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With one of the world’s largest endowments of hydrocarbons reserves relative to the size of its population, Brunei Darussalam has naturally built its economy around the production and export of oil and gas. However, like many of the world’s traditional oil and gas producers, the Sultanate now faces the challenge of maturing fields. The non-energy private sector accounted for 23.3% of GDP in 2013, with $3.69bn of value added. The government’s gross spending came to $5.8bn in the fiscal year ending March 2013, equal to 35% of GDP. Fiscal surpluses in 2012-13 averaged around $3bn and the IMF expects they will average $4bn in 2014-19, implying that the Sultanate’s rainy day savings will continue to grow. This chapter contains interviews with Pehin Dato Abd Rahman Ibrahim, Minister of Finance II; and Dato Ali Apong, Deputy Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, and Chairman of the Brunei Economic Development Board.

The Report: Kenya 2014 will feature in-depth information about Kenya's financial services, including banking and other core areas.

The Report: Kenya 2014 will feature in-depth information about Kenya's economy

A historic transition is under way in Kenya that could have profound implications for its economy: as part of the implementation of its 2010 constitution, the national government is devolving about a third of its powers and responsibilities to 47 newly created counties. The ultimate objective of the process is to usher in a more decentralised approach to public service delivery, which, while challenging and involving substantial short-term costs, is designed to address regional inequalities and improve localised development. The largest areas to be transferred include health care, local transportation infrastructure, and the control of rivers and lake basins, as well as some planning, investment and licensing policies. Although devolution may be a challenge to successfully and smoothly implement for Kenya, the project promises significant benefits over the long term, and a number of counties have taken aggressive approaches to maximising the advantages devolution confers. This chapter contains an interview with Anne Waiguru, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Devolution and Planning.

OBG introduces the reader to the different aspects of the legal system in Kenya, in partnership with Anjarwalla & Khanna. OBG talks to Karim Anjarwalla, Managing Partner, Anjarwalla & Khanna.