Awoko Newspaper Online

13/04/2026

Tuesday 14/4/2026 edition

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/africa-growth-flatlines-as-debt-burden-bites/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 9th April, 2026 Sub-Saharan Africa’s recovery is losing momentum, with growth forecast to hold at 4.1 per cent in 2026—0.3 percentage points below earlier projections—according to the latest Africa Economic Update from the World Ban...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/unlocking-investment-why-ifda-remains-sierra-leones-wto-priority/ World Trade Organization - WTO

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 – Sierra Leone’s delegation emerged with measured optimism, emphasizing Investment Facilitation for Development (IFDA) as a cornerstone for drawing foreign direct investment into the country’s mining and agriculture s...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/imf-chief-warns-mideast-war-shock-cuts-global-growth/ International Monetary Fund

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 The global economy was showing surprising grit—until a now-paused Middle East war delivered a supply shock that slashed daily oil flows by 13% and LNG by 20%. In a pre-Spring Meetings speech, IMF Managing Director Kristal...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/govt-targets-imf-lifeline-as-spring-meetings-open/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 Sierra Leone is seeking financing and policy support as the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings begin in Washington, with Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed F. Bangura leading talks to cushion the economy from external shocks. The cou...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/govt-revenue-relies-on-core-taxes-as-budget-gap-persists/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 Sierra Leone’s Treasury leaned heavily on income tax, GST and import duties in February, with collections holding steady but trailing far behind the annual target, according to the Accountant General’s report. Domestic ...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/leone-steadies-after-dollar-whiplash-as-sterling-surge-signals-pressure/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 The New Leone swung sharply in early April trading, absorbing a sudden dollar correction while ceding ground to stronger European currencies, according to Bank of Sierra Leone midrates. The US dollar opened at 30.3655 on Ap...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/incremental-progress-but-no-game-changers-sierra-leone-on-wto-mc14/ World Trade Organization - WTO

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 Sierra Leone’s delegation to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé has delivered a candid assessment: the outcomes represent modest steps forward for least developed countri...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/treasury-bill-repayments-push-govt-borrowing-into-reverse/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 Sierra Leone’s domestic financing swung sharply into contraction in February, as heavy treasury bill repayments drove a net outflow of SLE710.654 million, according to Accountant General Richard S. Williams. Treasury bill...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/africa-debt-hits-1-26-trillion-as-stability-masks-mounting-risks/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 Sub-Saharan Africa’s public debt has reached a record $1.26 trillion, with improving debt ratios offering only a fragile reprieve as risks shift from accumulation to sustainability, the Africa Economic Update shows. The W...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/africa-debt-hits-1-26-trillion-as-stability-masks-mounting-risks-2/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 Sub-Saharan Africa’s public debt has reached a record $1.26 trillion, with improving debt ratios offering only a fragile reprieve as risks shift from accumulation to sustainability, the Africa Economic Update shows. The W...

13/04/2026

https://awokonewspapersl.com/waemus-36-surge-masks-a-lost-decade-for-15-african-economies/

By [email protected] FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 13 April, 2026 Sub-Saharan Africa’s recovery remains a tale of two trajectories – one buoyed by diversification, the other anchored by oil and conflict. The World Bank’s latest Africa Economic Update shows that while the West Africa...