from the political and social conflicts that impact financial growth.

Along with a safe and corruption-free environment, St Kitts and Nevis offers a number of advantages to investors in its CBI programme. These include hassle-free global travel, citizenship for life which can also be passed on to future generations, a smooth and straightforward application process with the ability to add additional dependants to one application, possibilities for wealth diversification, and a host of new business opportunities.

Despite being the smallest country in the Western hemisphere, St Kitts and Nevis has been proving its potential to foreign investors. With a hospitality and service industry that has garnered international critical acclaim, the country also boasts one of the most robust and modernised public health infrastructures in the region.

St Kitts and Nevis’s education system now also offers advanced learning possibilities for all its citizens. This has proved a distinct benefit to investors, since the country allows investors the ability to pass their citizenship on to future generations. Thus investors and their families can enjoy the various rights and advantages open to those born in the country.

But it is not only Nigerians who have been thinking about personal wealth solutions in an unstable political and economic environment. Given the recent turmoil and instability of global markets, investors from around the world have been looking to St Kitts and Nevis’s CBI programme as a “Plan B” that can ensure financial and personal security.

Many investors have found that living in St Kitts and Nevis has had a positive impact on their mental health. Not only does the country provide its inhabitants with a tranquil environment of beaches and mountains to explore, but with the security and stability required to grow a business or provide for a family. As St Kitts and Nevis rolls out its good governance and transparency agenda, investors look on keenly to partake in its future.

PR St Kitts and Nevis
Government of St. Kitts and Nevis
mildred.thabane@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8692970

November 9, 2022

L’Indonésie en passe de devenir le centre mondial de l’économie de la charia

DUBAÏ, Émirats arabes unis, 9 novembre 2022 /PRNewswire/ — PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk (BSI) a affirmé l’engagement de l’Indonésie à devenir l’un des centres de la finance islamique mondiale, à travers l’introduction de quatre programmes visant à renforcer cet écosystème en Indonésie et à l’étranger.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin accompanied by President Director of Bank Syariah Indonesia Hery Gunardi (second right), Compliance & HR Director of Bank Mandiri Agus Dwi Handaya (left) and Principal Representative Office of BSI Dubai Dian Faqihdien Suzabar when visiting Dubai Representative Office of PT Bank Syariah Indonesia Tbk.

Le ministre des entreprises publiques, Erick Thohir, a dirigé la préparation par les ministères de quatre programmes phares pour former cet écosystème. Le premier est le développement du marché de l’industrie halal dans le pays et à l’étranger. Le deuxième est le développement de l’industrie financière de la charia. Le troisième est l’investissement amical impliquant des entrepreneurs locaux. Et le quatrième, la croissance continue de l’économie de la charia dans les zones rurales.

Reconnaissant le potentiel de l’économie de la charia en Indonésie, le ministre Erick Thohir a exprimé son désir que les Indonésiens ne soient pas seulement des consommateurs de produits halal importés, mais aussi des producteurs. « Nous devrions être les producteurs et un acteur mondial. Mais cela serait impossible sans un système financier solide fondé sur la charia », a déclaré Erick Thohir.

Selon le rapport sur les indicateurs de l’état de l’économie islamique mondiale (« The State of Global Islamic Economy »), l’Indonésie a continuellement affiché une croissance significative. En 2019, le pays figurait parmi les 10 premiers pays de l’économie de la charia dans le monde. En 2020, ce rang a été relevé, plaçant l’Indonésie dans les cinq premiers.

Erick Thohir a créé la holding de la banque charia de l’État, la PT Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI). La BSI est le résultat de la fusion de trois banques charia, à savoir la BNI Syariah, la BRI Syariah et la Bank Syariah Mandiri, qui a été inaugurée le 1er février 2021. La BSI est la plus grande banque islamique et la 7e plus grande banque d’Indonésie.

Le vice-président de la République d’Indonésie Ma’ruf Amin a déclaré, « La BSI devrait pouvoir faire de l’Indonésie le centre de l’industrie de la charia et de l’écosystème halal mondial. » « Notre espoir est que la BSI joue ce rôle non seulement au niveau national, mais aussi au niveau mondial. Par analogie, les banques islamiques ne jouent plus seulement dans une petite piscine, mais sont capables de nager dans le vaste océan », a déclaré Ma’ruf Amin, lors d’une visite au bureau de représentation de la BSI à Dubaï, Émirats arabes unis, le 4 novembre 2022.

