Ecuador’s Lasso weathers early storm but clouds loom

Significance He appears to have weathered this early political storm, achieving notable successes in areas such as tax reform. However, the political outlook remains uncertain, with a likely COVID-19 resurgence heralding new challenges in 2022. Impacts Containing the spread of the Omicron variant will be a priority for Lasso in the coming months. A pandemic resurgence would place downward pressure on economic growth and tax collection. Tax reforms will please international investors and support efforts to attract foreign direct investment to stimulate economic activity.

Spanish government should survive its full term

Significance However, as opinion polls show that contending left- and right-wing party blocs are closer in terms of voting intentions, the government's performance and ability to collaborate with smaller parties remain key to the left’s ability to return for another term in office. Impacts Tight electoral competition between left and right points to a couple of years of political uncertainty for international investors. In the event of an early election, the most plausible scenario is a coalition of the centre-right People's Party and far-right Vox. The People's Party’s move further to the right could open space for the liberal Ciudadanos party to reclaim centrist support.

India's E-Commerce Industry's Growth and Projected Breakthroughs

Background/Purpose: E-commerce is the online exchange of products and services. In this article, we discuss the elements those are propelling India's digital commerce market forward and the E-commerce industry's expansion and the various sectors of E-commerce in the country. International investors are supporting the E-commerce industry since it is one among the fastest growing industries and offers a large scope for investment due to the Indian market size. Additionally, it discusses the problems and potential associated with E-commerce in India within the context of the global marketplace. E-commerce is among the fastest expanding industries, with India offering tremendous investment opportunities. Since last year, there has been a dramatic increase in investment, but more is predicted in the years ahead. Rapid rise in mobile and internet users has aided the expansion of E-commerce businesses in urban and rural areas alike. Objective: To examine how the E-commerce sector in India has grown through the years, as well as to get an insight of current trends, impediments, and potential improvements. Design/Methodology/Approach: The SWOT analysis is being used to analyse and present data acquired from academic papers, online articles, and other sources. Findings/Results: India's E-commerce sector has the potential to grow further if the government provides legal protection and a platform for it, and if both local and global commerce are enabled to exercise their basic rights to do E-commerce business, therefore enhancing the country's economy. Originality/Value: This paper study provides an outline of India's E-Commerce business and its projected development in the coming years based on the range of data collected. Paper Type: Research Analysis based on a case study.

Courting innovative diplomacy for health safety and security amidst the Covid-19 pandemic; the case of South Africa

Notwithstanding its level of socio-economic development, health failure is a threat to any country. Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic is believed to be the greatest threat to the existentiality of humanity since the end of World War II. The level of global interconnectivity also made it the most destructive to human existence. The accelerating growth of the pandemic in South Africa has devastated effects on its economy and cuttingly intensified prior socio-economic challenges and inadvertently, presented South Africa with an unseen and formidable enemy that does not know the differences between South African Black, Coloured, Indian or White. The study used a qualitative research approach, underpinned by the rationality for South Africa, to embrace innovative diplomacy as a means to an end for its health safety and security amidst the covid-19 pandemic. The paper argued that South Africa must innovatively engage the acceptable global mechanisms and other health security measures with focus on its commitment to the goals of its national interests, while strengthening the efficiency of its health initiatives through better-quality governance where both local and international investors are allowed to participate actively in state socio-economic activities that respond to the safety and health security of the emotionalized publics. Thus, in a globalised system of innovation, South Africa needs to see the innovation environment as a steady pipeline of its domestic ability to control the negative effect of Covid-19 on its national health security. The paper concludes that South Africa must begin to invest, modify, and localise the biotechnology industry, and thus serving as a source of employment for the teaming unemployed South Africans.

Defense or cooperation between states and international investors in times of crisis?

