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Afreximbank raises Caribbean Community (CARICOM) financing cap to $5 billion to accelerate regional transformation

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Afreximbank

Dr. Elombi reaffirmed Afreximbank’s commitment to the development of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre in Bridgetown, Barbados, in order to consolidate its presence in the region

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts and Nevis, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Pan African Multilateral Bank, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), has announced a major expansion of its engagement with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), increasing its regional financing limit from US$3 billion over the next four years. The enhanced commitment builds on more than $750 million already disbursed across the region and a robust pipeline of over $2 billion in transactions currently under execution, signaling a decisive scale-up of support to governments and the private sector.

 

Addressing the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the CARICOM in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, on 25 February, Dr. Elombi said that the Bank’s aim in the years ahead was to significantly expand that support.

“We will, therefore, increase the global limit to this region from the current US$3 billion to US$5 billion, with the hope of achieving full utilisation over the next three to four years,” he told the audience.

Dr. Elombi announced that the Bank’s vision for the next decade was “to change the structure of our economies,” saying that it would invest in value addition or processing of agricultural outputs and natural resources with the aim “to retain significant value from these resources in our economies, generate wealth for our people, create jobs, and improve their livelihoods, with spillover impacts on government revenues and investments.”

The President said that specific interventions by the Bank would include developing healthcare facilities in Barbados, Guyana, and Grenada; supporting tourism projects in Barbados, Grenada, Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda; financing agro-processing projects and logistics facilities in Barbados, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis; and supporting infrastructure development, including power generation and distribution and road projects, conferencing facilities and trade centres, in Grenada,  Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Suriname.

We will, therefore, increase the global limit to this region from the current US$3 billion to US$5 billion, with the hope of achieving full utilisation

Others were providing financing support for banks in Suriname, St Lucia, Grenada, and Dominica, including an SME-focused on-lending facility to development banks in the region; supporting local content promotion in natural resource rich countries to retain maximum value in the region by empowering local entrepreneurs to participate actively in the sectors; working on a framework for the implementation of sea and air interconnectivity within the Caribbean to boosting movement of people, goods and investments; and promoting the cultural and creative industries through expansion of the Creative Africa Nexus Programme to support financing, capacity building and trade of creative goods and services between Africa and the Caribbean.

Dr. Elombi added that, following a meeting with the leadership of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Afreximbank had agreed to support the implementation of the regional development strategy aimed at doubling the size of the region’s economy within a decade. That support would include investments in infrastructure development, power generation and distribution, agricultural production, and production processing.

He said that the Bank was are already working with African entities, such as Access Bank, Oando and Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP), to enable them establish their presence in the region and that Arise IIP was already exploring the establishment of special economic zones in a number of countries.

Dr. Elombi reaffirmed Afreximbank’s commitment to the development of the Afreximbank African Trade Centre in Bridgetown, Barbados, in order to consolidate its presence in the region. He added that the Bank would continue the process towards the establishment of the Caribbean Eximbank as an institution that could make the difficult investments “necessary to change the structure of our economies”.

He welcomed the decision of the Committee of CARICOM Central Bank Governors to proceed with the CARICOM Payment and Settlement System, modelled on PAPSS, which Afreximbank pioneered in 2022, describing it as a real opportunity to deepen regional trade and integration as it would be a low cost, real time cross border payment system in local currencies.

Dr. Elombi attended the meeting, held under the theme “Beyond Words: Action Today for a Thriving, Sustainable CARICOM”, as a special guest. The meeting, which lasted from 24 to 27 February, also featured addresses by regional leaders, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Dr. Carla Barnett, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Adel al-Jubeir.

St Kitts and Nevis is set to host the fifth Afric-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2026) in July this year, bringing together Global Africa. It will feature panel discussions, business matchmaking sessions, cultural showcases, and deal signings.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Binance Reinforces Industry-Leading Compliance Commitment to Foster a Safer Crypto Ecosystem

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Binance

Global crypto leader Binance continues to set the standard for regulatory compliance and security, driving innovation with transparency and trust

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Binance (https://www.Binance.com), the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, highlights the progress it continues to make in strengthening compliance and regulatory excellence, reinforcing its role as a pioneer in building a safer and more transparent crypto industry. Over the past years, Binance has invested significantly in enhancing its global compliance framework by expanding its teams, systems and controls that align with evolving regulatory expectations across its key markets. These ongoing efforts are designed to support responsible innovation while ensuring that user protection, financial integrity and market transparency remain at the core of the platform’s operations.

