Just over a year since widespread political protests and social unrest crippled Bangkok and scared off tourists, Thailand is gearing up for crucial general elections on July 3rd. With only weeks to go, there remains much uncertainty over the elections, the outcome on which could go a long way to determine the country’s economic fortunes over the… [Read more]
Today, in Business Monitor Online: Governments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are facing a massive demographic challenge as large, rapidly growing young populations enter the workforce over the coming years. Failure to invest in labour-intensive infrastructure projects or make necessary reforms to employment law in an effort to stimulate job creation could… [Read more]
The parliamentary elections held in Nigeria on April 9 2011 were the first of a series of three elections scheduled for the month, with presidential and gubernatorial polls up next. By most accounts, the process so far has been free and fair, a marked improvement over the 2007 elections which were marred by widespread fraud,… [Read more]
Two things became quite clear to me following my trip to Zimbabwe in October. Firstly, it seems almost certain that elections will take place in 2011. President Robert Mugabe has said he wants them to take place next year (and he is worth listening to, given that he still controls almost all of the country’s… [Read more]
On this week’s Business Monitor Podcast, we explore key themes in political risk. Thus far, the global financial crisis has arguably had only a limited impact on political stability. That said, BMI’s Head of Political Risk Analysis Yoel Sano cautions that fiscal austerity and inflation remain key risks in developed states and emerging markets respectively,… [Read more]
On this week’s Business Monitor Podcast we are joined by Lisa Lewin, Head of Africa Analysis, to hear about her ‘on the ground’ impressions after returning from a trip to Kenya. A burgeoning middle class and growing trade integration among East African nations suggest that several sectors stand to benefit from the highly attractive economic… [Read more]
My colleagues and I have just returned from a research trip to Nigeria with some interesting insights. Generally, business is booming, with a host of banks, private equity funds and corporates reporting strong economic activity. The difficult-to-measure informal sector also seemed to be flourishing, with general commerce looking robust. (Image: Downtown Lagos) Incidentally, opinion seemed… [Read more]
