Stories about Economics & Business from November, 2010
Trinidad & Tobago: CLICO Showdown
Afra Raymond tells of “amazing scenes” as the CLICO bailout debacle reaches the showdown stage.
Brand China
Imagethief blogs the discussion on “brand China” at the Capital-M Trialogue. The discussion panel addressed issues related to the ability of the Chinese companies to establish their brands internationally, and Chinese soft power and international perceptions of China as a whole.
Fiji Water closes the tap and leaves Fiji
After squabbling with Fiji's government, the US-based premium water company Fiji Water closed its bottling plant and canceled its contracts. While the company's leaders hope to strike a deal with Fiji's military government, an estimated 4,000 people are affected by the closure. Fiji's bloggers and commenters provide their take on the matter.
U.S.V.I.: Stalwart Passes On
News of St. John is saddened by the death of Ruth ‘Sis’ Frank, “a stalwart of the island's community.”
Nigeria: Now a “Middle Income” Country
Solomonsydelle reports that Nigeria has joined Brazil, South Africa, and 100 other countries in a category the World Bank refers to as “Middle Income.” She expresses her gratification that the nation has left the label “low income” behind, but wonders, “does this classification really mean anything?”
China: ‘Ditch oil’ floods restaurants
An economic investigation team detained a Hubei oil refiner Nov. 10 who pumped more than 60 tons of “ditch oil” into the local restaurant industry during the past three years, Hubei’s Jingzhou News reported. Concern over the prevalence of the second-hand oil in restaurant kitchens has increased sharply since an investigative report...
Bhutan: Books Or Bars
“Books printed in Bhutan are too expensive for an average income Bhutanese reading public,” informs Penstar and that explains why there are more bars than book shops in that country.
Fiji: Government explains deportation of Fiji Water boss
Fiji's government says David Roth, Fiji Water’s local representative, was kicked out of the country because he was interfering with internal affairs. Is this the real reason? What will the deportation mean for other foreign investors? And what about Fiji's bottom line?
Ukraine: Entrepreneurs Renew Mass Protests
@Matteush reads tweets marked with the #kat_ua hashtag, concludes (UKR) that “the whole country has risen to protest bandit tax code”: rallies and strikes by entrepreneurs are taking place in (UKR, RUS) Chernivtsi, Rivne, Odessa, Lutsk, Kharkiv, Lviv. In Kyiv, some 30,000 are said to have gathered at Maidan, and...
El Salvador: Important Support for Law Prohibiting Metallic Mining
Tim from Tim's El Salvador Blog reports: “A law to prohibit metallic mining in El Salvador got important support today, as a deputy in the Salvadoran National Assembly from the GANA party announced GANA's support of the measure. “
Sri Lanka: An Opinion On Budget
Ratmale at Serendipity publishes a general opinion on the Sri Lankan budget, especially in the context of the rural areas.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fictitious Phone Call
aka_lol, tongue very much in cheek, posts a fictitious exchange between the former Prime Minister and the former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T, who was in charge of awarding billions of dollars in state contracts.
Cuba: Democratic Change?
“I don’t think capitalism is the model of a perfect life. But it is more logical and possible at this stage of human development”: Translating Cuba examines “the hard road to democracy”.
Jamaica: U.S. Influence?
Active Voice takes on an interesting “dot connection exercise” with “the sequence of events that preceded and followed the sensational charges recently levied against JLP Deputy Leader James Robertson”.
Ukraine: Social Media Play Crucial Role in Covering Anti-Tax Code Protests
On Nov. 22, several thousand Ukrainian entrepreneurs from different regions gathered in Kyiv to protest against the new tax code approved by the Ukrainian Parliament last Thursday. While the country’s traditional media failed to produce timely and balanced coverage of the events, social network users and bloggers kept Ukrainians well-informed about the latest developments.
Pakistan: The Beggar Mafia
Saad Hirani at Chowrangi writes about the beggar-Mafia ring in Pakistan “that ‘employs’ children and sometimes adults to work for them”.
India: The 2G Spectrum Scam
Roger Reports writes in details about the recent 2G spectrum license scam, which resulted in huge loss of the Indian government.
Cuba: 6th Congress
Sin Evasion and Translating Cuba both blog about the next Cuban Communist Party Congress, scheduled to take place in April next year.
Barbados: Tax Increase
“We had a great party while it lasted, but now it’s hangover time and it’s a doozie!”: As the country's taxes increase, Barbados Free Press says that it's time to pay the piper.
Ukraine: “Revolution 2.0″
Andriy Kachor (@Ka4or) reports (UKR; #kat_ua) that Khreshchatyk, Kyiv's central street, has been “blocked” by the protesters and that “the number of cops is growing proportionally to the number of the people.” Dan Matteush (@Matteush) calls it (UKR) “Revolution 2.0″, alluding to the protests known as the Orange Revolution six...
Ukraine: Protests Against New Tax Code in Kyiv
Thousands of representatives of the Ukrainian small and medium business community are protesting against the new tax code in Kyiv. Live Ustream broadcast is here (over 5,000 viewers); Twitter tag is #kat_ua (UKR, RUS).
