East Asia and Pacific: Countries Must Act Now to Mitigate Economic Shock of COVID-19
WASHINGTON- March 30th, 2020 – The virus that triggered a supply shock in China has now caused a global shock. Developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), recovering from trade tensions and struggling with COVID-19, now face the prospec...
Standard Bank, SAFT partner to provide relief for S/Africa SMEs
April 2th, 2020 – As part of a drive to provide palliatives for dying small businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, a leading bank in South Africa, Standard Bank, is partnering with the South African Future Trust (SAFT) to disburse loans to se...
European Commission announces blockchain defense grants
March 30th, 2020 – The European Commission has announced a new program of defense grants for blockchain concepts, in a bid to encourage development of new technologies for defense applications. According to a tender document for the European Defense...
Natwest unveils £5bn coronavirus support package for small businesses
March 9th, 2020 – Natwest today said it will pledge £5bn of funding to support small and medium-sized businesses across the UK amid disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The bank, which recently rebranded from RBS, said the cash injection ...
Commission approves Danish guarantee scheme for SMEs affected by #Coronavirus outbreak
March 24th, 2020 – The European Commission has found a DKK 1 billion (approx. €130 million) Danish guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by coronavirus outbreak to be in line with EU State aid rules. The schemes w...
Bank launches $3 billion coronavirus fight in Africa
March 27th, 2020 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has raised an exceptional $3 billion in a three-year bond to help alleviate the economic and social impact the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic will have on livelihoods and Africa’s economies. ...
63% of the SMEs in Europe prefer existing business account providers, reveals Revolut Business’ report
March 25th, 2020 – Revolut Business released the findings of its “2020 Vision: Taking a closer look at antiquated banking practices” report, based on a survey of 602 UK, French and Polish SMEs. The report revealed that SMEs are still choosing tr...
Revolut research: 42% of SMEs are looking to change banks in the next 12 months
March 25th, 2020 – A paper published by Revolut, entitled “2020 Vision: Taking a closer look at antiquated business practices”, states that 42% of SMEs are looking to change banks in the next 12 months, owing to changing expectations and demands...
New report from UN Economic Commission for Europe measures progress on Global Goals
March 17th, 2020 – As all eyes, hearts and minds focus on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) garnered attention on Tuesday when a new UN report revealed that only ten countries in the European region have lev...
World Bank Group Increases COVID-19 Response to $14 Billion To Help Sustain Economies, Protect Jobs
March 17th, 2020 – The World Bank and IFC’s Boards of Directors approved today an increased $14 billion package of fast-track financing to assist companies and countries in their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the rapid spread of COVID-...
