Stories about Economics & Business from November, 2009
Pakistan: Insurgency And IT
“It's true that Pakistan faces some serious challenges, but if, as a nation, it can keep providing a service for outsourcing IT skills internationally even while bullets are flying, that's a good sign for the future,” comments Alamzeb Khan.
Taiwan: Foreigners face discrimination from banks
Patrick Cowsill writes about the difficulties foreigners face in getting a credit card in Taiwan.
India: Equality
“About 15 percent population consisting of political leaders and government servants have, through their corrupt practices, amassed 85 percent of the total wealth of India, leaving only 15 percent of it to the balanced 85 percent population of the country,” comments Ram Bansal at India in Peril.
Singapore: Housing prices
Urbanrant warns against new policies and trends which contradict the promotion of “affordable housing” in Singapore.
Morocco: Aicha Ech Chenna Wins Opus Prize
In Morocco, women who get pregnant out of wedlock are often shunned from their communities. Activist and social worker Aicha Ech Chenna has been working for almost 25 years to help such mothers and their children. Now, her efforts are being rewarded.
Trinidad & Tobago: “Axe the Tax”!
From Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life clears the air on “the not-so-new property tax that has angered homeowners into an angry fireball. Citizens, despite cursing and more cursing, were about to resign themselves to paying the much higher property tax when, out of nowhere, a flagpole appeared.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Art or Ego?
“One thing that seems to me to distinguish good governance from bad is an understanding that cities and countries are built on communities, not on buildings”: Club Soda and Salt comments on Trinidad and Tobago's “latest white elephant”.
Africa: PayPal alternatives for African entrepreneurs
Theresa lists PayPal alternatives for African entrepreneurs: “Although PayPal is ubiquitous in the States and Europe, there are many alternatives available online, most with far more relaxed policies about where and how money can be sent.”
Hungary: Flu Vaccination as “the Great Hungarian Experiment”
The vaccination campaign of the Hungarian National Public Health and Medical Officer Service has inspired a public debate among the institution itself, doctors, politicians and ordinary people who are just not sure whether the Hungarian-made swine flu vaccine is good or not.
Zimbabwe: Old Mutual should stop funding Mugabe's propaganda machine
Petition Old Mutual to stop funding Zimbabwe's state media: “South African insurance giant, Old Mutual confirmed this week that it was a major shareholder in ZimPapers, the publishing group that produces some of Zimbabwe’s most vitriolic propaganda.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Will The Performing Arts Centre Perform?
The construction of Trinidad and Tobago's new National Academy for the Performing Arts has been controversial, but despite the obstacles, the academy was opened earlier this week, soliciting reactions from local bloggers...
Puerto Rico: Talking ‘Bout A Revolution
Gil the Jenius suggests that the recent protests in Puerto Rico weren't enough.
Bahamas, Cuba: Fair Trade?
Rick Lowe issues a few words of warning to the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce when it comes to doing business with Cuba: “The Chamber stands for ethics in business and I believe they are on shaky ground recommending we do business with a regime in Cuba that apparently does not...
Brunei: Searching for E-book devices
The Journey is frustrated that Brunei shops have the latest cameras, laptops, and other hi-tech gadgets but no e-book devices.
Vietnam: Food safety
Health authorities discovered that a Vietnamese bottled drinking water is not safe for consumption. Banned food items are also being sold in many market stalls.
Morocco: Islamic Finance Banks
we are watching you [Fr] explains why you won't see any Islamic finance banks in Morocco anytime soon.
Kenya: Google Adsense paying in Kenyan Shillings
Kenyan bloggers and website owners are now pleased to note that they can receive their Google Adsense earnings in Kenyan Shillings, writes A Nairobian's Perspective.
Malawi: Fighting poverty with social enterprise
Clement writes about The Big Issue project in Malawi: “This project is affiliated to the Big Issue, London. It has the same objective of working as a social enterprise to fight poverty and homelessness by providing business and creative solutions through selling of The Big Issue magazine.”
Cameroon: From “kind” thieves to mobile credit as legal tender
The nearly 20 million inhabitants of Cameroon are facing rising levels of criminality. Bandits even stormed the national headquarters of the police and the Ministry of External Relations (Foreign Affairs) in the capital city, Yaounde.
Guatemala: Economic Blog by Mario García Lara
Guatemalan economist Mario García Lara blogs at El Economista Lúgubre [es], where he shares his thoughts about the country's economic and social situation.
Trinidad & Tobago: Steups
This Beach Called Life thinks that the national mood of Trinidad and Tobago can be summed up in just one word: “Steups”.
