Core Viewpoint - The South African Development Bank (DBSA) has provided a $200 million loan to the Lobito Atlantic Railway concessionaire, aligning with its regional integration strategy, confirmed during a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. [1] Group 1: Loan Details - The total loan agreement amounts to $753 million, which includes a $553 million loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) [1] - The funds will be used to repair a railway in Angola that connects the Lobito port mineral terminal to Luau, located at the border of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo [1] Group 2: Strategic Importance - The railway concession is held by a consortium consisting of Trafigura, Mota-Engil, and Vecturis, with a 30-year operating license [1] - The railway aims to transport key minerals such as copper and cobalt from resource-rich areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo to international markets [1] - DBSA emphasizes that the $200 million funding aligns with its regional integration strategy, highlighting the importance of creating an efficient multimodal transport system to maximize throughput in the region [1]

Core Viewpoint - South Africa will no longer oppose the inclusion of the Investment Facilitation Agreement (IFD Agreement) into the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework, marking a significant shift in its stance [2]. Group 1: Agreement Details - The IFD Agreement, involving 127 member countries, aims to promote investment flows, particularly benefiting developing and least developed countries, and is set to be finalized in February 2024 after six years of negotiations [2]. - Key provisions of the IFD Agreement include simplifying administrative procedures, enhancing transparency, establishing dispute prevention mechanisms, and strengthening capacity building for developing economies [2]. - Approximately three-quarters of the participating countries in the IFD Agreement are developing or least developed countries, with around 30 from Africa [2]. Group 2: South Africa's Position - Initially, South Africa, along with India and Turkey, opposed the formal inclusion of the IFD Agreement into WTO rules, with India still firmly against it [2]. - South Africa and India believe that investment facilitation exceeds the traditional scope of the WTO, which should focus on goods and services trade rather than investment-related issues [2]. - South Africa has maintained communication with the initiators of the agreement since March 2024, indicating a willingness to engage despite previous opposition [2].

Core Viewpoint - The South African National Energy Regulator (Nersa) has appointed the Electricity Market Advisory Forum (EMAF) to provide consultation for the development of the electricity market in South Africa [2]. Group 1: Forum Establishment and Purpose - The EMAF is established under Section 5 of the Electricity Regulation Act to advise Nersa on electricity market reforms, including market rules, trading arrangements, and regulatory tools [2]. - The forum aims to play a key role in enhancing stakeholder participation and supporting regulatory decisions as South Africa transitions to a more competitive and diversified electricity market structure [2]. Group 2: Composition and Goals - The EMAF consists of representatives from regulatory bodies, state-owned enterprises, industry associations, academia, financial regulatory institutions, and civil society [2]. - Nersa indicates that the forum will help ensure that the emerging market framework is robust, practical, and aligned with consumer and broader economic interests, while also supporting the long-term sustainability of the electricity sector [2].

（原标题：2025年南非口蹄疫疫情导致畜牧业出口收入损失约56亿兰特） 南非《每日商报》网站12月22日报道，南非农业部长斯汀霍森近期表示，受2025年口蹄疫疫情影 响，南非畜牧业正面临严重的出口限制和收入损失。据2024年出口数据估算，总计收入损失约56亿兰 特。 斯汀霍森回复自由阵线党议员维南德·博斯霍夫博士的书面问题时表示，预计新鲜和冷冻牛肉的年 均收入损失为37亿兰特，山羊肉和绵羊肉的年均收入损失为14亿兰特，活牛、活羊和活山羊的年均收入 损失为 5亿兰特。 斯汀霍森称，2025年1月起，中国、斯威士兰、莫桑比克、津巴布韦和纳米比亚等市场已完全禁止 南非出口产品。英国也已全面禁止马海毛进入其市场。约旦、黎巴嫩和沙特阿拉伯等中东国家仍维持部 分限制措施，要求保证进口产品不会传播口蹄疫病毒。 ...