Hery Gunardi, président-directeur de la BSI, a déclaré que la banque s’engageait à soutenir pleinement toutes les initiatives visant à renforcer l’écosystème dans le but de devenir le centre de gravité mondial de l’économie de la charia. La BSI, a-t-il dit, n’a cessé de développer l’écosystème financier de la charia dans le pays.

« L’Indonésie a un grand potentiel dans l’industrie halal », a ajouté Hery Gunardi. En effet, plus de 229 millions de personnes sont musulmanes, ce qui représente 87,2 % de la population totale du pays. Le potentiel de l’industrie alimentaire halal s’élève à 164,76 milliards de dollars. D’autres secteurs potentiels sont l’habillement (20 milliards de dollars), les médias halal (9,52 milliards de dollars), le tourisme halal (10,48 milliards de dollars), l’industrie de la santé (4,76 milliards de dollars), les cosmétiques halal et le hajj et la oumra (3,81 milliards de dollars). D’autres activités liées à la charia, comme l’investissement, ont un potentiel d’environ 122,65 milliards de dollars.

La BSI a également commencé à s’implanter sur le marché mondial. L’une d’entre elles est située au Moyen-Orient dans le cadre de la coopération avec des conglomérats internationaux et des startups à Dubaï, aux Émirats arabes unis, ce qui marque également l’expansion de la plus grande banque islamique d’Indonésie sur la scène mondiale. Cette étape a permis d’accélérer la prise en compte de la BSI au sein de la communauté internationale en augmentant ses capacités, sa compétitivité et sa réputation. La présence de réseaux commerciaux à l’étranger permet à la BSI d’interagir directement avec des composantes importantes du secteur bancaire mondial.

Hery Gunardi espère que la BSI se rapprochera des investisseurs mondiaux afin que la société puisse contribuer davantage au soutien des programmes du gouvernement de la République d’Indonésie, à la fois en finançant des projets d’infrastructure et de développement par l’émission du fonds Global Sukuk et en soutenant le développement des MPME nationales.

La BSI a maintenu ses performances positives au troisième trimestre 2022, réalisant un bénéfice net de 218,36 millions de dollars, soit une croissance de 42 % (sur 12 mois). Ces performances ont également été soutenues par la confiance du public, comme le prouve la hausse de 11,86 % des fonds de tiers qui ont atteint 16,68 milliards de dollars.

Le secteur du financement a également connu une croissance significative. Le financement de la BSI dans son ensemble a enregistré 13,59 milliards de dollars, soit une croissance de 22,35 %. Par segments, c’est le micro-financement qui a le plus contribué avec 37,32 %. Le financement à la consommation a augmenté de 25,26 %, le financement de gros de 21,79 %, le financement par cartes de crédit de 35,81 % et le prêt sur gage d’or de 30,15 %. De plus, le financement non performant (FNP) net n’était que de 0,43 %.

La croissance de 11,53 % des actifs témoigne également de performances solides et saines. La BSI s’est également efforcée d’optimiser ses coûts, comme en témoigne le meilleur ratio BOPO de 74,02 %. Jusqu’en septembre 2022, on comptait déjà 4,44 millions d’utilisateurs de BSI Mobile, en hausse de 43 % par an. D’après les profils des clients de la BSI, 97 % d’entre eux ont adopté le canal électronique pour leurs activités bancaires. Les transactions cumulées de BSI Mobile ont atteint 187,20 millions de transactions.

Le financement durable a atteint 3,47 milliards de dollars, soit 25,54 % du financement total de la BSI. « La promotion du financement durable est l’un de nos engagements dans le cadre de nos responsabilités sociales et environnementales dans diverses régions du pays, ainsi que notre soutien à la présidence indonésienne du G20 », a ajouté Hery Gunardi.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1941007/TRW2022_1_25.jpg

November 9, 2022

Morrow Sodali Fortalece sua Posição de Liderança no Mercado com a Nova Aquisição Australiana

Aquisição das principais comunicações financeiras australianas e do player de relações com investidores, a Citadel-MAGNUS impulsionará o rápido crescimento e a expansão significativa

NOVA YORK, Nov. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Morrow Sodali, empresa líder mundial em engajamento de acionistas e assessoria em governança, anunciou hoje a aquisição da agência australiana de comunicação financeira e relações com investidores, Citadel-MAGNUS, a primeira desde que a TPG Growth garantiu a participação majoritária em abril deste ano.

