World bank
Ramaphosa: Africans struggling access vaccines that were tested on them
Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned against ‘vaccine nationalism', saying it risked endangering the recovery of not only countries like South...
Speaking during a webinar organised by Bloomberg on Tuesday, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni was asked about progress on securing a loan from the World Bank.
And the bank's new report estimates that by 2021, 150 million could be living below the extreme poverty threshold of less than $1.90 a day.
The money comes in the form of a $100 million loan and a $14 million grant to be split between Nigeria’s 36 states and federal-level procurement of medical equipment, tests and medicine.
He said the ANC had confidence in its deployees in government to get the loans but only if conditions were favourable to the country.
The twin shock of the pandemic and a global oil price crash has pummelled Nigeria, which has Africa’s largest economy mainly because it is the continent’s top crude producer.
The government is either in talks with or plans to approach the International Monetary Fund, the New Development Bank (Brics bank)) as well as the World Bank for urgent funding.
Egypt’s health ministry has confirmed 47,856 coronavirus cases, and 1,766 deaths, with the daily increase in cases rising in recent weeks as the government has slightly eased some restrictions on movement.
Zimbabwe is more than $1.2 billion in arrears to the World Bank, African Development Bank and European Investment Bank, making it ineligible for funding or debt forgiveness from global lenders.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa said that a R500 billion stimulus package was being made available by government to help the country through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister briefed reporters earlier on the R500 billion relief package, which would be used to circumvent the harsh impact of the pandemic.
The World Economic Forum’s Africa head, Elsie Kanza said this would allow the continent to prioritize healthcare while economies recover.
With the World Bank and IMF spring meetings due to take place this weekend, this is what the continent will need from it.
The World Bank said the continent is highly vulnerable to declining trade and tourism as well as falling prices for oil and mineral exports.
The Institute of International Finance said that it expected South Africa's economy to contract by 2.5% in 2020 but said that waning demand, travel restrictions and pandemic-related closures could lead to a deeper recession.
Following weekend reports that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni would take advantage of any funding made available by the IMF and the World Bank, he said that no talks had started for now.
The funding will improve surveillance, laboratory services, isolation units, equipment, supplies and communication to help mitigate the virus in Kenya, the World Bank said on Twitter.
The World Bank last month forecast a rebound in global growth this year after the easing of trade tensions between the US and China that had contributed to a decline in 2019.
It now expects the economy to expand by 0.9% this year.