business news

‘Scattergun’ budget will still leave Britons facing higher energy bills, says thinktank
business

‘Scattergun’ budget will still leave Britons facing higher energy bills, says thinktank

Healey’s attempt to provide ‘breathing space’ gives rich almost as much as poor, says Resolution Foundation Business live – latest updates Budget 2026: what it means for your wallet, your mortgage and your pay John Healey delivered a “scattergun” budget that did little to boost living standards and left Britain facing “a painful second half” of the parliament, a leading economic thinktank has warned. The Resolution Foundation said on Thursday that measures to ease household gas and electricity costs would still leave energy bills higher this year than during the last energy shock.

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Public sector workers to receive 9% pay increase in 2027 and 10% in 2028
business

Public sector workers to receive 9% pay increase in 2027 and 10% in 2028

Public sector workers are set to receive a 9 per cent increase in total remuneration in 2027, followed by a 10 percent across-the-board salary increase in 2028. The Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, says the 2027 adjustment comprises an 8 percent increase in base pay, alongside an additional 1 per cent provision to address other conditions of service.

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ADB posts GH¢478.5m PBT, builds stronger capital and liquidity buffers
business

ADB posts GH¢478.5m PBT, builds stronger capital and liquidity buffers

Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) PLC has recorded strong financial performance for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, posting a profit before tax (PBT) of GH¢478.5 million, up from GH¢447.5 million in the corresponding period of 2025. Strong Financial Performance Reflects ADB’s Transformation Agenda Commenting on the Bank’s financial performance, the Managing Director of ADB PLC, Mr. Edward Ato Sarpong, described the results as an encouraging demonstration of the Bank’s commitment to strengthening its financial fundamentals, enhancing stakeholder confidence, and delivering…

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Healey vows to cut welfare bill before next election with ‘tough’ approach to young people
business

Healey vows to cut welfare bill before next election with ‘tough’ approach to young people

Chancellor’s comments come as fiscal watchdog says disability benefits will cost £100bn a year before end of decade Business live – latest updates John Healey had said there will be a reduction in the welfare bill before the next election, with a “tough” approach to young people who do not accept support to get a job or training. The chancellor was repeatedly pressed on the issue in broadcast interviews after documents from the Office for Budget Responsibility suggested sickness and disability benefits would cost £100bn a year before the end of the decade.

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business

Instagram to allow creators upload videos up to 90 minutes

Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who previously opposed introducing longer videos on the platform, said the company had decided to embrace the format for several reasons. Instagram is also expanding its presence on television screens through Instagram for TV, which supports viewing videos on devices including Apple TV, Samsung, Amazon Fire TV and Google TV.

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Ghana’s 2020/2022 debt crisis: Can Akufo-Addo administration be held solely responsible?
business

Ghana’s 2020/2022 debt crisis: Can Akufo-Addo administration be held solely responsible?

By George Domfe, President, Africa Policy Lens I have consistently explained the economic circumstances that culminated in Ghana’s debt crisis, which became particularly acute in 2020. Following substantial debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, Ghana’s debt position improved considerably, becoming more sustainable from 2005 through 2013 before deteriorating again.

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Peace key to unlocking Northern Ghana’s economic potential – NDPC chief
business

Peace key to unlocking Northern Ghana’s economic potential – NDPC chief

The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, has called for sustained peace in Northern Ghana, saying it is necessary to turn the region’s natural and economic resources into jobs, higher incomes and improved living conditions. Addressing the Northern Ghana Peace Conference in Tamale on October 26, 2026, Dr Amoah said the region had considerable potential that should not be overshadowed by its development challenges.

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business

Soaring duties, FX rates cripple Nigeria’s used-vehicle market

•As dealers lament sales slump By Glory Bassey Car dealers in Nigeria have lamented a sharp decline in vehicle sales, blaming soaring import duties, high exchange rate and rising cost of living as reasons why car ownership is increasingly becoming unaffordable for many Nigerians. A car dealer and importer, Mr Paul Uche, said the auto market segment has experienced a significant change in prices and customer patronage, with most vehicles now selling over five times higher than the prices three years ago.

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Nigeria’s commercial paper market adds N1.5 trn in 9 months
business

Nigeria’s commercial paper market adds N1.5 trn in 9 months

By Peter Egwuatu Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), yesterday, announced that N1.51 trillion was raised across 131 Commercial Paper (CP) series by 60 issuers in the first nine months of 2026. Commenting on the report, Jude Chiemeka, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited, said: “Nigeria’s commercial paper market presents a significant opportunity to expand short-term financing for businesses and deepen the role of the capital market in corporate funding.

