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Niger military ruler appoints ex-Minister as Prime Minister

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3 years ago

August 8, 2023

The military junta in Niger has appointed a former economy minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as the Prime Minister of the country.

The appointment of Zeine is coming nearly two weeks after the military took over power from the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

A spokesman for the military junta made the announcement on television late on Monday night.

Lamine Zeine was formerly the minister of economy and finance for several years in the cabinet of then-president Mamadou Tandja, who was ousted in 2010, and most recently worked as an economist for the African Development Bank in Chad.

Recall that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave the military junta an ultimatum to reinstate Bazoum.

The ultimatum expired over the weekend, leading to a scheduled meeting of the leaders of ECOWAS in Abuja on Thursday

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Rising Tensions Between Regulators and Airlines The financial strain has coincided with renewed friction between the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), following disputes over the remittance of statutory charges and the delivery of regulatory services. Operators say the situation reflects deeper systemic liquidity stress across the sector, where airlines are increasingly unable to meet overlapping obligations imposed by aviation agencies while maintaining operational stability. A Layered and Fragmented Tax System At the centre of industry complaints is what operators describe as a “multi-layered and excessive” taxation structure involving the NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). 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Niger military ruler appoints ex-Minister as Prime Minister

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