 

Leading with Robust Compliance Measures

Binance has implemented a multi-layered compliance program that includes advanced transaction monitoring, stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and continuous enhancements to its anti-money laundering (AML) systems. These efforts are designed to protect users, prevent illicit activities, and ensure adherence to evolving regulatory requirements across jurisdictions.

 

Building the Future of Crypto with Advanced, Measurable Compliance

Over the past several years, Binance has built one of the most robust compliance programs in the digital-asset industry, combining world-class talent, advanced monitoring technology, and strong partnerships with regulators, law-enforcement agencies, and independent analytics providers. These programs include rigorous onboarding and KYC controls, sophisticated transaction monitoring systems, sanctions screening, behavioral analytics, and a dedicated global compliance team of more than 580 professionals, supported by more than 970 employees in compliance-related roles across customer-service, technology, and product teams.

 

The results of these efforts are measurable: Binance’s direct exposure to illicit activity has dropped by 96% between January 2023 and June 2025, while its capacity to detect, report, and help disrupt financial crime continues to grow. Specifically, sanctions-related exposure reduced dramatically and is now marginal (from 0.284% in January 2024 to just 0.009% in July 2025, a 96.8% decrease). This progress reflects daily collaboration with authorities, independent research, and the lived experience of serving over 300 million users safely, demonstrating how modern crypto compliance works in practice and underscoring Binance’s ongoing commitment to transparency, regulatory excellence, and a safer financial ecosystem.

 

Noah Perlman, Binance Chief Compliance Officer, “At Binance we’ve built a system that doesn’t just react to threats, it anticipates them. A 96% reduction in illicit exposure is a testament to our infrastructure and the 1,500+ professionals working behind the scenes to protect our 300M users.”

 

Our mission has always been to increase the freedom of money, but that freedom is only sustainable if it is built on a foundation of trust

Driving Industry-Wide Standards

Binance’s leadership team emphasizes that compliance is a shared responsibility and that the company actively engages with regulators, policymakers, and industry partners to foster a collaborative environment. This engagement helps shape balanced regulations that support innovation while safeguarding users and the broader financial system.

 

Transparency and User Protection

Transparency remains a cornerstone of Binance’s compliance philosophy. The company regularly publishes updates on its compliance initiatives and welcomes dialogue with the community and regulators. By maintaining high standards, Binance ensures that users can trade with confidence on a platform that prioritizes security and integrity.

 

National Cybercrime Units Collaborations

Binance responds to tens of thousands of law-enforcement requests each year. In 2025 alone, Binance responded to more than 71,000 law enforcement requests and assisted in confiscating over $130 million in illicit funds.

 

Binance supports agencies such as Europol (https://apo-opa.co/4coJAx9), INTERPOL (https://apo-opa.co/4b0FCIt), the DEA, the NCA, Homeland Security Investigations, and multiple national cybercrime units. These collaborations have resulted in the takedown of ransomware groups, darknet markets, human-trafficking networks, and financial-fraud rings. The value of our work has been repeatedly recognized by our global law-enforcement partners.

 

Richard Teng, Binance co-CEO, “Our mission has always been to increase the freedom of money, but that freedom is only sustainable if it is built on a foundation of trust. By integrating compliance into our product DNA, we are proving that the world’s largest exchange can also be the most secure.”

 

Binance remains committed to building a secure, transparent, and trusted platform through ongoing investment in compliance, strong global partnerships, and independently validated results. Since its launch in 2017, Binance has focused on protecting users and supporting the responsible growth of digital finance, with measurable progress recognised by law-enforcement agencies and regulatory stakeholders worldwide.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Binance.

 

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Network International powers card tokenization for Apple smartphones in Egypt in latest regulatory rollout

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Network International

The successful launch comes within the third wave of the Central Bank of Egypt’s granting of tokenisation licenses to select banks and is an important milestone for Egypt’s digital payment ecosystem

CAIRO, Egypt, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ —

  • Enablement signifies a critical milestone in Network’s proven execution capabilities for multi-bank payment initiatives
  • The launch of Apple tokenisation deploys the highest standards of security and operational resilience in Egypt’s digital transformation rollout

We are grateful to the Central Bank of Egypt and the participating banks for their trust and partnership as we continue to help accelerate secure and scalable digital payments

Network International (Network) (www.Network.ae), a leading fintech company across the Middle East and Africa, has announced the successful enablement of Apple Pay acceptance by powering card tokenisation for Apple smartphones for four renowned Egyptian banks, as part of the country’s digital transformation initiatives.

