Economy

Le gouvernement ivoirien a mis sur pied un conseil des exportations chargé de mettre en œuvre une stratégie de diversification de l’économie et de fournir une feuille de route qui permettra à la Côte d’Ivoire, premier exportateur de cacao au monde, de ne plus dépendre uniquement de ses marchés traditionnels mais d’explorer de nouvelles opportunités dans des secteurs tels que le secteur minier ou le caoutchouc.

Buoyed by a rise in consumer spending, Thailand narrowly avoided a technical recession thanks to a surprise upswing in the second quarter. The new government is hoping this shift, combined with its own plans to increase public spending across key sectors, will help entice investors.

Plans for new regulations on direct foreign investment in the Saudi Arabian stock market have been outlined, setting out requirements and limits for oversees buyers seeking to buy into the region’s biggest exchange.

Recently released figures indicate that Oman’s diversification strategy is beginning to bear fruit. But, despite the Sultanate’s finances looking healthier, the country still remains vulnerable to price shocks in the energy sector.

Africa’s second-largest economy, South Africa, has been grappling with headwinds throughout early 2014, although it narrowly avoided slipping into a recession in the second quarter. The country’s long-term fundamentals remain fairly attractive but the new cabinet will have a tricky job stimulating growth over the remainder of the year.

The economy defied expectations in Malaysia by maintaining a high level of growth in the first half of 2014 at 6.3%, according to new figures released in mid-August, though any weakening in exports could see the rate of expansion ease marginally towards the end of the year and into 2015.