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The Philippines business processing outsourcing (BPO) sector is fast developing into one of the pillars of the nation’s economy, with both earnings and employment levels soaring in recent years, though there are concerns that international competition, rising costs and staff shortages could undermine future growth.

With an announcement that a 35% stake in its national carrier is up for sale, the Kuwaiti government has taken another step towards privatising Kuwait Airlines, a project that has been in the works since 2008. At the same time, efforts are under way to build a national railway, with the government recently signing a contract with a consortium of consultancy firms to undertake research on a proposed rail link between Kuwait International Airport (KIA) and the country’s ports.

Jordan’s recently unveiled five-year national tourism strategy foresees the private sector playing a growing role in the sector, with the eventual goal of doubling the industry’s contribution to GDP.

Abu Dhabi has surpassed 1m hotel guests for the first half of the year and seems likely to achieve its tourism aims for 2011, although increased competition could eat into margins in the longer term.

L’accès aux soins de santé au Maroc progresse rapidement à tous les niveaux du spectre socio-économique, et ce, en partie grâce à la mise en œuvre d’un nouveau programme gouvernemental qui vise à étendre la gratuité des soins aux habitants à faible revenu, ainsi qu’à une augmentation des investissements privés dans les établissements sanitaires électifs afin de promouvoir le tourisme médical.

Ghana’s cocoa industry has enjoyed a bumper crop this year, on the back of favourable weather conditions. During the most recent primary harvest period, from September 2010 through May 2011, the sector produced just over 900,000 tonnes of cocoa, up substantially from 623,000 tonnes the previous year. An additional 80,000 tonnes of production is expected during the three-month light crop period that began in June 2011, which should bring the annual total to just below 1m tonnes.