Stories about Economics & Business from February, 2008
Argentina: Concern Over Cartoneros
The Buenos Aires government is worried about the activity of the ‘cartoneros,’ who are members of the informal economy and rummage through garbage to salvage cardboard that can be sold for recycling. Gabriela Arca of Grito Argentino [es] writes about some of the government's reasons for concern.
Japan: Tokyo’s Mobile Food Bars
Ryoko from pingmag has a feature story on Tokyo's mobile food bars.
China: Country with the world's biggest income gap
According to the latest Outlook Weekly, the Gini coefficient of China is growing up to 0.47, which is above the international warning line and much higher than that of most developing countries. It means the income gap between urban and rural residents is getting wider. Chenyuan26 [zh] thinks that the...
Jamaica: Service Culture?
“Jamaica is just not ready to do business the way business is done on an international level. Our people still believe that to give service is to be servile”: Jamaican Lifestyle explains.
Ukraine: Tymoshenko's Illness
Foreign Notes writes about Yulia Tymoshenko's illness and other problems.
Russia: Unaffordable Health Care
Window on Eurasia writes about the Russians who can't afford medical care.
Russia: Middle Class
Sean's Russia Blog writes about the Russian middle class.
Cameroon: Will the widespread unrest bring political change?
Cameroon was besieged this week by the worst violence in fifteen years, as a transportation strike formally ended by unions on Wednesday expanded into a more general protest against rising food and oil prices and President Biya's attempts to alter the constitution and extend his 25-year rule. Bloggers and netizens describe the situation on the ground and what it means for Cameroon's future.
Sierra Leone: Aschobi Designs
Switsalone introduces the person behind Aschobi Designs in Sierra Leone: “Adama Kargbo is a 24yr old Sierra Leonean-American recent graduate of Parsons School of Design (Paris, France). She has recently returned to Sierra Leone from New York City to launch her first collection; ASCHOBI DESIGNS. This collection gives a modern...
Sierra Leone: Binkolo Growth Center
Paul writes about an industrial project in Sierra Leone: “Binkolo Growth Centre is a small industrial project near Makeni where the manufacture of small farm implements, tailoring, carpentry and blacksmithing takes place, and includes the use of disabled people. I am assisting with the expansion of the centre to include...
Malawi: Competition in the mobile phone industry
Austin Madinga writes about competition in the mobile phone industry in Malawi: “In the past few years, Malawians have witnessed cut throat competition between mobile phone operators Celtel Malawi and TNM Limited in terms of marketing, promotions and roll out of value added services. Users have also joined in with...
Korea: Companies that check how many times you go to the toilet
Companies that check how many times you go to the toilet ... What do you think? A post on a Korean blog about companies that monitor their employees every move, has received interesting responses.
China: Suicide at tech giant Huawei
Following up on one blogger's lead, some comments on yet another staff suicide at tech company Huawei this week which for many reinforces the company's popular image of having one of the toughest workplace environments in the country.
China: Box Office
Latest statistic of the China box office shows that 3,527 screens worth 5.1 billion RMB. Sun bin believes that the bloom can even be bigger if the ticket fee is reduced by 30% in major cities.
Hong Kong: The Invisible Class
Henry porter comments on the newly released government budget report and points out the existence of an “invisible class”. Under the “winner takes the most, loser takes the rest” logic, the invisible class takes nothing (zh).
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Land Lover
“It's time for us to concentrate more on growing what we eat even though far too many of us consider farming as something that the educated should steer away from”: Blogging from St. Vincent, Abeni advocates going back to the land.
Bermuda, Cayman Islands: Constitutional Change
Bermudan blogger Vexed Bermoothes, on learning that the Cayman Islands is updating its Constitution following “rigorous public consultation”, asks: “Are we just so used to corrupt governance that normalcy seems unusual?”
Jamaica: This and That
Jamaica and the World puts in her two cents’ worth on everything from a Minister being charged with fraud to the island's roller-coaster crime rate.
Jamaica: Both Sides Now
“We Jamaicans take the mountains, valleys, waterfalls — all for granted. And because we can't see those things with ‘outsider eyes’ we don't think deeply enough about how to share them with the world”: Francis Wade believes Jamaica is full of untapped potential.
Armenia: Absurd Revolution
Notes from Hairenik weighs in on continuing discussion of the daily protests staged by former president Levon Ter-Petrossian in Yerevan’s Liberty Square. While agreeing that electoral violations did take place, the blog says that too few people are interested in staging any revolution in Armenia. Besides, the blog argues, such...
Anguilla, Trinidad & Tobago: Procurement
“We live in a time when coping with corruption is high on the agenda of all countries. It is therefore important that we take the opportunity to discuss transparency and accountability in procurement”: Corruption-free Anguilla leads the discussion.