The African Union has appointed a team of special envoys to try to mobilise international support to help the continent respond to the coronavirus pandemic. AU chairman Cyril Ramaphosa insisted it was time to marshal resources to ensure the pandemic did not cause the collapse of the continent’s faltering economies. “These institutions need to support African economies that are facing serious economic challenges with a comprehensive stimulus package for Africa, including deferred debt and interest payments,” Mr Ramaphosa is reported to have said. The team includes Nigeria’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former chief executive of Credit Suisse, Tidjane Thiam, Trevor Manuel, a former finance minister in South Africa, and Rwandan former head of the African Development Bank, economist Donald Kaberuka. New analysis released on Sunday by the Jubilee Debt Campaign shows that 64 lower income governments spend more on external debt payments than they spend on healthcare. Countries with the widest disparities between debt payments and health spending include Gambia, Ghana, Zambia, Laos, Lebanon and Pakistan.
SOURCE: BBC
More Stories
Lebo M on 25 Years of The Lion King on Broadway
Mountain House Makes the Most of Its Spectacular Site
A Tribute to Black Artists Could Signal a Change for Museums
7 Young African Women Dominating the Turntables
Meet the Founders of Kitchens of Africa
Seychelles Shines Again at the World Travel Awards
Planning to Honeymoon in the African Bush?
For the Ultimate Trip, these are the Best Hotels in Marrakech
Ghana is also a Great Destination for Keen Walkers
17 Regional Countries have Increased their Travel and Tourism Development Index
What are the Benefits and Costs of Scaling-up the Commercial Production of Bioenergy in Africa?
Faculty of Harvard University and Africa.com Offer Online Course for Entrepreneurs in Food Systems