China and Liberia Sign Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation
Ambassador Yin Chengwu highlighted that the Agreement embodies China's steadfast commitment to implementing the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and that it marks a determined step in realizing the consensus between the two heads of state. He noted that China stands ready to work hand in hand with Liberia to ensure the agreement's effective implementation, thereby advancing practical bilateral cooperation.
Minister Nyanti conveyed gratitude to the Chinese Government for its strong support, emphasizing that the implementation of the Agreement will bolster Liberia's ARREST Agenda. Liberia is willing to utilize this agreement as a platform to strengthen practical cooperation with China across multiple domains, including development priorities, economic and trade cooperation, and investment.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Liberia.
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The National
8 hours ago
- The National
Saudi Arabia's land tax to unlock real estate supply as new foreign buyers eye properties
New land tax rules that came into effect in Saudi Arabia this month are expected to spur the development of property projects and boost housing supply. The kingdom increased the annual levy on undeveloped land to as much as 10 per cent of the value of a plot. It introduced fees of between 5 per cent to 10 per cent on long-term vacant buildings, as part of regulations introduced by the government last week. The changes apply to plots measuring 5,000 square metres or more, within the approved urban boundaries, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Municipalities and Housing said. The plan comes as the kingdom opens up foreign ownership of property from January 2026, particularly in the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. 'By raising the annual levy on undeveloped land and introducing a fee of up to 10 per cent on long-term vacant buildings, the reforms make it significantly more costly for owners to hold assets without putting them to productive use. This is expected to push many landowners to develop, sell, or lease their properties, bringing more projects to market,' Nils Vanhassel, legal director and tax adviser at DLA Piper Middle East, told The National. 'Over time, these measures should help balance supply and demand, moderate land price inflation, and improve housing affordability in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals.' Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, is undertaking reforms as it aims to attract more foreign direct investment and diversify its economy away from oil. The reforms span sectors including stock markets, property, investment and governance of companies, among others. Last month, the country updated its rules to allow foreigners to buy property in specific zones in Riyadh and Jeddah, with 'special requirements' for home ownership in Makkah and Madinah. It is also permitting foreign citizens to invest in publicly listed local companies that own real estate in Makkah and Madinah, as the kingdom seeks to attract international investments and boost its capital markets. Saudi Arabia also opened its stock exchange to residents of Gulf countries, who are now allowed to invest directly in the kingdom's main Tadawul market as the kingdom continues to introduce new amendments to its laws. The country aims to boost home ownership among Saudi citizens to 70 per cent by 2030 through new government initiatives such as Sakani and simplifying access to affordable long-term financing. The Saudi home ownership rate reached 63.7 per cent at the end of 2023, a 16.7 percentage point increase since the National Transformation Plan's introduction in 2016 and surpassing the government's 2023 target of 63 per cent, according to a recent Knight Frank report. As of mid-2025, more than 5,500 undeveloped plots spanning approximately 411 million square metres have been identified under the white land tax regime in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Dammam, according to DLA Piper. This marks a substantial increase compared to the initial 2017 roll-out, which covered 1,320 plots totalling about 387 million square metres, the law firm said. More developers entering market 'While [the land tax's] full impact will be felt over the medium to long term, given that most projects take three to nine months for planning and design, and a further two to three years for construction, it could prompt developers who had previously delayed their plans to re-enter the market,' said Rahul Bansal, head of strategic consultancy for the GCC region at Savills Middle East. 'Many may look to collaborate with external partners or investors to bring new opportunities to life.' New developers are entering the Saudi property market amid new opportunities. Last year, the Trump Organisation teamed up with London-listed Dar Global to launch a residential project worth 2 billion Saudi riyals ($533 million) in Jeddah. It is looking to start two more projects in Riyadh. Home prices have continued to rise in key cities in Saudi Arabia amid higher demand. Apartment prices in Riyadh are up by 82 per cent since 2019, while villa prices have risen by close to 50 per cent over the same time period, Faisal Durrani, head of research Mena at Knight Frank, said. The new regulations are expected to solve the problem to some extent, with new developments increasing supply in the market. 'Raising the tax rate on vacant land to 10 per cent should help to unlock more development sites and therefore potentially ease the burden on developers,' Mr Durrani said. 'In turn, the move may slow the rate of price growth for vacant land, which, in the long run, should translate into homes that are within the affordability limits of most Saudi nationals. We have found that two thirds of Saudis are prepared to spend a maximum of 1.5 million Saudi riyals on a new home.' Surge in real estate deals During 2024, the total number of real estate transactions across all asset classes in Saudi Arabia surged by 37 per cent to more than 236,690 deals, while the total value of all deals grew by 27 per cent to 267.8 billion riyals. Residential transactions, which accounted for 61.5 per cent of all real estate deals by total value, registered a 38 per cent increase in the number of deals to just under 202,661 sales. While the value of residential transactions increased by 35 per cent to 164.8 billion over the same period, according to Knight Frank.

