Banks’ ‘net zero’ pledges must align with temperature limits: US Treasury 

Banks’ ‘net zero’ pledges must align with temperature limits: US Treasury 

NAIROBI: Kenya has extended an oil supply deal with three Gulf-based companies, which is designed to manage demand for dollars, the energy regulator said on Tuesday. 

The East African nation entered the deal with Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and Emirates National Oil Co. in March, switching from an open tender system in which local companies bid to import oil every month. 

“There was an extension up to December 2024 so this is basically arising out of negotiations that have been happening to drive down the freight and the premium (costs),” said Daniel Kiptoo, the head of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. 

The deal had helped lower the cost of transporting oil to Kenya and the premium it pays to suppliers, he said, defending the deal. 

It also comes with 180-day credit terms, allowing the country to build up dollars for the purchase over time, rather than requiring about $500 million every month to pay for imports. 

Currency traders have, however, been skeptical of its effectiveness, saying it amounts to postponing demand. 

“It is still not lost on us that it is a stop-gap measure, whichever way you look at it,” said a senior foreign exchange trader at a commercial bank. 

The Kenyan shilling has remained under sustained