CATEGORY: OBG CEO Surveys
One might be forgiven for taking a look at global headlines in early 2019 and wanting to dive quickly beneath the covers. Indeed, the Western world has started the year exactly where it left off in 2018.
Although the global economy is in the midst of some challenging times, 82% of C-level executives who participated in the 2019 Business Barometer: Saudi Arabia CEO Survey believe that the Vision 2030 policy reforms will be successful or very successful in achieving medium- to long-term goals. Furthermore, manufacturing is indicated as the sector most likely to drive non-oil economic growth in the short to medium term, representing 15% of total responses. The optimism is carefully gauged, however, with 65% of business leaders citing regional political volatility as the top external event that could impact the economy.
With the import ban launched in 2016 having coincided with a drop in oil and gas prices, in early 2018 Algeria started to rethink it, with a view to improving the country’s finances and easing a challenging tax situation. In June the Parliament duly approved a measure replacing the ban on certain
products with Customs duties.