Zawya
20 hours ago
- Zawya
Rule of law is Africa's new gold: African Development Bank Group's (AfDB's) Adesina calls for bold legal and governance reforms to unlock prosperity
'When Africa stands for the rule of law, the world will stand with Africa,' the President of the African Development Bank Group ( Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has told more than 1,200 lawyers, judges, and government officials attending the Kenya Law Society's 2025 Annual Conference. Delivering the closing keynote, title Public Finance, Governance, Justice and Development, Dr. Adesina drew a clear link between judicial independence, sound public finance, and sustainable economic growth. He stressed that Africa's true wealth lies not only in its natural resources but also in its ability to govern them transparently, enforce contracts fairly, and ensure justice for all citizens. Turning challenges into opportunities Africa faces a $100 billion annual gap in foreign direct investment, he noted, a situation compounded by weak rule of law rankings, debt vulnerabilities, and predatory 'vulture fund' cases. These involve investors buying national debt at a discount on secondary markets, then exploiting weak legal systems to sue debtor nations for full repayment — plus backdated interest and legal fees. 'Evidence suggests that foreign direct investments move more to countries that have political stability, stable democracies, transparency, and low levels of corruption,' Adesina said during the conference held at Kenya's coastal town of Diani, some 35 kilometres south of Mombasa. Other key drivers, he added, include an independent and transparent judiciary, strong regulatory frameworks, public accountability, efficient public service, competition policy, and respect for intellectual property rights. He also underlined the vital connection between justice and development, arguing that access to justice must be universal. This means legal aid, digitised courts, and grievance mechanisms that bring the law closer to citizens. 'Justice is not a byproduct of development — it is the foundation of development,' he declared. Adesina urged African nations to: Strengthen judicial independence and transparency to attract global capital. Reform natural resource laws to ensure benefits reach communities, not elites. Develop sovereign wealth funds to safeguard prosperity for future generations. Build strong African arbitration systems to settle disputes locally and fairly. He challenged Africa's lawyers, judges, and arbitrators to rise as 'guardians of promise and stewards of destiny' by enforcing constitutional safeguards on public finance. He called on the Kenya Law Society members to champion ethics and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, digitise court systems, improve legal infrastructure, and protect national assets from predatory debt practices. Adesina's keynote culminated a 3-day conference focused on corporate governance, protecting constitutionalism and the rule of law, responsible public finance management, and digitalization of legal systems. The closing ceremony included the participation of Kenya's legal luminaries and government, including Kenya's Chief Justice Martha Koome, Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo, Mombasa County Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and the AfDB's Director General of East Africa Alex Mubiru. Solutions in motion The African Development Bank supports its regional member countries to address governance, public finance, and justice challenges. In Rwanda and Côte d'Ivoire, Bank support to create and modernise specialised commercial courts has reduced dispute resolution times by nearly half, unlocking more than $1 billion in investment. In Seychelles, Bank-backed constitutional reforms require all sovereign borrowing to receive parliamentary approval — contributing to a fall in the debt-to-GDP ratio from over 100% to below 55%. In Kenya, Bank-supported procurement and debt transparency reforms, including parliamentary oversight of public borrowing, are safeguarding public funds. Known as Africa's 'Optimist-in-Chief,' Adesina urged the continent's legal community to recognise that they hold the keys to turning governance into growth and making development a daily reality rather than a distant promise. 'Let us make a choice that history will record, and generations will remember,' he said. 'As lawyers, justices and guardians of the law, I urge you to uphold the rule of law, to execute justice with fairness and righteousness.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:


Arabian Post
a day ago
- Arabian Post
GWM Brazil Plant Officially Opens with President Lula in Attendance
