Stories about Economics & Business from April, 2008
Estonia, Russia: Bronze Soldier Crisis Anniversary
Vilhelm Konnander posts an extensive analysis of the issues surrounding the first anniversary of the Estonian Bronze Soldier crisis.
Bahrain: A Tale of Two Villages
Journalist Jeffrey Black visits Bahrain and notes his observations in this post.
Sri Lanka: Status Symbol
“Your degree of access to an air conditioned environment indicates how close (or far away) you are to the vast underclass of permanent poverty,” comments Cerno on third world’s biggest status symbol -Air Conditioning.
Sri Lanka: Status Symbol
“Your degree of access to an air conditioned environment indicates how close (or far away) you are to the vast underclass of permanent poverty,” comments Cerno on third world’s biggest status symbol -Air Conditioning.
Africa: Sleeping giants
Bankelele wonders whether Africa has to reform or develop: “Rwanda is on the fast path to being an ICT powerhouse. They may get there, but we have the beach, undersea cable etc. – all we have to do is wait to benefit from them. Uganda and Sudan have oil –...
Zimbabwe: Pay Day Facts
Pay day in Zimbabwe: “Today is pay day. I received a gross wage of just under $860 million. I also received benefits being $400 million dollars as a transport allowance and $67 million as a housing allowance. These benefits were awarded by the government as some sort of assistance towards...
Special report on Vietnam censored
Saigon Blues writes that the current issue of The Economist which has a special report on Vietnam has been subjected to censorship in Vietnam.
Thailand: Boycott Tesco Lotus campaign
British company Tesco Lotus has sued three Thai journalists in just one month for writing about the “aggressive” operations of the global retailer in Thailand. As a protest, Fable supports a worldwide boycott campaign of Tesco Lotus.
South Africa: Should South Africans boycott Chinese products?
Sarah asks, So, could South Africans boycott Chinese products with any justification?: “Consumer boycotts have long been a means for ordinary consumers to express their anger with a country and hit regimes where it hurts most, in their wallets – even if only indirectly.”
Barbados: False Pride?
“Tourism has become the life blood of most of the Caribbean countries and it needs to be re-energized”: Living in Barbados wonders whether the region can be proud of its tourism offering.
Uganda: Ten Things I want Explained
Ten Things Ugandan Imsoniac wants explanation: “Why Andrew Mwenda is arrested and it makes international headlines and yet when 13 journalists in radio stations around the country were (between January and March this year) arrested for doing their jobs, publicly threatened by politicians and sacked for speaking the truth it...
Uganda: Ugandans spend $18 million on Internet access
Scarlett Lion discusses the cost of Internet access in Uganda: “Internet in Uganda is prohibitively expensive. At a fast internet cafe, it will cost about Ush 3,000 per hour ($1.70). It may cost less per hour somewhere else, but the speed of the connection may be so slow that the...
Mozambique: On unemployment and the government responsibility
Basilio Muhate [pt] expatiates on the high unemployment rates in Mozambique and the role government play in it. “Bureaucracy also causes many problems in the labor market, mainly because of decisions that are not consistent with reality and real economy, where public spending (government spending) is often determined by political...
Kazakhstan: Kids at Banks
Adam tells that numbers of children of high-ranking officials among Kazakhstan’s bankers have grown.
Caribbean: Food Shortages
“If music be the food of love, play on”, wrote Shakespeare, who could not possibly have anticipated the global food crisis the world is facing today. Rising food prices are a hot topic with bloggers the world over – and the Caribbean is no different. The “music” coming out of...
Ukraine: Privatization Confrontation
Orange Ukraine posts a roundup on Ukraine, which includes an examination of the confrontation between president Yushchenko and PM Tymoshenko over privatization. A close-up on an earlier privatization case is here.
Hungary: Opinion Polls on Economy
Hungarian Spectrum writes about how, according to two polls, “Hungarians perceive their own and the country's economic situation and prospects.”
Bahrain: Food, Money and Traffic
Bahraini bloggers are sticking to the important subjects this week: food, money and traffic congestion, writes Ayesha Saldanha who brings us the latest vibes from the local blogosphere this week.
Haiti: Ideas on Development
Haitian blogger kiskeácity examines the concept of “measuring development as if people mattered more than places.”
Guyana: Price of Rice
“Rice is the new pearl,” says Guyana-Gyal, as spiraling food prices make their impact.
China: RMB Exchange Rate
YuLizheng wrote a long piece [zh] on the implication of the rise in RMB exchange rate on China economy. The blogger stressed that the property bubble, inflation and rise in currency are strong indicators of an economic crisis.
