Economy

Strong domestic demand for a broad range of goods and services is galvanising economic growth in the Philippines, helping the country to buck a regional slowdown. Consumer confidence remains high, buoyed by news that the government plans to roll out several big-ticket infrastructure projects, in part aimed at creating jobs. However, the Philippines remains vulnerable to many of the external factors.

Les efforts déployés par le gouvernement marocain pour encourager la croissance des exportations ont revêtu une importance sans précédent à l’heure où l’on prévoit une période difficile pour les marchés émergents qui affichent un lourd déficit courant.

Las zonas francas (ZF) han hecho un aporte considerable al desarrollo económico de Panamá mediante la atracción de la inversión extranjera directa, la creación de nuevos puestos de trabajo y la ayuda prestada al país para obtener un beneficio mayor del Canal a través de formas que van más allá de la recaudación de los peajes.

After decades of economic dominance by neighbours China and Russia, Mongolia is breaking out by forging new trade ties with East Asian countries. While Korean firms are eyeing construction contracts, Japan is set to enter the field of energy and mining investment.

The crisis in Syria is weighing heavily on the Jordanian economy. While the cost of supporting some 500,000 registered refugees is perhaps the most obvious challenge for a government with serious budget constraints, the impact of events across the border extends to multiple areas of the economy, from an increase in food prices to trade route disruptions.

In line with an electoral platform that pledged to deliver more local level services and control over spending, the national government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has introduced a budget for 2013 that transfers nearly PGK1.5bn ($623m) to provincial, district and local authorities.