International investment is protected by international law by setting the standards of legal treatment that host state governments have committed themselves to in their investment treaties. Therefore, these standards of protection must be respected even in times of crisis, regardless of the reason that generated it, the policy of attracting and maintaining an investment climate favorable to international investment being an attribute of each state. If he does not find adequate protection or if he cannot negotiate contracts adapted to these conditions, nothing can prevent an investor from changing the direction of his business, in order to protect the investment made. On the other side of the barricade, the states raise the shields of force majeure and necessity. Of course, it is preferable for the barricade to turn into a round table of cooperation. The issue of violating one or more standards by states is one of the most debated at the moment, as international arbitration practice has decisions that oblige states to significant compensation. In my study I used as a research method the interdependent introspection, analysis and synthesis through analogies developed in a comparative method.

Global Depository Receipts in India: boon or bane

The Global Depository Receipt (“GDR” or “DR”) is a structured financial instrument denominated in foreign currency and Indian companies issue equity shares/securities underlying the GDR to international investors. Many companies have used GDRs for manipulative and fraudulent practices and the Indian regulator, SEBI has penalised them. This paper aims to evaluate the legitimacy of the GDRs and malpractices associated with them and to find if there is any need for reform in the GDR Scheme, to see if the GDRs are beneficial to the economy or are inherently manipulative instruments and looks at the need to reform the laws governing GDR. The authors have employed the methods, literature review and empirical research. The authors have conducted empirical research of the participants in the Indian GDR industry in April and May of 2021 by way of an online Questionnaire and unstructured telephonic interviews. The study results in the author’s conclusion that the GDRs are legitimate instruments but the participants abused the Scheme and led to malpractices. The authors failed to conclude about the need for reforms in the GDR laws. The paper recommends the suitable amendment of the DR scheme with an intention to plug its loopholes and allow it in foreign jurisdictions with the highest compliance requirements while keeping in mind the cost of such compliance.

Does Heterogeneity in COVID-19 News Affect Asset Market? Monte-Carlo Simulation Based Wavelet Transform

The current study investigates the connectedness between US COVID-19 news, Dowes Jones Index (DJI), green bonds, gold, and bitcoin prices for the period 22 January 2020–3 August 2021. The study has employed wavelet coherency, the continuous wavelet transform, and the wavelet-based Granger causality methods to obtain the dependence result. The continuous wavelet transform (CWT) analysis reveals that the United States equity market prices are extremely sensitive with regard to spreading coronavirus (USCOVID-19) news and changes in the oil price. Green bonds, gold, and bitcoin have minimal connectedness with the equity market, which might lead to the hedge and safe haven role of these assets during the COVID-19 crisis period. Lastly, very strong comovement was found between bitcoin and gold during the entire sample. The results of the present study offer a number of fresh and noticeable policy implications for international investors and asset managers.

An Examination of India-South Korea Bilateral Investment Relations

Foreign investment has accelerated at an incredible rate over the last quarter-century, and alterations in the flow of this investment are increasingly changing the global economic environment. International investors provide new markets not only new capital, technology, competitive spirit, and ideas, but also additional jobs. For India's economic development, foreign direct investment (FDI) has been a substantial non-debt financial resource and a key growth engine. South Korea's economy is one of Asia's most promising and lively. The country's stability, quick growth rates, strong manufacturing base, export focus, and availability of superior technology make it an appealing investment destination. India's permitted cumulative investments in South Korea from April 1996 to December 2019 was US$ 593.9 million, according to data from the Ministry of Finance, Government of India (GOI), and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). According to the FDI Markets database, India was the 15th largest investor in South Korea between 2009 and 2019, with 14 Indian businesses investing US$ 913 million in 17 FDI projects, resulting in the creation of 5,519 jobs. As a result, the current study examines India-South Korea's bilateral investment ties and looks ahead to possible areas of cooperation in the future between the two countries' investment relations.

Ecuador prison crisis threatens to escalate

Significance The attack, which involved drones, illustrates the evolving tactics of crime groups, and follows a string of violent, sometimes coordinated, incidents at prisons this year. These have resulted in the deaths of over 120 inmates. Prison violence comes alongside rising crime and growing concerns over the strengthening of transnational drug cartels. Impacts Lasso will face increasing pressure from international human rights groups to protect prisoners and improve prison conditions. Rising violence and crime will increase concerns among international investors about the security of investments and risks of extortion. Lasso might seek to exploit improved relations with the US and Colombian governments to strengthen international coordination.