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Over 50% of financial industry ready for data localisation — CBN
business

Over 50% of financial industry ready for data localisation — CBN

The Director, Payment System Supervision Department, CBN, Dr. Rakyat Yusuf, disclosed this at the CBN-National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Executive Regulatory Dialogue on the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative (NSCI) and data localisation in Lagos. Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN, Lamido Yuguda, said Nigeria must strengthen control over its critical digital infrastructure while remaining open to global technological developments.

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84.9m informal workers face retirement without safety net
business

84.9m informal workers face retirement without safety net

By Victor Ahiuma-Young The National Pension Commission, PenCom, is stepping up efforts to expand pension coverage among Nigeria’s self-employed and informal sector workers, as an estimated 84.9 million people remain without pension coverage, exposing a significant gap in the country’s retirement security system. Figures presented at the 2026 Annual PenCom Media Conference in in Lagos, showed that although the informal sector accounts for an estimated 93 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce, only 242,690 informal sector workers had enrolled in the Personal Pension Plan, PPP, as of July 2026.

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Rupee falls 21 paise to close at 95.28 against U.S. dollar
business

Rupee falls 21 paise to close at 95.28 against U.S. dollar

In the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.01 against the dollar, then lost ground to touch an intra-day low of 95.29 and finally settled for the day at 95.28 (provisional), registering a decline of 21 paise over its previous close

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Reconsider 20% excise tax removal on locally produced fruit juices – VAST Ghana to Finance Ministry
business

Reconsider 20% excise tax removal on locally produced fruit juices – VAST Ghana to Finance Ministry

Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana (VAST Ghana) has urged the Finance Ministry to reconsider removing the 20 per cent excise tax on locally produced fruit juices under the Excise Tax Act 2026. A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency by Ms Jennifer Maame Ama Owusu, Communications Manager, VAST Ghana, also urged the Ministry of Health to urgently address the 20 per cent excise tax cut.

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Bawumia calls for scrapping of proposed pre-shipment vehicle inspection
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Bawumia calls for scrapping of proposed pre-shipment vehicle inspection

New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2028 flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called for the abolition of a proposed pre-shipment inspection requirement for imported vehicles following a meeting with the leadership of the Vehicles and Assets Dealers Union of Ghana (VADUG). In a Facebook post, Dr Bawumia said the meeting was part of his stakeholder consultations to understand the industry’s concerns and explore possible policy interventions.

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‘The more you earn, the less you keep’: readers react to the budget
business

‘The more you earn, the less you keep’: readers react to the budget

From a young chef and a single father to business owners and a pensioner, Guardian readers reveal how John Healey’s measures will affect them What the budget means for you Louie, 24, a chef living in London, says a lot of people have “written off the idea of even considering getting a property” in their 20s.

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How will John Healey’s energy support package affect you?
business

How will John Healey’s energy support package affect you?

Chancellor’s ‘new course’ includes a £100 one-off payment, low-carbon upgrade loans and an end to standing charges John Healey has unveiled a package of support for households being buffeted by “global economic storms”. “I’m setting a new course to get energy costs down in line with Europe,” the chancellor said in his maiden budget.

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‘There has to be a bolder shift’: retail and hospitality businesses assess relief in budget
business

‘There has to be a bolder shift’: retail and hospitality businesses assess relief in budget

Chancellor cuts business rates for more small businesses and limits rise in minimum wage for younger workers Budget 2026: key points at a glance “It is like letting the tyres down and then handing you a pump,” says James Nye, assessing the relief handed to businesses in John Healey’s first budget as chancellor. The managing director of Norfolk’s Anglian Country Inns argues that the budget made a “couple of steps towards helping” but added more labour costs for already burdened companies.

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Mercedes To Cut More Jobs As Chinese Competition Bites
business

Mercedes To Cut More Jobs As Chinese Competition Bites

Premium German carmaker Mercedes-Benz will restart a voluntary redundancy programme and is in discussion with unions over further cost-cuts, its chief executive Ola Kaellenius said Wednesday after the firm warned on full-year profits. Labour costs in China, Hungary, Romania and the United States are all lower than in Germany, Kaellenius said, adding that “eastern Europe as a whole is open to any industrialist looking to expand”.

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