logo
Brics to launch guarantee fund to boost investment in member nations, sources say

Brics to launch guarantee fund to boost investment in member nations, sources say

TimesLIVE04-07-2025
The proposed Brics multilateral guarantee mechanism, incubated within the NDB, has received technical approval from member states and awaits final signoff from Brics finance ministers, considered a formality, one source said.
Brazil's finance ministry declined to comment on the matter.
The initiative will not require additional capital from member countries at this stage. Instead, it aims to channel existing NDB resources to projects in developing nations.
No initial funding value has been disclosed, but officials involved in the talks expect each dollar in guarantees provided by the NDB to mobilise between $5and $10 (R87.50 and R175) in private capital for pre-approved projects.
"This is a politically significant guarantee instrument. It sends a message that Brics is alive, working on solutions, strengthening the NDB and responding to today's global needs," one source said.
Technical preparations setting up the fund are expected to conclude by the end of this year, paving the way for pilot projects to receive guarantees in 2026.
Brics countries face challenges common to developing nations in attracting large-scale private investment in infrastructure, climate adaptation and sustainable development.
Officials argue guarantees issued by the NDB, whose credit rating is higher than that of most member countries, could help mitigate perceived risks for institutional investors and commercial banks.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The 30% U. S. tariff and Its global ripple effects
The 30% U. S. tariff and Its global ripple effects

IOL News

timean hour ago

  • IOL News

The 30% U. S. tariff and Its global ripple effects

On August 1, the United States will impose a 30% tariff on select South African exports, a move the Trump administration frames as a corrective to trade imbalances but which South Africa decries as a unilateral overreach. President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected the U.S. justification, noting that 77% of U.S. goods enter South Africa duty-free, with an average tariff of just 7.6%. Yet, the policy threatens to derail South Africa's fragile economic recovery, destabilise global supply chains, and escalate protectionist tensions worldwide. South Africa will be hit with a 30% tariff on all its exports to the United States from August 1, following a formal letter from US President Donald Trump to President Cyril Ramaphosa demanding action on trade imbalances and long-standing market restrictions. This article examines the tariff's sectoral impacts, systemic risks to multilateral trade, and strategic responses to mitigate the fallout. South Africa's automotive sector, a beneficiary of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), faces existential risk. Reuters reported that the U.S. absorbed 6.5% of South Africa's vehicle exports (worth $1.8 billion in 2024) and is a critical market for manufacturers like BMW and Ford. The 30% tariff could force plant closures and mass layoffs, eroding a sector contributing 5.2% to GDP. The U.S. accounts for 5–6% of South Africa's citrus exports ($100 million annually), supporting 35,000 jobs. Tariffs may cede market share to Chile and Peru. Wine: Producers are scrambling to redirect stock or absorb price shocks, but the U.S. market's premium margins are irreplaceable. High-value perishables face logistical hurdles in pivoting to new markets swiftly. The textile sector may lose competitiveness in the U.S., while aluminum exports face a $534.5 million risk, with 24.6% going to the U.S. Furthermore, the South African Reserve Bank warns of 0.3% GDP contraction and 100,000 job losses. Fiscal strain from reduced export revenues and a weaker rand. The tariffs will disrupt global logistics: Freight bottlenecks: A pre-tariff rush to ship goods to the U.S. has already caused 6–10-week delays on routes like China and South Africa. Cost inflation: U.S. consumers will pay more for South African goods, while businesses face redundant inventory and working capital crunches. The U.S. has threatened an additional 10% tariff on BRICS-aligned nations, politicizing trade. South Africa may expand its exports by increasing trade with markets in the EU and Asia. The trade deal reached on July 27, between the United States and the European Union will ease tariff barriers and improve market access between the two economies. For South Africa, this development could have significant ramifications. First, EU exporters may displace South African goods in U.S. markets, particularly in competitive sectors like wine, citrus, and manufactured components. Second, the EU may divert more of its exports to the U.S., limiting the space for South African exports to expand into Europe. Unless offset by diplomatic interventions and aggressive trade diversification, this deal risks marginalizing South Africa in both the U.S. and EU markets simultaneously. To navigate the crisis, South Africa must leverage trade finance tools: Export Credit Facilities: Bridge cash flow gaps for exporters facing margin compression. The U.S. tariffs are a stress test for South Africa's economic resilience. While the short-term pain is inevitable, strategic diplomacy, trade finance innovation, and market diversification could transform this threat into an opportunity for long-term resilience. The world will watch whether South Africa and the global trading system can adapt without fracturing further. Nyaniso Qwesha, MBA, is a trade finance consultant with expertise in global commerce and risk management. He advises clients on trade policy, market access, and financial solutions in emerging economies.

