Economy

As the second phase of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) gets under way, the chief minister, Musa Aman, has announced that cumulative planned investment in the programme has reached RM57bn ($17.7bn) – almost four times the target value set just last year.

The volume of trade between Turkey and the US is increasing, as the two countries strive to improve commercial ties despite occasional strains in political and military relations. US officials and private sector groups are promoting Turkey to American businesses as a growing economy in a strategic location with a massive labour force.

While the world economy is still plagued by uncertainty, Kuwait’s continues to grow, supporting the country’s medium-term development plans. In September, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its forecast for 2011 global growth to 4%, taking into account the eurozone crisis and US debt, but announced that it expected 5.7% growth in Kuwait.

Brunei Darussalam’s economy has maintained its competitive edge over the past year, according to a recent report, putting in a solid performance in difficult times as the world struggles to rebound from recession. However, the study also identified a number of key areas where the Sultanate needs to step up if it is to further improve its rankings.

Turkey’s second-quarter GDP growth, released by the central bank on September 11, surprised on the up side, with an 8.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) rise that easily surpassed the 6.4% expected by the market. Growth is down from the 11.6% posted in the first quarter, however, and a looming slowdown in the eurozone has many concerned about Turkey’s exposure.

Promising to initiate methods to stimulate domestic economic activity and foreign direct investment (FDI), Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak unveiled his government’s proposed 2012 budget on October 7.