EIU Country Analysis

COUNTRY BRIEFING The local elections, that were due to be held on May ##th ####, have been postponed until March ##nd ####. The elections were first scheduled for May ####, but were later postponed on the grounds that they were

COUNTRY BRIEFING Kenya#;s largest-ever privatisation, the flotation of ##% of the mobile- phone operator, Safaricom-the country#;s most profitable firm-for an estimated KSh##bn (US$###m), finally started in March, after several months#; delay. The part-sale

COUNTRY BRIEFING Post-election disruption, with the negotiations to create a broad-based government of national unity, will have a significant impact on the fiscal accounts in ####/##, as pressure for extra spending will rise to fund reconstruction, the

COUNTRY BRIEFING On March ##th, a demonstration organised by the main consumer organisations, Association des consommateurs senegalais (Ascosen) and Union nationale des consommateurs (UNC), ended in a battle between demonstrators and police. This is the second time in a few

COUNTRY BRIEFING Following the agreement with the Indian Farmers#; Fertiliser Co-operative (IFFCO) for the recapitalisation of Industries chimiques du Senegal (ICS), which was due to come into effect on March ##st, an interim solution has been found for dealing

COUNTRY BRIEFING While the opposition maintains a tough stance against the government, the president, Abdoulaye Wade, is showing some signs of softening towards the main opposition parties. Two approaches have recently been made. First, the president declared that he was

COUNTRY BRIEFING Inflation has continued to soar, reaching ##.#% year on year in March (the highest since the hyper-inflation of the early ####s), making this the government#;s biggest macroeconomic challenge. Rising food prices (##% of the consumer

COUNTRY BRIEFING A poor cereal harvest, coupled with rising prices for imported food, is forcing the government to announce urgent, if belated, action. Only after the poor harvest in #### was confirmed-even though it had been forecast by various

COUNTRY BRIEFING The parliamentary election scheduled for #### is expected to be held in either August or October. If, as current indications suggest, King Mswati III dissolves parliament in August, a mid- to late October date would both meet the

COUNTRY BRIEFING According to the Financial Times, world rice prices increased by ##% in the two weeks to April #th. The price jump coincided with the banning of foreign sales by some of the leading exporting countries, including China, Egypt

COUNTRY BRIEFING The electricity shortages experienced in South Africa in recent months have affected Swaziland, which sources ##% of its power supply from Eskom, the South African power utility. Swaziland started experiencing sustained power cuts in late January, when Eskom

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Profile articles provide a concise overview of an industry in a particular country. They are designed to brief senior executives on key local players, on demand and consumption, and on supply and production. Overview Although

China Investment Corp (CIC), China#;s sovereign wealth fund, announced in the state media that it would invest as a limited partner in a US$#bn fund with a US-based investment firm, JC Flowers. CIC will provide US$#

Microsoft (US) expects to close a Nkr#.#bn bid for Fast Search & Transfer, a Norwegian high-technology company, by April ##th ####. Fast Search develops Internet search engines for businesses and is also developing a number of high-tech products

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: The king, Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz al-Saud, will maintain a cautious approach to economic and political reform. This reflects his overarching need to balance the interests

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Executive summary E-readiness, as the Economist Intelligence Unit defines it, is the measure of a country#;s ability to leverage digital channels for communication, commerce and government in order to further economic and social

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT International tourist arrivals fell in #### but have been on a gradual rising trend since ####. However, tourist arrivals in #### were around ##% lower than their peak level in ####. The imposition of stricter

FROM THE ECONOMIST India#;s financial system prizes stability over vigour. It achieves neither IN INDIA, financial instruments were once things of beauty. People who had no access to banks, or no faith in them, invested their savings in gold

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT US inflation rose to #.#% month on month in March after stalling in February, while annual inflation remained high at #%. Month-on-month inflation was boosted by a #.#% increase in energy

Country Commerce Norway Released April #### The Economist Intelligence Unit ### West ## th Street New York NY##### USA The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders