Business

International Banks Suspend Operations In Cote d’Ivoire

Published

15 years ago

February 16, 2011

Two large international banks suspended operations in Cote d‘Voire on Monday as a power struggle following a disputed presidential election tightened its grip on the economy of the world’s top cocoa grower.

French bank BNP Paribas’s Ivorian unit, the second biggest banking operation in the country, was closed due to security concerns, an official said.

Citibank also said it would be closed on Monday, giving no official reason but saying it would continue to monitor the situation.

BNP Paribas and number one Societe Generale between them have around two thirds of the Cote d‘Voire market.

Citibank is a smaller operation with no retail arm but is the largest corporate finance for Cote d’Voire‘s oil and gas operations, the main creditor of its 80,000 barrel a day refinery and the third biggest cocoa exporter financer.

The West African nation has been in turmoil since a disputed November 28, presidential election between incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and rival Alassane Quattara.

Gbagbo’s planning minister condemned the bank closures and said they were breaking the law.

UN-certified election commission results named Quattara the winner, but the result was reversed by a pro-Gbagbo legal body and the incumbent remains in power despite international sanctions and threats of military force.

“The entire BICICI network is closed until further notice.

“The head office in Paris informed us of this decision yesterday at around 2300 (GMT). I’m staying home today,” the official, who could not be named because of death threats against other banking staff, told Reuters.

A spokesperson for Citi in Paris said the bank was closed on Monday and the bank was monitoring the situation.

The power struggle has hit the banking sector as Quattara, backed by western nations and regional bodies try and cut Gbagbo’s access to funds to force him from power.

West Africa’s monetary union last month cut off his access to state accounts at West Africa’s BCEAO central bank.

“It was becoming very difficult for those banks to operate in Cote d `Voire because they can’t use the BCEAO platform any more,” Standard Bank analyst Samir Gadio told Reuters.

Gadio said that procedures that usually took an hour were now taking up to eight days, added that there was a “reputational risk if they continue to operate in Cote d`Voire (and are) seen as allowing Gbagbo’s regime to survive”.

Western nations have slapped travel bans and sanctions on a range of individuals and organisations backing Gbagbo.

Cocoa exporters have stopped registering new beans for export as a result of the sanctions, and a ban called for by Quattara.

Cocoa futures touched their highest levels in over a year on Monday as fears grew the ban, initially put in place on January 24, for one month, would be extended.

But Ouattara remains trapped in a lagoon-side Abidjan hotel, protected by UN peacekeepers while Gbagbo, who has the backing of the military, remains in control of government buildings.

“The government condemns the illegal character of this decision by proceeding with their closure, BICICI and Citibank are seriously contravening their obligations under banking law

“(We) will not tolerate these acts of defiance,” budget minister Kone Katinan said on state TV.

After being cut off from the regional bank, Gbagbo sent soldiers to seize its Abidjan unit and appropriate local reserves, forcing the bank to close its Cote d‘Voire operations completely and causing problems with liquidity and cheque clearing.

Banking sources say the military has since intimidated banks into participating in a new clearing system set up in the building Gbagbo seized and some have received death threats.

“Gbagbo is not going to leave just because the banking system has shut down he will leave the day his life is at stake.

“But this is going to speed up the endgame. I don’t see how the salaries are going to get paid,” said Gadio.

Business

FIRS Clarifies New Tax Laws, Debunks Levy Misconceptions

Published

14 hours ago

December 5, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Inland Revenue Service has said that Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws are designed to strengthen economic competitiveness, attract investments, and improve long-term fiscal stability.

The agency also clarified that the much-debated four per cent development levy on imported goods is not a new or additional tax burden, but a streamlined consolidation of several existing levies.

According a statement released Wednesday, one of the most misunderstood elements of the new tax framework is the four per cent development levy with the agency explaining that the levy replaces a range of fragmented charges — such as the Tertiary Education Tax, NITDA Levy, NASENI Levy and Police Trust Fund Levy — that businesses previously paid separately.

This consolidation, it said, reduces compliance costs, eliminates unpredictability and ends the era of multiple agency-driven levies. The law also exempts small businesses and non-resident companies, offering protection to firms most vulnerable to economic shocks.

Another major clarification relates to Free Trade Zones. Earlier commentary had suggested that the government was rolling back the incentives that have attracted export-oriented investors for decades. However, the reforms maintain the tax-exempt status of FTZ enterprises and introduce clearer guidelines to preserve the purpose of the zones.

“Under the new rules, FTZ companies can sell up to 25 per cent of their output into the domestic market without losing tax exemptions. A three-year transition period has also been provided to allow firms to adjust smoothly.

“Government officials say the reforms aim to curb abuses where companies used FTZ licences to evade domestic taxes while competing within the Nigerian market”, it said.

With the new measures, Nigeria aligns with global FTZ models in places like the UAE and Malaysia, where the zones function primarily as export hubs for logistics, manufacturing and technology.

The introduction of a 15 per cent minimum Effective Tax Rate for large multinational and domestic companies has also been met with public concern. But the FIRS notes that this policy aligns with a global tax agreement endorsed by over 140 countries under the OECD/G20 framework.

