Foreign exchange markets
This week, several events weighed on the foreign exchange market. Among other things, the confinements, the intervention of the president of the American Central Bank (Fed), Jerome Powell before the House of Representatives, the dismissal of the governor of the central bank of Turkey, the new wave of Covid-19. Against the dollar, the euro remained a little more stable while the pound rose. The dollar index, which compares the greenback to other major currencies, has recorded changes.

Stock markets
Bloomfield Investment Corporation's stock market analysis report published this week indicated that the Regional Stock Exchange (Brvm) posted a strong performance. The market capitalization of the stock market as well as the transactions in value of the stock market showed an upward trend.

Money markets
Cryptocurrencies are coming back with strong performances. Bitcoin is panicking the finance world. It sees its value multiplied by 10 to reach stratospheric levels, around 60,000 dollars. The capitalization of the bitcoin industry today exceeds 1000 billion dollars. It must be said that in addition to Bitcoin, Coinbase, Binance and ZenGo are other cryptocurrencies that are flowing into the world of finance.
Central banks, for their part, are working on the “central bank digital currency” project. Requested academic work, working groups, favored experiments and first achievements are announced for the implementation of the “central bank digital currency”.

clues
The latest PMI indices in Europe indicate a return to growth in private sector activity in the region. The composite "flash" PMI is positioned above the 50 point threshold.
In addition, the new ranking of the Global Financial Center Indices (GFCI) was published this week. This report, published by the think-tank Z/Yen in partnership with the City of London, evaluates a hundred countries in the world. The GFCI ranks New York as the world's leading financial center, with an index of 764.

Raw materials
The prices of Brent and WTI have been strongly tested in the face of concerns about the outlook for demand being felt again. The two contracts which lost more than 6% last week, a first this year, fell back to their price level of six weeks ago. Nevertheless, the blockage of the Suez Canal caused oil prices to rebound by almost 6%. Louise Dickson, an analyst for Rystad Energy, finds there is still some residual pessimism in the market.
Ibrahim Maloum, Acting General Manager of Coton Tchad SN offered several hundred plows to cotton producers. These working materials were given on credit to cotton producers in order to increase their yields.

Banks and Insurance.

The latest study by Moody's Investors Service on the African banking sector published on Tuesday 23 March notes that African banks could see their level of risk reach significant proportions and their revenues plummet. The 49 banks assessed in 14 countries have granted almost $218 billion in credit to sectors exposed to ecological factors. This represents about 29% of all their credits.

From March 22 to 25, central banks gathered to discuss digital currencies and other innovations that could change the face of finance. Central funders discussed the merits of “tokenization”, “blockchain and “bitcoin” under the aegis of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has issued a global reference bond of 2.5 billion USD at 5 years, or 1376.2 billion FCFA. The mandate for this bond was announced with an initial price indication around Mid-swaps + 6 basis points. Senegal, Mali and Côte d'Ivoire have benefited from a total financing of 81.106 billion CFA francs from the West African Development Bank (BOAD). A loan approved by BOAD's Board of Directors during its ordinary session.

Governance
In the Council of Ministers last Wednesday, the Togolese government adopted a decree on the digitization of means of payment in public administration. A new reform that will allow the integration of digital payment. “Means of remote payment, through communication networks, in particular online payment, mobile payment, (and) payment by credit card” among those accepted by the Public Administration.
The 2020 Report of the Barometer of the Council of French Investors in Africa revealed that Togo remains one of the best African reformers in terms of improving the business climate and strengthening the resilience of the private sector. The study places Togo among the Top 6 African economies that offered the best incentive frameworks for private investment in 2020. He totaled a score of 2.8 points.

Christian Adovèlandé has been appointed head of the Board of Directors of Sgi Phoenix Capital Management. This appointment follows the strategic repositioning initiated by the reference shareholder Phoenix Africa Partners Holding (PAPH) with a view to initiating a new development dynamic in the WAEMU zone and in Africa.
In addition, the president of Burkinabe employers Apollinaire Compaoré, found himself in court to defend himself in relation to a case of "trafficking at the crossroads of terrorist interests". According to this investigation entitled "Apollinaire Compaoré at the heart of trafficking at the crossroads of terrorist interests", the Burkinabe businessman has earned millions from the smuggling of Philip Morris cigarettes through West Africa.

Financial crimes
The Swiss bank UBS has been trying since March 8 to reshuffle the cards after being fined a record 3.7 billion euros at first instance in 2019. Awaiting the final decision on September 27, the banking institution fined 2 billion euros. The defense pleaded for acquittal at its appeal trial.
The National Financial Information Processing Unit (Centif) and the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection jointly organized a 3-day workshop for commanders of national gendarmerie brigades, including 134 brigades represented. The objective of the training is to strengthen the capacity of these security men on the fight against the financing of terrorism and money laundering. The workshop marked the signing of an agreement between the two parties.
The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (Giaba) in partnership with the German Agency for Development Cooperation (Giz) brought together forty-five investigators and prosecutors specializing in the investigation and prosecution of cases of economic and financial crimes around a regional workshop. The objective was to build the capacity of participants, particularly, on money laundering and terrorist financing cases, as well as the tracing and recovery of proceeds of crime and stolen assets.