Новости за 24.02.2021

US major aerospace and defence group Boeing announced on Wednesday that it had started production of the eT-7A advanced jet trainer for the US Air Force (USAF). The eT-7A had been jointly developed by Boeing and Swedish aerospace and defence group Saab. The Swedish company was manufacturing the new aircraft’s rear fuselage. Boeing would be manufacturing its sections of the eT-7A on a totally modern production line. The prefix e- in the aircraft’s name indicated that it was developed using totally digital design and engineering processes. Читать дальше...

In what has been described as the first such agreement in the world, the UK and Australia on Tuesday created a partnership to greatly strengthen space cooperation between the two countries in most, if not all, its dimensions. The agreement has been designated the Space Bridge. The two countries have long cooperated in space matters. The UK’s one and so far only national space rocket, the Black Arrow, was launched from the Woomera launch site in South Australia. The last of four such launches successfully put a British satellite into orbit... Читать дальше...

South African pharmaceutical manufacturer Adcock Ingram on February 24 reported a 4% increase in turnover, to R3.8-billion, for the six months ended December 31, 2020, during which the group experienced challenging trading conditions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as a depressed economy and lower demand for certain categories of medicine and products. CEO Andy Hall, however, said that, despite these challenges, “Covid-19 has also presented the company with opportunities to adapt to the ever-changing environment... Читать дальше...

The implementation of master plans has already started bearing fruit in four sectors of the South African economy – sugar, automotive, poultry and retail (clothing), textile, footwear and leather (R-CTFL). Close to R70-billion has been invested toward reigniting major key sectors that drive economic growth and job creation.

A feasibility study is under way on a mine selected for the testing of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies ahead of their implementation, Minerals Council South Africa senior executive modernisation and safety Sietse van der Woude said on Wednesday. Van der Woude was answering questions after he and PwC South Africa senior manager advisory technical consulting Ian Mackay delivered the keynote address at the Joburg Indaba Modernisation in Mining event, chaired by mining luminary Bernard Swanepoel. Читать дальше...

The South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE) has urged government to focus on securing reliable hydrological information to manage South Africa’s scarce water resources. In an advisory note written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the association recommended that the Ministers responsible for Water and Sanitation and Environmental Affairs prioritise their respective hydrological and climate information systems and ensure adequate funding for the collection and maintenance of these data records.

The South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE) has urged government to focus on securing reliable hydrological information to manage South Africa’s scarce water resources. In an advisory note written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the association recommended that the Ministers responsible for Water and Sanitation and Environmental Affairs prioritise their respective hydrological and climate information systems and ensure adequate funding for the collection and maintenance of these data records.

The 2021 Budget, presented by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on February 24, outlines that R93.1-billion has been earmarked for economic regulation and infrastructure, from consolidated government expenditure of R2.02-trillion each year over the medium term. To boost infrastructure spending, government plans to partner with the private sector, multilateral development banks and development finance institutions to augment its skills, expertise and funding.

The Standing and Select Committee on Finance on the 2020 second Revised Fiscal Framework has recommended that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni consider extending the R200-billion Covid-19 loan guarantee scheme enable development finance institutions to provide liquidity to projects that they are directly funding, the National Treasury noted in its review of the 2021 Budget on February 24. The committee reiterated its disappointment that there has only been 8% take up of the loan scheme.

The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank), which defaulted on its debt obligations on April 1, 2020, and is renegotiating it repayment terms, will receive R7-billion in recapitalisation over the medium term to put it on a stable and sustainable development path, the 2021 Budget, presented by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on February 24, indicates. The Budget indicates a recapitalisation of R5-billion in 2021/22, to be funded through reprioritisation, and another R1-billion... Читать дальше...

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni made a direct link to a successful roll-out of South Africa’s free Covid-19 vaccination programme and the country’s economic recovery, telling lawmakers on Wednesday that a successful roll-out would support a full reopening of the economy, boost growth and facilitate renewed trade. A slow, stuttering roll-out, by contrast, would pose the most significant threat to any economic recovery.

As was widely anticipated, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni refrained from announcing any new tax measures in his 2021 Budget, citing the need to support the pandemic-afflicted economy’s recovery. In addition, he announced a surprise withdrawal of previously announced hikes worth R40-billion, which had been signalled in the 2020 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).

A buoyant used-car market and strong aftermarket parts sales have helped mobility group Motus bounce back from the significant decline the group experienced owing to the Covid-19 pandemic in the last half of the previous financial year. Reporting on the company’s results for the first six months of the new financial year, ended December 30, CEO Osman Arbee said on Wednesday that the group saw a 6% improvement in revenue, to R44.34-billion, compared with the same, Covid-19-free six months in 2019.

Former Nissan Motor CEO Hiroto Saikawa told a Tokyo court that he agreed that former chairperson Carlos Ghosn should have been paid more to prevent him from going to a rival automaker. Greg Kelly, the former Nissan director who was arrested on the same day as Ghosn in November 2018, is standing trial for allegedly helping the former chairman of Nissan and its alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors Corp understate tens of millions of dollars in compensation. Saikawa took the stand Wednesday to... Читать дальше...

President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his sadness, on Wednesday, at the passing of respected Tanzanian economist Professor Benno Ndulu, saying Africa had lost a great thinker and visionary in the infancy of continental free trade.  Ndulu, aged 71, passed away in a hospital in Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania on Monday.

Revego Africa Energy Fund, an investor in South African renewable projects, is looking to raise as much as R1.5-billion by April with the industry poised to grow.The fund is backed by Investec, the Eskom Pension & Provident Fund and UK Climate Investment and is seeking to list on Johannesburg’s stock exchange, according to Revego Fund Managers chief investment officer Michael Meeser. “We have already identified assets equal to that value and have actually signed purchase agreements,” he said.The... Читать дальше...

JSE-listed chemicals group AECI has declared a final cash dividend of 470c apiece for the year ended December 31, 2020, despite a 55% year-on-year decrease in profit from operations to R917-million. The total ordinary dividend for 2020 was 570c apiece, unchanged from the total dividend for 2019.

Global major commercial aircraft leasing company Air Lease Corporation has warned Boeing that the airframer must “get its house in order” regarding problems concerning the Boeing 787 production line. Until it does, the lessor would not be interested in buying any new type that manufacturer might wish to develop.  The warning was issued by Air Lease president and CEO John Plueger in an investors’ call on Tuesday. He said that there appeared to have been a mushrooming of issues on the 787 production line. Читать дальше...

Swedish steel venture H2 Green Steel is planning to build a fossil fuel-free steel plant in the north of Sweden, including a sustainable hydrogen facility, with production starting in 2024, it said on Tuesday. The Lulea-based venture, which is in the process of closing 50 million euros ($60.7 million) in series A equity financing, said in a statement that by 2030 it plans to have an annual production capacity of 5 million tonnes.

Two secondary airports – and one fairly big city – have official new names from Tuesday. Arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa recognised the new names by publication in the Government Gazette, alongside a handful of registrations of existing geographic names, and some spelling corrections.

Mercedes-Benz has lifted the veil on its new generation C-Class. Production of the model is set to start later this year – for the local and export markets – at the Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) plant, in East London, following a R10-billion investment by the German parent company.