Without this adoption, Nigeria risked losing revenue to other countries through the “Top-Up Tax” mechanism, where the home country of a multinational collects the difference when a host country charges below 15 per cent. By localising the rule, Nigeria ensures that tax revenue from multinational operations remains within its borders.

Business

CBN Revises Cash Withdrawal Rules January 2026, Ends Special Authorisation

Published

15 hours ago

December 5, 2025

The Tide

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revised its cash withdrawal rules, discontinuing the special authorisation previously permitting individuals to withdraw N5 million and corporates N10 million once monthly, with effect from January 2026.

In a circular released Tuesday, December 2, 2025, and signed by the Director, Financial Policy & Regulation Department, FIRS, Dr. Rita I. Sike, the apex bank explained that previous cash policies had been introduced over the years in response to evolving circumstances.

However, with time, the need has arisen to streamline these provisions to reflect present-day realities.

The statement said the new set of cash-related policies is designed to reduce the cost of cash management, strengthen security, and curb money laundering risks associated with the economy’s heavy reliance on physical currency.

“These policies, issued over the years in response to evolving circumstances in cash management, sought to reduce cash usage and encourage accelerated adoption of other payment options, particularly electronic payment channels.

“With the effluxion of time, the need has arisen to streamline the provisions of these policies to reflect present-day realities,”

“Effective January 1, 2026, individuals will be allowed to withdraw up to N500,000 weekly across all channels, while corporate entities will be limited to N5 million”, it said.

According to the statement, withdrawals above these thresholds would attract excess withdrawal fees of three percent for individuals and five percent for corporates, with the charges shared between the CBN and the financial institutions.

Daily withdrawals from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) would be capped at N100,000 per customer, subject to a maximum of N500,000 weekly stating that these transactions would count toward the cumulative weekly withdrawal limit.

The special authorisation previously permitting individuals to withdraw N5 million and corporates N10 million once monthly has been discontinued.

The CBN also confirmed that all currency denominations may now be loaded in ATMs, while the over-the-counter encashment limit for third-party cheques remains at N100,000. Such withdrawals will also form part of the weekly withdrawal limit.

Deposit Money Banks are required to submit monthly reports on cash withdrawals above the specified limits, as well as on cash deposits, to the relevant supervisory departments.

They must also create separate accounts to warehouse processing charges collected on excess withdrawals.

Exemptions and superseding provisions
Revenue-generating accounts of federal, state, and local governments, along with accounts of microfinance banks and primary mortgage banks with commercial and non-interest banks, are exempted from the new withdrawal limits and excess withdrawal fees.

However, exemptions previously granted to embassies, diplomatic missions, and aid-donor agencies have been withdrawn.

The CBN clarified that the circular is without prejudice to the provisions of certain earlier directives but supersedes others, as detailed in its appendices.

Business

Shippers Council Vows Commitment To Security At Nigerian Ports

Published

17 hours ago

December 5, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC)has restated its commitment towards ensuring security at Nigerian seaports.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Dr Pius Akuta, said this in Port Harcourt, while declaring open a one day workshop organized by the Nigerian Shippers Council in collaboration with the Nigerian police( Marin Division).

Theme for the workshop was ‘Facilitating Port Efficiency; The strategic Role of Maritime police “

Akuta who was represented by the Director, Regulatory Services, Nigerian Shippers Council, Mrs Margeret Ogbonnah, said the workshop was to seek areas of collaboration with security agencies at the Ports with a view to facilitating trade

Akuta said the theme of the workshop reflects the desire of the council and the Nigerian police to build capacity of police officers for better understanding and administration of their statutory roles in the Maritime environment.

He said Nigerian seaports has constantly been reputed as one of the Port with the longest cargo dwell in the world, adding,”This is so, because while it takes only six hours to clear a containerized cargo in Singapore Port, seven days in Lome Port, it takes an average of 21 days or more in Nigerian Ports” stressing that this situation which has affected the global perception index on Ease of Doing Business in Nigerian seaports must be addressed.

Akuta said NSC which is the economic regulator of the Ports has the responsibility of ensuring that efficiency is established in the Ports inorder to attract patronages.

“Pursuant to its regulatory mandate, the NSC has been collaborating with several agencies to ensure the facilitation of trade and ease of movement of cargo outside the Ports to avoid congestion”he said.

Also speaking the commissioner of police, Eastern Port Command, Port Harcourt, CP Tijani Fakai, said Maritime police has played some roles in facilitating Ports efficiency.

He listed some of the roles to include ensuring security and crime prevention at the Ports, checking of illegal fishing activities at the Ports, checking of human trafficking and drug smuggling and prevention of fire incident at the Ports.

Represented by ACP, Rufina Ukadike, the CP said police at the Ports have also helped in the decongestion and prevention of unauthorized Anchorage.

He commended the Nigerian Shippers Council for the workshop and assured of continuous collaboration.

Speaking on the dynamics of cargo handling, Deputy Controller of customs, Muhydeen Ayinla Ayoola, said the launching of electronic tracking system and dissolution of controller General Taskforce has helped to ensure efficiency at the Ports.

Ayoola who represented the custom Area Controller Port Harcourt 1 Area command, however raised concerned over rising national security threat , which according to him has affected efficiency at the Ports.

John Bibor