July 23, 13:26

End of power outages in South Africa reveals a new energy problem

The structural reform program in South Africa has slowed for the first time since formal monitoring began, leading to a deterioration in electricity reforms despite Eskom itself showing its most stable figures in recent years.

Overview of Reforms and Energy

According to the BLSA Reform Tracker's fourth-quarter review, covering April to June 2026, the overall reform completion index dropped from 71.7 to 71.5. This marked the first quarterly decline in the tracker's history. Out of 172 measurable reform indicators compared to the previous quarter, 20 lost ground, while only 13 advanced.

The tracker, developed by consulting firm Krutham, monitors 247 reform indicators across economic, criminal justice, and governance categories, assessed each quarter. The index remains 26% above the baseline set in March 2024. In the energy sector, the reform indicator fell by 2.2% to 67.5, even as the grid itself appears healthier than in many years.

Eskom forecasts no power outages this winter due to improved plant reliability and reduced demand, boasting a surplus of over 5 GW. However, this surplus has a downside: it is accompanied by aggressive curtailment of independent renewable energy producers—wind and solar farms being switched off when their generation is not needed. This has led to accumulated unpaid curtailment payments amounting to 2 billion rand and caused some independent producers to face income deficits of around 9%.

Investment Potential and Markets

In other words, the abundance that ended the outages is now undermining the investment appeal of private generation, which helped solve the problem. Structural reforms aimed at opening the electricity market are also slowing down. Virtual wheel protocols recorded one of the sharpest drops in the quarter, falling by 18.75 points after the finalization of trading rules missed the April deadline, leaving private electricity traders sidelined.

The South African wholesale electricity market (Sawem) and the Independent System Operator face tight and risky deadlines before the third quarter. BLSA deems the system operator's delays 'concerning,' noting that without it, 'a competitive market becomes impossible.' Fundamental issues persist: municipal debt owed to Eskom exceeds 114 billion rand, and distribution agency agreements are proposed as temporary fixes rather than structural corrections. Furthermore, transmission line deployment significantly lags the 2025/2026 target, having delivered 270.8 km instead of the planned 423 km.

Logistics and Other Achievements

Freight transport saw a slight improvement of 0.5%, reaching 68.8. Nevertheless, important milestones were achieved during the quarter: Transnet's railway infrastructure manager signed access agreements with all 11 newly qualified private train operators, increasing the network from one operator to 12 and forecasting additional freight volumes of 24 million tonnes annually. The financial closure of the Durban container terminal concession, Pier 2, was also reached.

However, BLSA warned that Transnet 'is still developing and managing the processes intended to open its network to competition,' and private operators are concluding commercial terms based on tariffs set by Transnet itself, even before the Transport Regulatory Authority comes into effect. The National Railways Act was not tabled during the quarter, although the issuance of a tender for rolling stock lease on June 22 was noted as a positive step.

Not all processes moved backward. Visa reforms advanced by 3.3% thanks to the electronic travel authorization system, which showed the largest individual gain of the quarter. Governance became the sole pillar to advance, aided by the Public Service Amendment Act adopted on April 1. This act transfers staffing authority from ministers to department heads, fulfilling a long-standing demand of governance reformers.

Additionally, the tracker's scope expanded: the Synthetic Financial Centre, approved in the February budget, appeared with a low score of 31.25, and the road accident fund reform was included in the new transport category. BLSA emphasized that 'efficiently functioning energy, transport, and logistics markets, as well as water supply systems and municipalities capable of providing services, will provide a solid foundation for robust economic growth.'

olhardigital.com.brJuly 23, 21:06

Federal Revenue holds auction in Curitiba with various seized Apple products

The Federal Revenue inaugurated a new auction in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, offering 178 lots containing seized goods. Among the items for sale are hundreds of Apple brand devices, including iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, and various accessories.

Details of Apple Lots

Bids will begin on August 17. Some lots contain a large volume of devices and have starting values reaching up to R$ 745 thousand. Notice 0900100/000009/2026 specifies at least 13 lots dedicated to Apple products, ranging from small accessories to collections with dozens of smartphones, tablets, computers, and smartwatches.

Specifically, Lot 16 stands out for containing a large quantity of cell phones, including 48 units of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, as well as iPhone 17, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16, and iPhone 15 models. The minimum bid established for this lot is R$ 745 thousand. Lot 17 groups 84 iPhone 17 Pro Max, 25 iPhone 17 Pro, 66 iPhone 17, along with iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 models, with an initial value of R$ 485 thousand.

Additionally, Lot 139 presents a variety of items, such as MacBooks of different generations, iPads, Apple Watches, AirPods, and other complements. Among the available products are iPhones from the 15, 16, and 17 lines; iPads of various generations; MacBook Air and Pro with various processors; Apple Watches, including Ultra models; and accessories such as Apple Pencil, Magic Mouse, and AirPods.

Conditions of Auctioned Items

The Federal Revenue warns that the items listed in the lots may have different conditions. Products may come accompanied by items from other brands, which do not have a warranty, be incomplete regarding accessories, or present different levels of conservation.

Interested parties are advised to consult the notice in detail before submitting any proposal, as the responsible body does not guarantee the operational status of the goods.

Participation Procedure

The period for submitting proposals is scheduled to start on August 17 at 8 am and end on August 24 at 9 pm. Selected participants will advance to the online auction, which will take place on August 25 at 10 am.

To participate in the auction, it is mandatory to have a valid CPF and a digital certificate issued by the Virtual Taxpayer Service Center (e-CAC). Both individuals and companies are permitted to place bids. This auction, which involves products seized by the Federal Revenue, should attract technology enthusiasts, but requires a careful evaluation of each lot before starting the bidding.

uzdaily.uzJuly 23, 20:22

Prime Ministers of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Discuss Increasing Cargo Transportation via the Middle Corridor

The Prime Ministers of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Olzhas Bektenov and Abdulla Aripov, visited the Aktau International Seaport as part of a meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on bilateral cooperation. During the meeting, they discussed opportunities to expand cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, according to the press service of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.

Infrastructure Priorities and Port Development

Both heads of government reviewed the infrastructure and operational capabilities of the Aktau port, which is Kazakhstan's largest seaport and one of the key hubs of the Middle Corridor. The port covers an area of 44 hectares and is capable of processing up to 12 million tons of cargo annually, ensuring year-round transport to the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Caspian region.

Bektenov emphasized that the development of maritime infrastructure remains one of the priorities of the Government of Kazakhstan. He noted that dredging works at the Kyryk port were completed in 2025, and similar works at the Aktau port are expected by the end of the current year. This will allow the ports to accommodate fully loaded vessels, increase throughput capacity, and create conditions for further expansion of port infrastructure.

Production Indicators and Plans

Elzhas Otynshiev, Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, reported that the combined capacity of the Aktau and Kyryk ports is about 22 million tons per year. He also added that the volume of container transit along the Trans-Caspian route through Kazakh ports has increased threefold between 2022 and 2025.

The first stage of the container hub has already been commissioned at the Aktau port, with an annual capacity of 140,000 TEU. After the completion of the second stage in the period 2027–2028, its capacity will increase to 240,000 TEU. Furthermore, six container ships have been ordered to support the development of maritime transport.

Facilitating Trade Between Countries

The parties also discussed measures to improve the efficiency of transporting goods between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It was noted that the volume of Uzbek cargo processed through the Aktau and Kyryk ports has grown by more than 60% in 2025 due to favorable tariff conditions and the development of railway and port infrastructure.

Following the negotiations, the prime ministers instructed the national railway companies, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and Uzbekistan Temir Yullari, to prepare a specific plan for further increasing freight volumes along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.