A aquisição sediada na Austrália representa uma expansão significativa da oferta de serviços da Morrow Sodali na região da APAC, para atender à demanda global de rápido crescimento de corporações para comunicações estratégicas e serviços de engajamento com investidores.

A combinação da Morrow Sodali e da Citadel-MAGNUS traz junto duas consultorias de confiança e líderes de mercado para oferecer o melhor aconselhamento estratégico da categoria e suporte aos nossos clientes. A Citadel-MAGNUS estará completamente integrada na Morrow Sodali, permitindo à firma fornecer uma oferta contínua e a mais ampla suíte de relações com investidores e soluções de comunicação para empresas listadas e privadas, com o objetivo de implementar os serviços expandidos a outros mercados.

A aquisição marca um significativo passo adiante na estratégia da Morrow Sodali de acelerar seu crescimento investindo em serviços que criam valor para seus clientes ao redor do mundo.

Alvise Recchi, CEO da Morrow Sodali, comentou: “Como parte da estratégia de crescimento global estratégico da Morrow Sodali, a adição da Citadel-MAGNUS expandirá nossa oferta de serviços para abranger um conjunto mais amplo de serviços de assessoria de Conselho, Diretoria Executiva e ESG, Relações com Investidores e Comunicações Financeiras. Estamos entusiasmados para ver o potencial desta oportunidade emocionante concretizado, à medida que continuamos a crescer em novos mercados em todo o mundo.”

Christian Sealey, CEO de Negócios Internacionais da Morrow Sodali, acrescentou: “Cada vez mais, nossos clientes estão vindo até nós em busca de aconselhamento e assistência em uma grande variedade de áreas que abrangem comunicação com os acionistas, engajamento de stakeholders, inteligência do mercado de capitais, governança corporativa e consultoria ESG. A aquisição da Citadel-MAGNUS nos permite fornecer soluções estratégicas para nossos clientes e nos posiciona de modo singular, para nos tornarmos o parceiro de confiança permanentemente escolhido.”

Peter Brookes, Diretor Geral Conjunto da Citadel-MAGNUS, afirmou: “Nossa equipe está entusiasmada em unir forças com a Morrow Sodali. Estamos vendo uma necessidade crescente de fornecer aos clientes uma oferta de ponta-a-ponta em todo o calendário financeiro e uma atividade direcionada por eventos cada vez mais complexos, onde a boa comunicação é fundamental. A combinação de nossas firmas reúne duas empresas de consultoria líderes e confiáveis, profundamente integradas à Austrália corporativa e que compartilham um forte foco na entrega de serviço excepcional ao cliente.”

Sobre a Morrow Sodali

Morrow Sodali é uma empresa global de consultoria corporativa que oferece consultoria e serviços abrangentes relacionados à governança corporativa, ESG, sustentabilidade, solicitação de procuração, inteligência dos mercados de capitais, engajamento de acionistas e detentores de títulos, fusões e aquisições, ativismo e situações contestadas.

Com sede em Nova York e Londres e escritórios nos mercados de capitais globais, a Morrow Sodali atende a mais de 1.000 clientes, em mais de 80 países, incluindo muitas das maiores corporações multinacionais do mundo. Os clientes incluem empresas listadas em bolsa e privadas, grupos de fundos mútuos, bolsas de valores e organizações de associação por inscrição.

Em 2022, a Morrow Sodali está comemorando seu 50^o aniversário, e também garantiu um investimento majoritário da TPG Growth, a plataforma de middle market e de capital de crescimento da empresa de ativos alternativos TPG. Esta parceria promoverá significativamente a missão da empresa de fornecer a clientes em todo o mundo aconselhamento estratégico incomparável e suporte abrangente, permitindo que maximizem o valor e gerenciem habilmente as relações com acionistas.

Para obter mais informações sobre a Morrow Sodali, visite www.morrowsodali.com.

Sobre a Citadel-MAGNUS

A Citadel-MAGNUS é uma empresa líder em comunicação corporativa e financeira, com escritórios em Sydney e Perth, atendendo clientes em toda a Austrália e internacionalmente.

