Economy

One of the key defining narratives of Ghana’s economic growth has been its participation in the increasingly expansive role of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Founded in 1975, ECOWAS has been pursuing its goal of regional economic integration for nearly four decades now. In recent years, as the EU has stumbled and...

Broad economic growth and political stability have enabled Ghana to vastly improve living standards across the country in recent years, but reducing poverty and inequality remains one of its principal challenges. Recent government reform of the social sectors, particularly the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003,...

Often lauded as one of the most peaceful and open democracies in western Africa, the Republic of Ghana has now experienced decades of relatively stable political and economic progress.

ETIQUETTE: Kuwait is a relatively conservative Muslim country. Islam is the official religion of Kuwait, with 57% of the population being Arab. The population is around 2.5m, including 1m non-nationals. It is customary to exchange handshakes when introducing yourself, but when introducing yourself to...

set swapping. The NOC offers contractors three main investment options: an NOC pre-approved offset project; a project proposed by the contractor with NOC post-approval; or participation in offset funds developed or approved by the NOC. There is variation in the type of offset projects that the NOC can accept as proposals or propose itself, including joint ventures, greenfield...

Like many countries fortunate enough to post regular budget surpluses, Kuwait has sought to put its excess liquidity to work in international markets. According to the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) Institute, the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) represents the sixth-largest SWF in the world. Furthermore, although it has a broad mandate to invest both...