Iracemápolis, São Paulo – Media OutReach Newswire – 16 August 2025 – In the early hours of August 16 (Beijing time), GWM's Brazil plant officially commenced operations, marked by a grand ceremony for the rollout of its first vehicle, the HAVAL H6 GT. The plant, located in Iracemápolis, São Paulo, was acquired from Daimler Group and has since been upgraded into an intelligent manufacturing base. As GWM's third full-process vehicle manufacturing center overseas, it carries the core mission of serving the Latin American market and acts as a key hub linking Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. This milestone not only advances GWM's globalization in Latin America but also sets an example of China's high-quality automotive expansion, showcasing innovative collaboration between the Chinese and Brazilian auto industries. GWM Brazil Plant officially begins production with the first HAVAL H6 GT rolling off the line At the opening ceremony, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, Chinese Ambassador Zhu Qingqiao, Brazil's Minister of Labor, and other dignitaries joined GWM President Mu Feng, GWM International President Parker Shi, GWM Brazil Region President Zhang Gengshen, and other GWM executives to witness this landmark moment in the company's globalization journey. President Lula personally signed the hood of the first HAVAL H6 GT, marking its final production step before entering the market. After the ceremony, he also posed for photos with factory workers. ADVERTISEMENT In his welcome address, GWM President Mu Feng stated: 'The Brazil plant is not only a strong commitment to the Brazilian market, but also the starting point for building the future together with our Latin American partners. In our global expansion, we adhere to the 'Four New Modernizations': Locally Built, Locally Operated, Globally Cultivated, Supply Chain Integrated. Following international quality standards, we will deliver highly reliable vehicles to the Latin American market.' He further announced that the plant's annual production capacity will gradually increase from 20,000 to 50,000 vehicles, creating over 1,000 direct jobs. Initial models include the HAVAL H9, POER P30, and HAVAL H6, with the H9 and POER P30 scheduled to launch in Brazil this September. Chinese Ambassador Zhu Qingqiao emphasized that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 51 years ago, China and Brazil's comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to deepen, with key areas of cooperation including renewable energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing. He described the Brazil plant as a model of Sino-Brazilian industrial synergy, combining 'Chinese smart manufacturing + Brazilian localization.' He noted that GWM is contributing to economic development and quality job creation in São Paulo and Brazil, and expressed hope for further collaboration in clean energy and digital technology to provide a 'China-Brazil solution' for global climate governance. In his speech, President Lula stressed: 'The GWM Brazil plant is very important for Brazil's national industry. Its inauguration shows that Brazil has the capability to acquire advanced technology and produce vehicles that can compete with those from any country in the world. This means creating jobs, increasing income, and enhancing professional expertise for Brazilians. We hope GWM will make Brazil its production base in Latin America. The Brazilian government stands ready to support businesses and welcomes more Chinese companies to invest here.' Brazilian Vice President Alckmin, the Minister of Labor, and the Mayor of Iracemápolis also gave speeches, jointly opening a new chapter for GWM in Latin America. Guests at the ceremony praised GWM's rapid growth and contributions to Brazil's automotive market and expressed confidence in the company's ability to further drive innovation and transformation in the industry. During the event, the Great Place to Work Institute awarded GWM Brazil the 'Great Place To Work' (GPTW) honor. In addition, GWM announced a donation of 500,000 reais to local schools in Iracemápolis to help improve educational facilities. Located in Iracemápolis, São Paulo, the GWM Brazil plant covers a total area of 1.2 million square meters, with 94,000 square meters of built-up area. It houses welding workshops, robotic painting lines, assembly lines, energy and equipment facilities, and logistics supply systems. With an initial annual production capacity of 50,000 vehicles, the plant is expected to create 1,000 jobs by the end of this year. Initial models will include the HAVAL H9, POER P30, and the HAVAL H6 series. The plant also supports flexible production of multiple energy types, including hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and diesel. ADVERTISEMENT Since entering the Brazilian market in 2021, GWM has reached annual sales of 29,000 units within just three years, ranking 14th in the market. In the first half of this year, GWM sold over 15,700 vehicles in Brazil, up 19.8% year-on-year—17 percentage points above the industry average—demonstrating the company's confidence and determination to expand overseas and compete globally. Rooted in Brazil, expanding across Latin America, and reaching the world, GWM will continue to invest in Brazil, focusing on quality jobs, technological leadership, and R&D. The opening of the Brazil plant marks a new chapter in Chinese automotive globalization. With this plant, GWM will strengthen localized smart manufacturing, deepen its presence in Latin America, and bring its products and services to more global markets. Hashtag: #GWM The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.