logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
17m 29s

Could Africa’s anti-LGBT laws have finan...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Ghana’s parliament has recently passed a tough new anti-LGBT bill.

President Nana Akufo-Addo hasn't yet signed it in to law, after warnings that it could threaten Ghana’s much needed donor funding from places like the World Bank and IMF.

Ghana is suffering a major economic crisis and last year had a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Other African countries have also brought in similar laws. But is it fair for international financial institutions to get involved in politics in this way?

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Immie Rhodes

(Image credit: AFP)

Up next
Yesterday
Making a career from golf in Africa
As the continent aims to grow the sport, we hear from professional golfers who say they’re having to take on other jobs because there’s not enough money in the sport yet. Would a more organised competition structure, with more regular competitions, offer more opportunities to win ... Show More
17m 27s
Aug 25
Is Gen Z the most investment-savvy generation?
Generation Z - people born in the mid-to-late 1990s up to the early 2010s - is reportedly the new driving force behind retail investing. We look at the areas they are investing in, and why financial influencers are not always what they seem. To get in touch with the programme, se ... Show More
17m 28s
Aug 24
Spain's power blackout: what went wrong?
On the morning of the 28th of April, Spain lost electric power equivalent to that generated by ten nuclear plants, leaving the whole of the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal and parts of France, without electricity for up to 12 hours. We examine the cause of the blackout that ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
The Fight for Fed Independence in a Politicized Economy
Peter Conti-Brown, Wharton Associate Professor of Financial Regulation & Legal Studies and Business Ethics, and author of Private Finance, Public Power: The History of Bank Supervision in America (set to be released June 24th), explores the increasing political scrutiny faced by ... Show More
8 m
Feb 2025
What’s at stake for Africa if Trump shuts down USAID?
One person living with HIV has described how these cut would change their life and said "please tell the American government that this is a death trap for us. If I don’t get my tablets next month and the following month, how much longer will I have to live?”USAID—the United State ... Show More
20m 6s
Jun 2023
Is Africa’s debt cycle unbreakable?
Ghana was once considered a success story and a model for African development. But after suffering several economic shocks, the west African country is now struggling to pay off its debts. The FT’s west Africa correspondent Aanu Adeoye and Africa editor David Pilling explain how ... Show More
17m 42s
Sep 2023
The Banking Secret Is Out
On today’s show we are looking at a headline article in the WSJ.  The topic is banking. Think about it. Every bank’s risk management department would have stress tested the existing loan portfolio. They would have looked at the maturity dates of each loan, and forecast what would ... Show More
5m 20s
Sep 2024
Pakistan celebrates IMF bailout
Pakistan has welcomed a $7bn IMF bailout package as the country emerges from one of its worst economic crises. Now, the government has increased its efforts to raise nearly $46bn in taxes for the year - we hear from Pakistan’s business community and a former finance minister abou ... Show More
49m 27s
May 2024
Can digital banking transform the fortunes of Africa’s youth?
For many young people in Africa, traditional banking isn’t just a hassle, it’s a major roadblock. Long lines, piles of paperwork and strict ID requirements mean many are left out in the cold when it comes to managing their money in bank accounts. Digital banking platforms are try ... Show More
16m 45s
Feb 2024
South Africa's youth struggling to find jobs
South Africa's finance minister Enoch Godongwana, acknowledged that the country's economy is facing 'a tipping point'. There's massive youth unemployment in South Africa and this recent forecast won't be favourable to young people. We hear reaction and look at possible solutions. ... Show More
39m 9s
Jan 2025
The Coming IMF Bailout of Britain!
Is the UK teetering on the edge of economic chaos? With bond yields now higher than Greece’s and a rapidly weakening pound, we explore why Britain’s financial foundation is cracking. From the historical parallels of past currency crises to the implications of its overreliance on ... Show More
44m 18s
Apr 2025
Why Islamic banking is taking off
A huge chunk of any typical bank’s profits comes from charging interest. But what happens when you can’t do that? This week, we’re traveling to Pakistan with the FT’s Humza Jilani, where the country has decided to make its entire banking sector align with Islamic law, which forbi ... Show More
20 m
Jun 25
The end of the UK’s ‘bailout era’
The Royal Bank of Scotland was once the biggest bank in the world. Then, hubris got the best of it. During the financial crisis the UK government spent £46bn to bail out the bank. Seventeen years and a rebrand to NatWest Group later, the government just sold its last shares in it ... Show More
16m 46s