Burundi's security outlook will remain fragile

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Government

Significance The government denounced the attacks as acts of terrorism and claimed to have killed one assailant and arrested five others. However, no information has been released on the alleged perpetrators and no group has claimed responsibility. Impacts Although growth is recovering slightly, the government is unlikely to meet its (already modest) 2021/22 budgetary targets. To boost the economy, the president desperately needs the kind of stimulus that infrastructure investments can provide. Though official case numbers are low, a slow vaccine rollout means Burundi will remain at high risk of further COVID-19-related disruptions.

Trade war with rebels reduces Ukraine's options

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Freight Traffic ◽  
Anthracite Coal ◽  
Trade War ◽  
The Government ◽  
Economic Warfare

Significance The rebel takeover of Ukrainian-owned businesses is a response to Kyiv's decision yesterday to halt freight traffic to and from the region, as economic warfare temporarily takes precedence over armed conflict. Kyiv's trade ban in effect institutionalises a railway blockade that has interrupted Ukraine's coal supplies since January and was opposed until now by the government. Impacts If the government hopes to use the trade ban as a negotiating tool to pressure the rebels, it is a high-risk strategy liable to backfire. A step intended to show strength makes the government look weak and invites opposition pressure, including calls for early elections. Kyiv must urgently find new suppliers of the anthracite coal on which half its power stations run.

Infrastructure investments face obstacles in Peru

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Government ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Government

Subject Public-private partnerships. Significance Amid attempts to secure new investment from Canada and the United States, the government is wrestling with political difficulties surrounding the future of public-private partnerships (PPPs). These have been magnified in recent months by the bad publicity arising from the Odebrecht bribery scandals. Establishing a politically acceptable balance between attracting investors and ensuring the transparency of public works contracts is proving increasingly important. Impacts The problem of corruption in sub-national government will cloud the operations of PPPs. There will be a need for stronger and more independent regulation of PPP projects. The localised reach of the Works for Taxes programme will limit its scope in dealing with wider objectives.

India is poised for fintech boom

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Transaction Costs ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Light Touch ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Income Population ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up

Significance Registering compound growth of 23% per year, the value of its fintech market is expected to reach USD6.2tn by 2025 from USD1.9tn in 2019, according to industry estimates. There are over 2,100 fintechs in the country, two-thirds of which were set up in the last five years. Due to India’s vast unbanked population, the government favours light-touch regulation. Impacts Demand for cybersecurity services for fintechs will rise. Lower transaction costs and ease of use will make fintechs attractive to India’s low-income population. Fintechs face high risk of delinquency and fraud.

The 2019 budget law may increase Italy-EU tensions

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Democratic Party ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Risk Premiums ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
Finance Minister ◽  
Cost Cutting ◽  
The Government

Significance Finance Minister Giovanni Tria is aiming to implement gradually the government programme, funded by both deficit and cost-cutting measures within the limits allowed by EU treaties. Meanwhile, the two coalition parties are calling for more fiscal room to implement their flagship promises. Impacts The government could increase its deficit targets to 1.9% and 1.6% of GDP in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Italian assets will remain volatile with high risk premiums until the government clarifies its position on public finances. In case of a new government, an M5S-Democratic Party coalition seems the most politically achievable, although perhaps not the most viable. If fresh elections are called, they will be held in early 2019 at the earliest.

Recurring unrest may cut Ivory Coast's investor appeal

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Premium ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Government

Significance The clash follows a recent five-day army mutiny which ended in a government agreement to pay mutineers outstanding bonuses of 7 million CFA francs (8,500 dollars) each on top of 5 million CFA francs they received in January, in a total payout of 101 billion CFA francs. Low cocoa prices have taken their toll on the world’s largest cocoa producer, with President Alassane Ouattara’s administration announcing a 9% budget cut across all ministries earlier this month. Impacts Government finances will become more strained, which may lead to a scaling-back of infrastructure investments and social programmes. The government is unlikely to achieve its target of processing 50% of cocoa in-country by 2020. The government could delay a planned Eurobond and may have to increase the risk premium to reassure investors.

