Page 14 - DMEA Week 48 2022

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

Including selections from NewsBase’s partner services

SECURITY & POLICY According to an April report from the associates and others.
Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administra- José Filomeno dos Santos, the former pres-
Tehran and Moscow will tion (IRICA), in the latest Iranian calendar year ident’s son, was sentenced in 2020 to five years
(ended March 20), trade in goods between Iran in prison for embezzling $500mn from Angola’s
create a joint trade council and Russia amounted to $4.63bn. sovereign fund. However, he remains free while
the case is being appealed.
Earlier in November, Assistant to the Presi-
An Iranian-Russian Trade Council will be estab- dent of the Russian Federation Igor Levitin also In January 2020, the attorney general said
lished to remove obstacles to industrial and visited Iran as part of a high-ranking delegation that Isabel dos Santos would be charged with
commercial cooperation between the private to meet with Rostam Qasemi, the former Min- “money laundering, influence peddling, harm-
sectors of the two countries, IRNA reported on ister of Transport and Urban Development of ful management” and “forgery of documents,
November 30. Iran, and discuss expanding transport links. among other economic crimes” allegedly com-
The council will be established as a joint body bne/IntelliNews, November 30 2022 mitted while she was running Sonangol.
between the Russian Union of Industrialists and bna/IntelliNews, November 30 2022
Entrepreneurs (RSPP) and the Iranian Trade Angola issues arrest Higher fuel prices help widen Kenya’s current
Promotion Organisation (TPO). The council account deficit to widen to five-year high
comes as trade between the two partners con- warrant for ex-Sonangol The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has pro-
tinues to expand as Western companies leave jected that the country’s current account defi-
the Russian market due to sanctions placed on head Isabel Dos Santos cit will hit a five-year high, mainly as a result
the country because of the Kremlin’s war against of higher prices for imported fuel outstripping
Ukraine. over alleged corruption gains made in horticulture and tea exports.
The council will officially begin work on The deficit as a percentage of GDP is expected
November 30, simultaneously with a visit to Angola’s government has issued an arrest war- to widen to 5.6% this year, the CBK said in its
Russia by a trade delegation from the Iranian rant for Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of the latest economic outlook data, compared to 5.9%
province of Isfahan, consisting of 50 people. The oil-rich country’s late president José Eduardo previously estimated, “on account of improved
Iranian delegation will be headed by TPO head dos Santos, to face questioning over alleged receipts from service exports and resilient remit-
Alireza Peyman-Pak. corruption. tances,” CBK governor Patrick Njoroge said last
During the visit to Russia, which is aimed at Dos Santos, once considered Africa’s wealthi- week.
strengthening and developing provincial coop- est woman, has been accused of enriching herself According to the central bank, cumulative
eration between Iran and Russia, Iranian busi- with state resources during her time in control of 12-month fuel imports reached $5.4bn in Sep-
nessmen will hold several meetings with their Sonangol, the national oil company (NOC). tember, up from $2.9bn in the same period last
Russian counterparts in Moscow and then travel Attorney general Hélder Pitta Grós said on year.
to St. Petersburg to explore further possibilities Monday, November 28, that Angola was seek- It also revealed East Africa’s largest economy
for cooperation. ing her arrest through Interpol, after failing to spent $3.6bn on imported manufactured goods
The Iranian delegation’s visit to Russia follows locate her and receiving no response from her (up from $3.5bn) and $3.4bn on chemicals (up
a recent visit by a senior federation trade delega- lawyers to multiple requests that she submit to from $2.8bn). Imports of machinery and trans-
tion to the Islamic Republic. questioning. port equipment rose to $4.3bn (from $4.2bn).
On November 15, a Iranian-Russian business Meanwhile, Maka Angola, an Angolan cor- Meanwhile, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA)
forum was held at the Espinas Palace Hotel in ruption and democracy watchdog, has raised has reported a high number of ships at Mom-
the Iranian capital Tehran, where Iranian and concerns over the possibility that how the war- basa in the wake of an easing global supply chain,
Russian traders and officials exchanged views rant has been issued may complicate Dos San- mainly carrying bulk steel products, coal, resin
on expanding economic cooperation. tos’s extradition from overseas. chips (used in the packaging industry), palm oil,
The event, organised by the Iranian Chamber President João Lourenço has been trying sorghum, vegetable oil and used motor vehicles
of Commerce, Industry, Mining and Agriculture since he came to power in 2017 to tackle insti- among others, according to The Star.
(ICCIMA), was attended by a Russian delegation tutional corruption and to recover government China and India remained the country’s
of 120 people, as well as businessmen and offi- funds that were secreted and invested locally biggest import sources, and Asia accounted for
cials from Iran. and overseas by the Dos Santos family, its close 65.7% of the country’s total import bill, CNK
data show.
The value of imports from China increased
to KES441.4bn up from KES361.4bn while
imported goods from India were valued at KES-
230.9bn, up from KES188.6bn a year before.
bna/IntelliNews, December 01 2022
NCDMB unveils Solewant’s

new equipment, academy

The Nigerian Content Development and Moni-
toring Board (NCDMB) has unveiled new prod-
ucts and solutions factory acquired by Solewant
Group, one of Nigeria’s foremost fabrication and
pipe coating firm located at Onne, Rivers State.

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 48 01•December•2022