Finance & Economics | WPN World People News

Young firms drive job creation
Net job growth, youngers versus older firms, 2001-2011

The Government of Ghana and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will co-host a regional conference on October 28, 2013, in Accra, on the opportunities and challenges of financial integration in West Africa.

MEPs approved €2.7 billion in additional EU funding on Tuesday evening during an extraordinary meeting of Parliament's Budgets Committee. The amending budget (N° 6) is needed because revenue from import duties collected at the EU's external borders is far lower than was forecast by Eurostat (and endorsed by the EU member states) and thus had to be replaced by a higher GNI contribution.

The EU´s duty is to shield its eastern neighbours from Russian pressure, said MEPs in a debate with the Commission on Monday, referring to Russia´s ´blackmail´ of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia ahead of the Vilnius Eastern Partnership summit. At the same time, MEPs said Russia could view the integration of its trading partners into the wider European economy as a deal where all parties benefit.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a three-year arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for Sierra Leone in an amount equivalent to SDR 62.22 million (about US$95.9 million). The overall amount of the program represents 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s quota in the IMF and enables the immediate disbursement of SDR 8.89 million (about US$13.7 million).

The World Bank, in collaboration with the Austrian Ministry of Finance, the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, and the Global Development Network, held a high-level policy dialogue on ‘Youth Employment in Southeast Europe’.

Suriname’s macroeconomic performance has strengthened markedly over the past decade. Since 2000, stronger policies and buoyant commodity prices, supported by political stability, have helped improve macroeconomic performance, enabling Suriname to enjoy several recent upgrades from major ratings agencies.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the proposed Unification of Discount Rates Used in External Debt Analysis for Low-Income Countries.

The largest bank in the United States has tentatively agreed to pay $13 billion in fines, penalties and consumer relief to settle several investigations into bad mortgage loans it allegedly made.