Infrastructure will not boost near-term Brazil growth

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Poor Infrastructure

Subject Shortcomings in Brazilian infrastructure. Significance The quality of Brazil’s infrastructure is a key business complaint. Infrastructure is viewed as central to boosting the country’s long-term competitiveness, as well as a potential motor of recovery from the economic crisis. However, infrastructure investment remains low. This is due in part to the budgetary restrictions faced by the government, but also to the impact of corruption scandals on leading construction companies. Impacts Better roads, railways and ports will be central to boosting Brazil's exports, notably of primary commodities. Poor infrastructure will continue to affect both business and the daily life of ordinary citizens, particularly in remote regions. The execution of infrastructure investments could produce positive and long-lasting effects on the overall economy.

Mozambique will face renewed transparency demands

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth Prospects ◽  
International Donors ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Imf

Subject Embattled FRELIMO. Significance The IMF said on April 18 that Mozambique’s debt-to-GDP ratio was expected to reach 130.3% in 2022. Reducing the country’s unsustainable debt depends on a resumption of donor aid and increased investment, but an impasse with international donors over undisclosed loans is undermining the prospects of both. Meanwhile, the ruling FRELIMO party and President Filipe Nyusi are under mounting internal pressure following a damaging by-election defeat and revelations regarding Nyusi’s role in the debt scandal. Impacts Economic growth will likely fall further until gas investments come onstream after 2023. Civil society criticism of the government will mount as further revelations emerge of state complicity in repression. Government finances will be further restricted as key recurring infrastructure investments are delayed, dampening growth prospects.

Mexico investment deal will have limited success

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Feasibility Studies ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Physical Infrastructure ◽  
Investment Agreement ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Government

Subject Infrastructure aims. Significance The government on April 5 announced energy infrastructure investments as part of a post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan. These are believed to be second-phase projects from a previously announced infrastructure investment agreement with the private sector. The agreement aims to boost investment in physical infrastructure by the equivalent of 5% of GDP by facilitating private sector construction projects. The first phase of the agreement, unveiled in November, consists of 147 projects amounting to some 859 billion pesos (37 billion dollars). These are mostly transport, telecommunications and tourism infrastructure works, to be carried out in 2020-24. The second phase involves the energy sector and is believed to consist initially of 137 projects worth between 97 and 100 billion pesos. Impacts If feasibility studies for first-phase projects do not advance soon, investments could fail to materialise. The COVID-19 pandemic will strain government-business relations as AMLO has been criticised for his handling of the situation so far. AMLO is unlikely to ease up on his polarising rhetoric when disagreements emerge with business leaders, perpetuating uncertainty.

Egypt's COVID-19 tallies undercount the true epidemic

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Red List ◽  
Economic Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
The Government ◽  
Resort Towns

Significance Recent trends in the government’s official count of COVID-19 cases in the months following the United Kingdom’s decision to place Egypt on a travel-restricting 'red list' suggest the true extent of the crisis in Egypt remains under-reported. Impacts Relying on Cairo’s official COVID-19 data will be misleading. The government favours economic recovery, so businesses and investors are not likely to face major pandemic-related setbacks. Travellers outside resort towns will be at high risk of COVID-19 exposure due to low enforcement of precautions and vaccine rates.

A benchmarking study of Indian seaports

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-102
Author(s):  
Sajeev Abraham George ◽  
Anurag C. Tumma
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Port Authorities ◽  
Financial Performance Measures ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the operational and financial performances of the major Indian seaports to help derive useful insights to improve their performance. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology has been used with the help of data collected on the 13 major seaports of India. The first stage of the DEA captured the operational efficiencies, while the second stage the financial performance. Findings A window analysis over a period of three years revealed that no port was able to score an overall average efficiency of 100 per cent. The study identified the better performing units among their peers in both the stages. The contrasting results of the study with the traditional operational and financial performance measures used by the ports helped to derive useful insights. Research limitations/implications The data used in the study were majorly limited to the available sources in the public domain. Also, the study was limited to the major seaports which are under the Government of India and no comparisons were carried out with other local or international ports. Practical implications There is a need to prioritize investments and improvement efforts where they are most needed, instead of following a generalized approach. Once the benchmark ports are identified, the port authorities and other relevant stakeholders should work in detail on the factors causing inefficiencies, for possible improvements in performance. Originality/value This paper carried out a two-stage DEA that helped to derive useful insights on operational efficiency and financial performance of the India seaports. A combination of the financial and operational parameters, along with a comparison of the DEA results with the traditional measures, provided a different perspective on the Indian seaport performance. Considering the scarcity of research papers reported in the literature on DEA-based benchmarking studies of seaports in the Indian context, it has the potential to attract future research in this field.

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