The artisanal and small-scale mining sector is a huge employer in Congo, but its often-illicit nature means workers can’t access banking services. Trust Merchant Bank hopes to change that picture. 

From an airport upgrade in Bulgaria, to a high-speed railway in Serbia, the latest wave of transport projects in Central and Eastern Europe aim to help the region move towards carbon neutrality.

Russia’s Moscow Exchange is primed to receive an influx of participation from Indian investors, after emerging markets broker-dealer Sova Capital partnered with an Indian exchange to provide a bridge between the exchanges.

The new chief executive, previously CRO at GuarantCo’s parent company, will be focusing on climate resilience and building capacity on the ground. 

This is a new funding strategy for Raiffeisen Bank, which already has a strong track record in green bond issuances.

Part owners in Saudi Aramco’s oil pipeline network EIG Peal Holdings had to settle for less than it wanted in a tough bond market, with more bonds linked to the infrastructure sector expected from the Middle East this year.

Nigerian commodity exchange Afex has launched a US$100mn fund to improve food security across Africa, with smallholder farmers and warehousing infrastructure firmly in the fund’s sights for financing.

Germany’s Ionity plans to invest €700m alongside new shareholder Blackrock, with the electric vehicle charging company planning a major European expansion as electric vehicle use is forecast to boom in the coming years.

An agreement could be in sight for the southern African country, which defaulted on its sovereign debt last year. 

The mostly-manual bond sale and trading process has taken another step toward digitisation, with a new company launching to automate primary sales while a secondary credit trading firm has received a US$208mn equity investment to grow its platform. 

Top tier Turkish lender Akbank slashed the margin on its US$700mn-equivalent sustainability-linked loan refinancing, days before the Turkish central bank sent markets reeling by slashing rates by 200bp.

Despite a difficult year and a recent ratings downgrade, Mauritius is looking to develop itself as an International Finance Centre as it bounces back from Covid-19.