BRICS and G20 poised to reshape geopolitical landscape
BRICS and G20 poised to reshape geopolitical landscape

IOL News

timea day ago

  • IOL News

BRICS and G20 poised to reshape geopolitical landscape

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the G20 High Level Opening Session on the margins of the 79th Session of the General Assembly in New York. South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency this year under the theme 'Solidarity, Equality and Sustainable Development'. Image: Kopano Tlape| GCIS Ashraf Patel In 2025, the scale, scope, and velocity of Trumpism are so disruptive that new forms of partnerships are evolving in ensuring the global governance consensus and saving UN Multilateralism. The Global South nations, especially G77, desperately need multilateralism to function and for fair WTO and WHO to work in order to broaden the benefits of trade, financial reforms and any hope for the UN SDGs. The BRICS Rio communique in July is significant. The 130-point plus final declaration, not only thoroughly detailing every major issue, with calculated moderation, but resolutely setting a trademark BRICS tone – and a clear set of humanistic values – focused in three strategic pillars: economy-finance; designing a new global security framework; and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, the over-arching umbrella of inclusiveness and mutual respect. The following week, the G20 Finance Ministers (minus the US ) meeting in Zimbali was unable to reach a consensus statement on key issues of global minimum tax and African debt relief. While both the BRICS and G7 core are members of these groupings, prioritising different themes and modalities is proving illusory. Saving Multilateralism Both G20 and BRICS blocs are converging out of necessity at this moment in time. The BRICS Rio July 2025 declaration is groundbreaking in its scope and depth and committee clarity in saving the UN system and reforming multilateral institutions for common development and humanity, adopting the Leaders framework, declaration on Climate Finance, AI Governance and Partnership on Elimination of Diseases. (BRICS Rio Declaration ) In an age where AI is leading to deepening inequalities and disruptions, the BRICS commitment to AI Governance shows a deep commitment to multilateralism. Aligned to the UN Pact for the Future, the BRICS declaration is rooted in UN principles that balance both Digital Industrialisation, AI inclusion and privacy safeguards. There is good alignment with both G7 and G20 and the new EU AI Act. Ruptures in peace, security and climate pathways Despite these new alignments between both Global North and South formations in saving multilateralism, it is in the area of Peace and Security where major real geopolitics come into play. The BRICS plus is anchored in the Non-Aligned movement, while the core G7 is still committed to preserving Western hegemony. Indeed, the announcement by NATO and EU core states in increasing defence budgets to 5% of GDP - and the drastic cuts in development aid is sobering and will negatively impact the UN Development agenda. Here, realpolitik rooted in geo-political fractures is laid bare in the grave conflicts of Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, DRC, Libya and numerous war zones. Here, the UN SC have so far failed to find consensus. Groups such as the Hague Group, which are examples of responsible nations committed to international law, are converging to confront the Genocide in Gaza, and such formations can catalyse new UN reforms and preserve the UN Charter. Finance reform and the African Debt crisis Last week's G20 Finance ministers meeting and the lack of any concrete agreement on Africa's debt crisis or global minimum tax expose the lack of coherence in the G20 model. The G20 Common Framework is essential in committing nations to financial reforms. So far, ministers are engaged in merely the 'MDB Roadmaps', essentially talks about talks, a painful road that does not guarantee a global finance and tax deal. Sadly, given that the G20 in 2025 is billed as the African Union's year, its core development agenda relevant to Africa is still elusive, and unlikely to bear fruit. SA is now 'treading lightly 'as we hand over our G20 baton to the Trump administration later this year, which has stated it will ignore most of our G20 agenda. The EU's Climate Moment of Truth arrives. Another area that is unravelling is the pathways to climate change mitigation. The EU, which has been the standard bearer of climate and the 'Just Energy Transition JET agenda, faces its moment of Truth. The scale of scope of Europe's Big Oil scouring Africa is a throwback to the early 20th-century colonialisation of Africa. Today, it's Oil giants - BP, Total, Shell, ENI - are making a big play for oil and gas in African states like Angola, Mozambique and Nigeria. This is akin to the early 20th century great oil frontier. In South Africa, Shell Oil is embroiled in yet another controversial exploration in the Karoo and Northern Cape. Meanwhile, South Africa's leading coal export destination are EU nations including Germany and the UK that are supposedly at the forefront of the Just Energy Transition (JET). The EU and G7's signature JET project is riddled with contradiction and will make the UN COP 30 deal much more difficult, as the EU wants 'Green cake and Oil'. The EU's CBAM program further raises trade barriers for Africa, leading to further deindustrialisation and job losses, thus fuelling the migration crisis northwards. Its glaring contradictions are no longer tenable as the EU is no different from the Trump administration's stated policy- 'Drill Baby Drill'. The EU is drilling for oil in Africa and globally, but not in their backyards. As the Trump 2.0 trade wars and economic nationalism deepens, an unlikely alliance of G20, BRICS and G77 can play a central role in saving multilateralism, the UN and global governance- but each with a vastly different focus and modalities. Will a new consensus emerge and the centre hold or rupture? * Ashraf Patel is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Global Dialogue, UNISA. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.