Core Viewpoint - The power situation in Cuba is critical due to multiple failures at thermal power plants and ongoing maintenance, leading to significant electricity shortages [1] Group 1: Power Plant Failures - Several units at the Cienfuegos, October 10, Felton, and Renté thermal power plants have experienced failures [1] - The Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermal power plant has multiple units under maintenance [1] Group 2: Impact on Electricity Supply - A total of 551 megawatts of thermal power generation capacity is offline due to these issues [1] - Over 100 distributed generation plants are incapacitated, resulting in a total impact exceeding 1000 megawatts [1] Group 3: Projected Electricity Shortages - The Ministry of Energy and Mines' Electricity Director, Hernández, warned of an expected electricity shortfall of 2012 megawatts during peak nighttime usage [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Cuban government is implementing a new foreign exchange management, control, and distribution mechanism aimed at enhancing foreign exchange income and optimizing resource allocation [1][2] Group 1: New Mechanism Overview - The new mechanism is developed by the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Central Bank of Cuba, consisting of a decree and three supplementary regulations applicable to domestic and foreign entities, individuals engaged in economic activities, local development projects, and international cooperation projects [1] - The core objective is to promote the coordinated development of various economic entities, including state-owned, private, foreign, and mixed-ownership enterprises [1] Group 2: Implementation Details - The new framework establishes specific foreign exchange transaction authorizations and replaces the existing liquidity fund accounts with an Allocation Mechanism for Foreign Exchange Acquisition (ACAD) [1] - The ACAD mechanism prioritizes foreign exchange allocation to economic entities that are included in the national plan but lack foreign exchange earning capabilities, requiring recipients to purchase foreign exchange with Cuban pesos [1] Group 3: Transitional Period and Principles - A transitional period is set for the new mechanism, with the Central Bank emphasizing the goal of restoring the peso's core currency status [2] - The policy primarily benefits exporters, foreign investment recipients, cross-border e-commerce, import substitution enterprises, and the Mariel Special Economic Zone [2] - The mechanism follows five principles: incentivizing export earnings, promoting import substitution, establishing legal foreign exchange acquisition channels, supporting cross-border e-commerce, and coordinating national funding needs [2] Group 4: Legal Foreign Exchange Sources - The decree outlines nine legal sources of foreign exchange for economic entities, including export income, overseas e-commerce, external financing, capital contributions, donations, sales in the Mariel Special Economic Zone, transactions on international payment platforms, purchases from the official exchange market, and central government allocations [2] - The Minister of Economy emphasizes that this mechanism is closely linked to the reopening of the foreign exchange market and lays the groundwork for exchange rate adjustments in the government's reform plan [2]

古巴辩论网12月13日报道，古巴共产党中央委员会当日召开第十一次全体 会议，经审议一致通过决议，决定推迟原定于2026年4月举行的第九次全国代 表大会。该提议由古巴革命领袖劳尔·卡斯特罗大将提出，并由古共中央第一书 记、古巴国家主席迪亚斯-卡内尔在全会上宣读，此前已事先经政治局会议讨 论。劳尔·卡斯特罗大将指出，考虑到古巴当前形势，建议将古共九大延期举 行，旨在汇聚国家所有资源以及党、政府和国家各级干部精力，优先解决当下 紧迫问题，推动在2026年实现最大程度恢复。此举绝非倒退，而是必要且及时 的决定，有助于凝聚力量、改善国家现状，从而为未来召开一次更具成效的代 表大会创造条件。 （原标题：古共八届十一中全会批准推迟召开古共九大） ...

Group 1 - The Colombian automotive market is experiencing a recovery, with new brands entering rapidly, particularly Chinese brands showing strong performance [1] - Chery Automobile has seen a significant increase in sales, ranking among the top 15 automotive brands in Colombia [1] - In November 2025, Chery's sales in Colombia grew by 401% year-on-year, increasing from 70 units to 351 units, and its ranking rose to 12th in the country [1] Group 2 - In October 2025, Chery achieved a year-on-year sales increase of 321%, marking the highest growth rate for that month [1] - Since entering the local market in August 2024, Chery has sold over 2,000 vehicles, with expectations to surpass 3,000 units by the first quarter of 2026 [1] - Chery is currently among the leading brands in overall sales and has become one of the top-selling electric vehicle brands in the region [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Cuban government has implemented a currency reform that establishes three official exchange rate mechanisms, aiming for a gradual transition to a unified exchange rate system while opening a legal and transparent foreign exchange market for individuals and non-state economic entities [1] Group 1: Exchange Rate Mechanisms - The first segment targets export-oriented enterprises, maintaining the current exchange rate of 1:24 (Cuban Peso to USD), allowing these enterprises to exchange retained foreign currency at a more attractive rate in the "third segment" market [1] - The second segment applies a transitional exchange rate of 1:120 for specific revenue-generating entities, with resources allocated to support basic needs within the first segment [1] - The third segment introduces a significant innovation, allowing individuals and private enterprises to engage in foreign exchange transactions at a market-driven floating rate, with private enterprises permitted to purchase foreign currency up to 50% of the average income from the previous quarter [1] Group 2: Economic Stability Goals - The Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) emphasizes that the establishment of the official exchange market is not the ultimate goal but a means to stabilize the macroeconomy [1]

（原标题：古巴颁布新法令推行企业工资管理体系改革） 古巴辩论网12月20日报道，19日，古巴劳动与社会保障部发布《关于古巴 企业系统工资组织体系》第138号法令。新法令将工资制定权限下放至企业， 打破中央统一工资标准的传统。 法令规定，企业自主制定工资的前提是，需保证其对国家预算贡献不低于 上一年水平；其制定的薪酬方案须经工会与职工大会共同批准；允许不同性质 的企业（公共服务类/高附加值企业）设立差异化方案；新工资体系中的薪酬不 得低于全国最低工资标准，亦不得低于员工上年度基本工资水平；企业所有员 工均适用绩效薪酬制度，至少30%的工资须与绩效挂钩等。 该部劳动组织局局长萨米恩托表示，此次改革是人力资源管理与决策权的 实质性下放，其核心是赋予企业更大灵活性，主要目标是推动和激励生产率、 提升效率，进而增加国家预收入。 ...