Estabelecemos a reputação de entregar resultados excepcionais para nossos clientes por meio de relacionamentos confiáveis, integridade e excelência profissional. Nossa prioridade é apoiar os objetivos de negócios de nossos clientes por meio de uma comunicação eficaz e um nível superior de serviço.

A Citadel-MAGNUS traz uma profundidade incomparável de mercados financeiros, experiência corporativa e de mídia para ajudar as empresas a resolver os desafios atuais de um ambiente de negócios altamente competitivo e em constante mudança. Trabalhamos com empresas de todos os setores e de todos os portes, e nosso sucesso levou a parcerias estabelecidas e de longo prazo com líderes empresariais e empresas.

Para mais informações, acesse www.citadelmagnus.com.

CONTATO:

Elena Cargnello

Diretora Corporativa, Marketing

e.cargnello@morrowsodali.com

+44 (0)20 4513 6913

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000755852

November 9, 2022November 10, 2022

IAEA at COP27: New Report Shows How Nuclear Technology Supports Climate Change Adaptation in Africa

At this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a comprehensive report on Nuclear Technologies and Climate Adaptation in Africa, describing how these technologies are already being widely used to build resilience on the continent.

Africa has contributed very little to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and yet key sectors are already experiencing the damaging consequences of climate change. The United Nations has observed that increased temperatures or drought have sharply reduced agricultural productivity growth in Africa in the past six decades and caused regional economic losses of $70 billion in the past 50 years.

“In nuclear science and its applications we have the tools to adapt to climate change conditions,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA is at the centre of global efforts to make sure no one is left behind when it comes to benefiting from these indispensable assets.”

Over the past ten years, the IAEA has carried out almost 50 per cent of its climate change adaptation projects in Africa, more than in any other continent, aimed at increasing resilience and reducing vulnerabilities in multiple sectors. This includes land use management, soil erosion, climate-smart agriculture, food production systems, improved crop varieties, analysis of GHG emissions, water resource management, coastal protection and ocean change monitoring. The report describes various areas of intervention, supported by case studies offering concrete examples of how nuclear science and technology have benefitted Africa.

Ocean, food, water: How nuclear technology helps Africa adapt to climate change

The report highlights IAEA projects that support countries in Africa in cultivating and exporting food, including growing drought-tolerant crops and applying the sterile insect technique (SIT) to eradicate insect populations, such as tsetse flies, fruit flies and mosquitoes, that harm both human health and the economies.

IAEA projects have also strengthened Africa’s capacity to collect and analyse data on the quality of water in river basins and the ocean, allowing policymakers to put measures in place for better resource management, including water security in the Sahel and adapting to ocean acidification in coastal areas, which aims to protect the African fishing industry, and thus prevent environmental and social crises.

The report emphasises the importance of partnerships in upscaling such projects. COP27 is an opportunity to forge and strengthen partnerships, and to raise awareness in decision making bodies, development organizations and financial institutions of the potential of nuclear science and technology to feature in national strategies, plans and programmes, including agri-food strategies and disaster risk reduction planning.

IAEA experts will be available to discuss IAEA climate adaption projects as well as the use of nuclear power, not only for climate change mitigation but as a reliable, secure source of energy with stable costs that can enable the clean energy transition, at the IAEA COP27 pavilion, #Atoms4Climate, which will be open throughout the two-week event, until 18 November. Find more media resources in the IAEA COP27 Media Kit, along with more information about the IAEA at COP27.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency

November 9, 2022November 10, 2022

Comoros ex-president to face charges of high treason: Lawyer

MORONI— Former Comorian President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi will be tried on charges of high treason, his lawyer and family said, after spending four years in detention over corruption allegations.

The former head of state (2006-2011), the main opponent of the current president Azali Assoumani, was originally prosecuted for “embezzlement of public funds, corruption, forgery and use of forgeries” in the scandal known as “economic citizenship”, which involved the sale of Comorian passports to stateless people from the Gulf States.

“They are talking to us today about high treason, a crime that will justify a heavier sentence before the State Security Court, whose decisions are not subject to appeal,” said Tisslame Sambi, daughter of Sambi.

“This referral to the State Security Court is the height of illegality and violation of the rules of procedure and the rights of the defense,” said lawyer Ahamada Mahamoudou.

The date of the trial has not been disclosed. The government commissioner, Ali Mohamed Djounaid, said it was “not impossible that it will be held before the end of November.”

