Economics, Policy & Regulation Archives

Join the global community of corporate and public-sector finance industry leaders reading Global Finance monthly in print.

Click Here

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

FUTURE OF OIL: THE CORPORATE IMPACT OF DECLINING OIL PRICES

Cover Story The drastic drop in oil prices will clearly have an impact on both individual companies and on overall growth in some countries. But is the shift net positive or negative, cyclical or systemic? The ultimate outcome is yet to be seen.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

INDIA: FINANCE MINISTER JAITLEY IS MODI’S EYES AND EARS

India | Newsmakers Arun Jaitley, a corporate lawyer by training, has emerged as the rising star of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and chief troubleshooter in the new government, headed by prime minister Narendra Modi.

Country Report

KUWAIT: A RACE FOR ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION

Kuwait | Country Report Kuwait is at a crossroads. Despite huge financial reserves, the Persian Gulf state must speed up project implementation to revive a stagnant economy far too dependent on oil revenues.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

LITHUANIA FINALLY JOINS THE EUROZONE

Lithuania | Milestones On January 1, Lithuania abandoned the litas, becoming the 19th member of the eurozone and joining Baltic peers Estonia and Latvia in the economic and monetary union.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

NIGERIA: FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS PROMPT FEAR AMONG VOTERS

Nigeria | Milestones Nigerians go to the polls next month with some trepidation...

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

OECD MOVES FORWARD ON BEPS TAX-AVOIDANCE PROJECT

Regulation | Management In October the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project released a report outlining its progress on a series of steps it was taking to combat tactics—often legal but ethically questionable—used by many multinational companies to reduce or eliminate tax liabilities across their operations.

Country Report

POLAND: NEW ECONOMIC GROWTH PARADIGM WANTED

Poland | Country Report Although still outperforming most of its neighbors, Poland needs to reinvent itself if it wishes to sustain long-term growth.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

PROXY VOTING: CHANGES TO ISS EQUITY PLAN GUIDELINES

Proxy Voting | Management Proxy advisory firm ISS updated its proxy voting guidelines last fall to introduce a more detailed approach to the recommendations it makes on companies’ equity plans and shareholder proposals for an independent chairman. The changes could create uncertainty for companies during this year’s proxy season.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

SOUTH AMERICA’S TOTAL TAX RATE SURPASSES THAT OF AFRICA

Corporate Tax | Trends By replacing cascading sales taxes with a value-added tax (VAT), Africa has succeeded in lowering its total tax rate to 46.6% from a peak of 72.2% in 2005.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

SOVEREIGN DEBT: AFRICAN BORROWERS ACTIVE AHEAD OF FED RATE MOVES

Sovereign Debt | Capital Markets Governments in Africa issued a record amount of debt in international markets in 2014, taking advantage of strong investor demand and low borrowing costs ahead of the Federal Reserve’s expected rate increases this year.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

TAIWAN: A TURNING POLITICAL TIDE

Taiwan | Milestones Taiwan’s president Ma Ying-jeou and his Kuomintang party lost control of important political positions in late November, when Taiwanese voters chose opposition party and independent candidates in local elections across the island.

Award Winners

THE WORLD’S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS 2015

Regulatory uncertainty, technological change and traders behaving badly have collided in a perfect storm for banks’ foreign exchange operations