Markets

Over the past 20 years, Africa has been steadily growing and is expected remain one of the fast growing regions in the near future. Central to this is entrepreneurship and the role of entrepreneurs. Over the past 20 years, Africa...

One of the lingering questions of Singapore politics over the last couple of decades has been how to measure the effectiveness the National Education program introduced to schools in the second half of the 1990s. The program was designed to...

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign has highlighted the seriousness of China’s official malfeasance. The outcome will shape a new era of China’s politics, economy and foreign policy. ‘Corruption’ covers disparate phenomena. It may mean graft, taking a tip for...

The big question these days is when the Federal Reserve will finally raise its target interest rate for the first time in almost a decade. Its monetary policy committee is meeting this week to decide whether to do just that....

Once again, EM assets are starting the week of on a soft note. Once again, EM assets are starting the week of on a soft note. This is not just any week, however, not with the FOMC looming.  The Fed’s...

Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) is riding high in the saddle again. After a decade of slightly sagging fortunes, in which the long-ruling party’s share of the national vote slumped from over 75 percent in 2001 to barely 60 percent...

The average daily turnover in the foreign exchange market is over $5 trillion a day.  Many traders and analysts put considerable weight on market positioning.  However, it proves very elusive. The average daily turnover in the foreign exchange market is...

The latest economic figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have fuelled the debate on the future of the Australian economy and prompted many to ask, “Will Australia go into a recession?” This question is legitimate, but off...

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has achieved remarkable economic growth, but there are a number of serious imbalances between coastal and inland regions, and between urban and rural areas. The government wants to help bridge this gap by developing...

As it tussles with multiple crises of political legitimacy and governance, Malaysia has reached a decisive point in its more than half-century history as an independent nation. What started as a shocking but not exceptional scandal has turned into a...

In South Korea 410,000 young people in their 20s are looking for work and unemployed. This is up from 330,000 in 2013 and is a 15-year high. But this deepening societal crisis should come as little surprise. In South Korea...

The veteran socialist backbencher has risen quickly from obscurity and he is almost certain to become the opposition leader this weekend. His passionate rhetoric has blown away his rival centre-left candidates. The veteran socialist backbencher has risen quickly from obscurity...

On September 17, the Federal Open Market Committee will announce its decision on monetary policy in one of the most keenly watched US Fed policy meetings of recent times. Since reaching zero (officially 0%-0.25%) in December 2008, the federal funds...

Of the many slogans coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, ‘Make in India’ is the most important. It promises to make India an important investment destination. However, like most other slogans, it is important be clear about what has...

Even for mining companies that are used to rapid change in the business environment, the past 12 years have been nothing short of extraordinary. A long period of low commodity prices made executives wary of expansion to meet demand. Even...