Several political figures have been indicted in the “economic citizenship” scandal revealed by a parliamentary report in 2017, including two former vice presidents in office between 2011 and 2016.

Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, 64, was placed under house arrest in May 2018 for disturbing public order and then in detention three months later. The legal length of pre-trial detention in the Indian Ocean archipelago is a maximum of eight months.

Doctors have been recommending for almost three years that the former president, whose health has deteriorated, be evacuated abroad for treatment. But President Assoumani’s regime refuses to accede to this request, accusing Sambi of wanting to escape justice.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

November 9, 2022November 10, 2022

African Nations Closely Watch US Midterm Results

With control of Congress still undecided a day after the U.S. midterm elections, African leaders and political analysts are closely watching for signs of what impact the outcome could have on the continent.

African analysts say their biggest concern is how this contentious poll could affect U.S. standing around the world — especially in African nations that have seen democratic backsliding.

There are also economic concerns over how the U.S. responds to rising inflation around the world. Wednesday trading showed that African markets were closely watching the impact on the most popular U.S. export: the dollar.

On a more personal level, communities in the U.S. and in Africa celebrated wins by American candidates of African origin, and bid goodbye to two retiring senators who took a deep interest in the continent.

U.S. democracy matters abroad

African political analyst Ebenezer Obadare told VOA that policymakers on the continent were most focused on possible fallout that could affect Washington’s global standing.

“Political polarization in the U.S. — and the subsequent ripples — has deepened anxiety about the prospects of democracy globally,” said Obadare, an analyst from the Council on Foreign Relations. “For one thing, many African policymakers are worried that, depending on the outcome, the U.S. may not be in a situation to pursue the goals outlined in the recently launched U.S. strategy towards sub-Saharan Africa.”

In August, the Biden administration launched that strategy saying it “welcomes and affirms African agency and seeks to include and elevate African voices in the most consequential global conversations.”

Obadare says he’s more worried about the U.S. losing its own voice amid divisive political rhetoric or politically motivated unrest.

“Right now, much more than material support for transitioning countries, Africa needs the U.S. itself to remain democratic,” Obadare said. “There is genuine worry that if the elections get messy or are inconclusive, the U.S. might lose its gravitas and the moral authority to intervene in the political process in Africa and other developing regions.”

African wins

The midterms saw wins by multiple candidates of African origin, which were welcomed in both the diaspora community and on the continent.

Those include at least eight female Somali-American candidates who, along with one Somali-American man, won national and local-level races in Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio and Maine; at least eight Nigerian-American candidates who won in Georgia and the District of Columbia; and others with close ties to the continent, such as Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado, who is the son of Eritrean immigrants.

The most prominent of those victors is Somalia-born Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was handily re-elected to her seat in Minnesota’s 5th district.

Her success abroad stands in stark contrast to her counterparts in Somalia, such as Fawzia Yusuf Haji Adam, the only female presidential candidate who contested the nation’s May 15 election. She got only one vote — her own.

“This is a victory for Somali women in the diaspora,” Adam said. “I congratulate them, I encourage them, and we are proud of them.”

Goodbye to some Africa hands

The midterms also saw the departure of two retiring Republican senators who have taken an interest in Africa: Senators Jim Inhofe, of Oklahoma, and Rob Portman of Ohio.

Inhofe recently concluded his final congressional trip to the continent, in which he visited Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda. He said he was confident that the continent would continue to receive attention from U.S. lawmakers.

“It is bittersweet to visit Africa one last time before my departure from the U.S. Senate,”Inhofe said, urging continued U.S. military presence in East Africa.

“The presence of U.S. military across Africa, while small, means a great deal to our friends and is a worthwhile investment for the United States. In each country, it was clear that a strong and robust relationship with the United States has helped spur economic growth and regional stability across the continent. I have faith that my colleagues in the House and Senate will continue the U.S.-Africa friendship long after I have retired from the Senate.”

Overall, said Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, this election won’t negatively affect U.S. engagement. He cited what he described as “strong supporters of Africa” in the committees on Foreign Relations and Appropriations, such as Sens. Chris Coons, James Risch and Lindsey Graham.

“Overall, the midterms will not change much with regard to U.S. engagement with Africa,” he said. “Africa will continue to command a bipartisan engagement in the foreseeable future both in the lower chamber and the Senate.”

Source: Voice of America