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Kganyago asserts Africa's G20 agenda despite tariffs, Bessent absence

Kganyago asserts Africa's G20 agenda despite tariffs, Bessent absence

TimesLIVE3 days ago
South African Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said on Wednesday an 'African agenda', including climate change and cross-border payment systems, is still due to be discussed by G20 finance chiefs amid fears that tariffs will overshadow the gathering.
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent skipped the meetings in Durban, marking his second consecutive absence from G20 finance meetings and raising questions about its ability to tackle pressing global challenges.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to leverage Africa's first G20 presidency to promote the African agenda, which also included topics such as the high cost of capital.
'The African issues have been elevated, all of us are talking about those,' Kganyago told Reuters as discussions were ongoing between deputies and other officials, before the two-day meeting gets officially under way on Thursday.
Kganyago emphasised the push for a co-ordinated African payments system to facilitate trade across the continent, a move that could face scrutiny from US President Donald Trump.
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