Economics, Policy & Regulation Archives

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Economics, Policy & Regulation

CEMENTING REGIONAL TIES

AFRICA 2014 | UNITY Africa’s dream of greater economic unity is gradually becoming a reality, with plans to establish a free-trade area spanning eastern and southern African countries well under way. Yet it could take time for the associated economic and trading benefits to play out.

Awards

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARDS 2014

Global Finance presents its annual report on the performance of the world’s central bank governors.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

ELUMELU RETURNS TO UBA TO CONSOLIDATE AFRICA GAINS

NEWSMAKERS | POLAND Tony Elumelu, former managing director and CEO of United Bank for Africa, returned to the bank in late August as chairman, following his appointment by the shareholders.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

INDEPENDENCE VOTE MARKS THE RETURN OF GORDON BROWN

NEWSMAKERS | UNITED KINGDOM From Washington to Madrid, there was a collective sigh of relief breathed around Western capitals when Scottish voters decided by a majority of 55% to reject the call for independence and remain part of the United Kingdom. For all those who did not want Scotland to secede, an unlikely hero had emerged in the form of Gordon Brown.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

JAPAN AND INDIA OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE RELATIONSHIP

MILESTONES | JAPAN Japanese prime minister Shinz Abe greeted his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in late August in the city of Kyoto, where the two leaders toured temples and posed for pictures before returning to Tokyo for four days of diplomatic talks.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

LAME DUCK CONGRESS TO TACKLE INVERSIONS

MANAGEMENT | TAX PLANNING When Congress returns following the November elections, the issue of what to do about US companies making foreign acquisitions to relocate overseas and save on taxes will be high on the agenda.

Country Report

MOVING BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE

COUNTRY REPORT | TURKEY: OVERVIEW Recent presidential elections saw political continuity and investor appetite maintained in Turkey, but high levels of indebtedness and political divisions cause some concern.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

POWERING UP GROWTH

AFRICA 2014 | INFRASTRUCTURE From power plants and mining to tourism and railroads, new infrastructure projects are stimulating the growth of industries across sub-Saharan Africa.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

THE ROAD TO CONVERGENCE

Global Finance sat down with Russell Golden, chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, to discuss the current activities of the FASB—including its recently issued standard on revenue recognition, a joint effort with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Asian Treasurers Match Strategy To Action

Inside Sibos | Day 3 The increasing sophistication of Asian corporate treasuries to buoy the rapid development of Asian companies is a message that has been growing in resonance in recent years, and it is once again a topic of discussion at this year’s Sibos conference.

Features

Seeing Opportunity In Obstacles

Inside Sibos | Day 3 “Global Transaction Banking is the fastest growing unit in Société Générale,” says Christian Behaghel, head of GTB at Societe Generale. “It is a very stable business, and while we generate something like 6% of the total revenue of the bank, we are experiencing growth of our revenue of 10-15% a year.” This compares, he says to some areas of retail banking that have 0-2% growth a year.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

Trade Finance Goes Digital

Inside Sibos | Day 3 This year’s Sibos event is set to see a greater focus on the use of technology to support trade. Since the launch of the Bank Payment Obligation (BPO), and the publication last year of the Uniform Rules for Bank Payment Obligation (URBPO) by the International Chamber of Commerce, adoption of the new instrument has been gradual—but across the industry there is increasing focus on how technology can be deployed in an area traditionally dominated by paper.