BRICS+ Series: Cuban Tourism Set Back as United Airlines Ends Direct Flights, Brazil steps in
BRICS+ Series: Cuban Tourism Set Back as United Airlines Ends Direct Flights, Brazil steps in

IOL News

time4 days ago

  • IOL News

BRICS+ Series: Cuban Tourism Set Back as United Airlines Ends Direct Flights, Brazil steps in

Brazilian and Cuban flag Image: TV BRICS Cuba's tourism sector, already contending with external pressures and regulatory complexities, faces a new challenge as United Airlines prepares to suspend its only direct flight between Houston and Havana. This development threatens to weaken a key transport link for American travellers outside Florida and could further strain Cuba's tourism-dependent economy. As Cuba navigates this loss, it is simultaneously pursuing alternative partnerships, notably with Brazil through BRICS, to safeguard its visitor numbers and sustain the sector's economic contribution. Cuban Tourism Challenge Cuba's tourism sector is facing a significant challenge following United Airlines' decision to discontinue its nonstop service between Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Havana's José Martí International Airport. The route, scheduled to cease on 2 September 2025, was the only direct flight to Cuba operated by a U.S. airline based outside Florida. This move comes amid fluctuating demand and ongoing changes in U.S. travel regulations related to Cuba. The cancellation is expected to have a notable impact on travel between the U.S. and Cuba, particularly for tourists from Texas and neighbouring states who have relied on the Houston-Havana route as a key link to the island. Cuba's economy, especially in Havana and surrounding areas, has long depended on American tourism. Visitors from the U.S. contribute substantially to sectors such as hospitality, local transport, and cultural services. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Destinations Impacted Cuban destinations like Old Havana, Varadero, and Trinidad—known for their historical, cultural, and natural attractions—may suffer economically as a result of decreased tourist access. With fewer direct flight options, American visitors may find it more difficult to reach these popular sites, potentially leading to a decline in visitor numbers during off-peak periods. Tourism in Cuba typically peaks during the U.S. winter, when favourable weather encourages travel to the Caribbean. However, in the low season, decreased demand makes certain routes harder for airlines to sustain. United's suspension reflects how seasonal variations and unpredictable market conditions can undermine route viability. Although Cuba has made efforts to attract a broader international audience, American travellers remain among its most important markets. Reduced accessibility from the U.S. could hurt Cuban-owned businesses that rely on foreign spending. At the same time, uncertainty surrounding U.S. policy on Cuba has made it difficult for airlines to plan long-term routes, as travel permissions and restrictions continue to shift under different administrations. With fewer direct links, some U.S. travellers may opt for alternative Caribbean destinations that are easier to access and face fewer regulatory hurdles. This could see Cuba losing ground to regional competitors in terms of tourism numbers. The suspension of the Houston-Havana service reflects wider trends in international travel, where airline decisions are increasingly influenced by political shifts, profitability concerns, and seasonal changes in demand. For Cuba, maintaining its tourism industry may now require expanding ties beyond the U.S. market and forging new partnerships to support its economic recovery. Brazil's Cuban Agreement Brazil and Cuba have taken steps to reinforce their cooperation in the tourism sector during a meeting in Rio de Janeiro, where their respective tourism ministers discussed new strategies to boost mutual visitor numbers, according to an official statement from the Brazilian government. A key item on the agenda was the introduction of a weekly direct flight linking São Paulo and Havana, intended to ease travel between the two nations, which currently often requires layovers in other Latin American countries. The talks also considered reopening a Brazilian branch of Cuba's national tourism agency. This office would not only help promote travel packages but also provide support on trade matters, particularly those involving the supply of products and services vital to the Cuban tourism industry. Brazil's Tourism Minister, Celso Sabino, emphasised the strong historical ties between the two countries and reaffirmed their joint commitment to restoring direct air links. The meeting, attended by representatives from Embratur and the UN Tourism Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, reflected a shared ambition to enhance regional travel connectivity and deepen cooperation in the tourism domain. The termination of the Houston-Havana route highlights the fragility of Cuba's reliance on U.S. tourism amid shifting policy and market dynamics. However, renewed collaboration with countries like Brazil and BRICS offers a potential path forward. By strengthening regional partnerships and diversifying its source markets, Cuba may be able to mitigate the impact of U.S. travel constraints and build greater resilience within its tourism industry. Written by: *Dr Iqbal Survé Past chairman of the BRICS Business Council and co-chairman of the BRICS Media Forum and the BRNN *Cole Jackson Lead Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group Chinese & South American Specialist **The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL. ** MORE ARTICLES ON OUR WEBSITE ** Follow @brics_daily on X/Twitter & @brics_daily on Instagram for daily BRICS+ updates

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store