The successful launch comes within the third wave of the Central Bank of Egypt’s granting of tokenisation licenses to select banks and is an important milestone for Egypt’s digital payment ecosystem. The initiative reinforces Network’s scale, innovation leadership and proven execution capabilities in the market.

Supporting all four bank go-lives within the same wave underscores the strength, reliability, and agility of Network’s processing platform, alongside the depth of its local delivery and implementation expertise. The achievement reflects Network’s ability to execute complex, multi-bank digital payment initiatives at pace while maintaining the highest standards of security, operational resilience, and service quality.

Dr. Reda Helal, Group Managing Director – Processing, Africa & Co-Head Group Processing at Network International, said: “We are proud to have supported four renowned banks to successfully transform themselves as Egypt strengthens its digital economy. We have been present in the market for over 20 years and delivering multiple simultaneous implementations demonstrates our local teams’ expertise and the robustness of our processing platform. We are grateful to the Central Bank of Egypt and the participating banks for their trust and partnership as we continue to help accelerate secure and scalable digital payments across Egypt.”

This launch also supports Network’s broader focus on expanding its presence and strengthening its brand across the region, underpinned by its long-standing commitment to Egypt’s payments ecosystem. In 2023, Network International announced the investment valued at EGP 1 billion to expand its operations in Egypt, while serving 160+ banks across Africa and 65+ in the Middle East from its Egypt hub.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Network International.

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ES-KO Turns 70: Seven Decades of Integrated Catering, Logistics & Facility Management Services in Challenging Environments

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Founded as an onboard catering business, ES-KO was established in 1955 and has since grown into a multinational group with 6,000 employees operating across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe

LUANDA, Angola, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ –ES-KO (www.ES-KO.com), a global leader in catering, facility management, procurement and supply-chain solutions, along with camp construction for remote environments, proudly celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026. Founded as an onboard catering business, ES-KO was established in 1955 and has since grown into a multinational group with 6,000 employees operating across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, serving the Energy, Mining, Business & Industry, Defense, Governments, IGOs, and NGOs sectors.

 

A Legacy of Reliability and Growth

From its beginnings serving the maritime industry, ES-KO quickly diversified into large-scale logistics and peacekeeping operations, building a reputation as a dependable partner in difficult times. In 1974, the company managed one of the world’s largest catering and logistics contracts for the Trans-Gabonese railway, and by 1988 it was supporting 8,000 multinational UN troops in Namibia. Throughout the 1990s, ES-KO became a trusted partner for NATO and UN missions across the Balkans and Afghanistan, continuing this mission-driven work into the new millennium in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel, Syria, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Cyprus. Other landmark projects include Madagascar’s national anti-malaria center (2009), a school for 400 children in Haiti after the devastating earthquake (2012), and the fast-track construction of presidential villas for the 2017 Africa-France Summit in Mali. Since the 2020s, the Group has continued to expand strategically, establishing ES-KO Congo, ES-KO Mozambique and ES-KO Gabon, acquiring International Facilities Services (IFS) in 2024 to strengthen its Sub-Saharan footprint, and Campania Alimentare in Italy in 2025.

Trusted by Industry Leaders & Purpose-Driven Organizations

Over seven decades, ES-KO (www.ES-KO.com) has earned the confidence of some of the world’s most demanding organizations. In Gabon and Congo, Perenco relies on ES-KO to deliver nutritious meals, maintain onshore and offshore living quarters, and manage waste and hygiene under harsh conditions. In Mozambique, Coca-Cola entrusts ES-KO with the management of its plant canteens in Maputo and Chimoio, ensuring consistent catering quality and workforce well-being. In Angola, we work with Barloworld, a global leader in earth moving and heavy machinery.

Furthermore, ES-KO has extensive experience delivering robust engineering and camp build-up services in extreme environments. Notable projects include the construction of warehouses, offices, and accommodation facilities for UNMISS in Juba, and the development of the site compound for the Mosul Dam rehabilitation works in Iraq amid ISIS-related security threats. The company’s long-standing partnership with the United Nations — supporting peacekeeping and humanitarian missions since 35 years —demonstrates its proven capability to operate at scale and deliver services to large, complex, multinational communities in conflict zones and infrastructure-limited environments.

For seventy years, ES-KO has been defined by resilience, trust, and commitment to the well-being of those we serve. We are honored to celebrate this milestone and to continue building environments where people thrive, and operations never stop.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ES-KO.

 

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