EIU Country Analysis

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: The political weakness of Mr Lugo (a former priest who took office in August ####), and the divisions within his coalition, will become increasingly exposed as he contends with

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: The political outlook will remain unstable, with another early election likely within the forecast period. The two main parties hold a similar number of seats in the

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: The political outlook will remain unstable, with another early election likely within the forecast period. The two main parties hold a similar number of seats in the ###-seat

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The #### Banking Law does not recognise investment banks per se, but the Ministry of Finance allows securities companies to broker, deal and underwrite securities, as well as operate investment funds. The state plays an

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: With just three months to go before a general election, it seems all but inevitable that the senior partner in the incumbent coalition, the centre-right CDU

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Europe: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (Euro/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [RWE (Australia)] Austin Engineering (ASX:ANG) plans to acquire a dump truck body business in Chile. The signing of the binding letter of intent precedes the overall completion of the acquisition, which will be conditional upon * completion

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Venezuela operates a mandatory public social-security system that provides for retirement, survivorship and disability. Benefits are meagre, as a result of widespread corruption and mismanagement. The Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (Instituto Venezolano de

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Israel: Tel Aviv ### (##/##=###) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Germany: Frankfurt Xetra Dax (##/##/##=####) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Taiwan: Weighted Price (#/##/##=###) Wall Street Journal/Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] Wielding high fines, Greece#;s health ministry on Wednesday launched a nationwide smoking ban -- the third this decade -- in a bid to eliminate the habit in Europe#;s most nicotine-addicted nation. As

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: Indonesia (Rupiah/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

Sweden remains a popular destination for foreign direct investment Sweden will continue to offer a highly favourable environment for foreign investors. There are few restrictions on foreign ownership of firms and property, and generally, regulations do not discriminate between domestically

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Peru: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (New.Soles/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Dpa English] German retail sales unexpectedly rose for the third consecutive month in May, the nation#;s statistics office said Wednesday. Adjusted for inflation and seasonal swings and excluding car sales, retail sales in Europe#;s biggest

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The following is an extract from our full Energy Report for this country Demand. Coal consumption was #.#m tonnes oil equivalent (mtoe) in ####, a decline of nearly ##% between #### and ####. Consumption

Policy towards private enterprise and competition ####-##: The role of the government in the economy rises sharply as the private sector, even outside of the financial industry, is hit by the financial crisis and the economic downturn. ####-##

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The General Sales Tax (GST) Code, passed via Law ##/####, introduced a tax system that was implemented in phases and applied a sales tax to most goods and services. In theory, Ministerial Decree ###

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The Baltic states are deepening their recessions to reach the safe haven of the euro zone--but they may be shut out. The Baltic states, despite facing double-digit falls in GDP this year, are

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: U.S. (US$/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia Pulse Businesswire] Pfizer, one of the world#;s largest research-based pharmaceutical companies, has committed to increase research and development investments in Turkey. Phizer signed Monday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkey#;s Prime Ministry

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Colombia: IGBC (#/#/##=####.##) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Pawn shops have always been a significant source of financing for small businesses and individuals in Indonesia. The bulk of business goes to state-owned Perusahaan Umum Pegadaian (PUP), the country#;s only licensed pawn

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Given that the state of the domestic jobs market has dented consumer confidence, tourists have provided a welcome mainstay for retailers--tourism spending is equivalent to around ##% of retail sales in Hong Kong. The

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: U.S. (US$/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Israel: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (New.Sheqalim/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] The buying and selling of the make-believe currencies used in online gaming has become so widespread that Chinese authorities fear it will affect the real economy. To quell that threat, those authorities said

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Slovakia: SAX Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Pakistan: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (Rupees/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia Pulse Businesswire] The Pakistan beverages industry is constantly growing and currently has reached a $# billion benchmark, while in the last eight to nine months the industry also witnessed ## per cent growth. This was disclosed

The building of new factories or the expansion of existing ones may require approval from local authorities and often from the central government. In general, factories with an area of ### sq metres need municipal permits. Industrial concentration is strictly

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] The Treasury Department laid out the details on Friday of its proposal for dealing with bank stock warrants it received in return for cash injections into troubled banks. Banks that have repaid the money

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Large importers seek tools to hedge currency risk Growing doubts about the sustainability of the government#;s fixed official exchange rate of BsF#.##:US$# is prompting large importers to seek means of hedging

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Japan: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (Yen/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Daily Telegraph (UK)] SIR Win Bischoff, the former chairman of Citigroup, has emerged as the front runner to take the chairmanship at Lloyds Banking Group. Sir Win, ##, and British trade minister Lord Davies have been viewed

FROM THE ECONOMIST It is easier to dump a home loan if a friend has done so too. HOUSE prices in America have fallen so far that as many as one in five households have mortgage debt greater than the

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: Singapore (Singapore$/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [World News Connection] Britain has been encouraging the country#;s major companies to invest more in Egypt, Chief Executive of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Sir Andrew Cahn said in statements Tuesday [## June]. Sir Andrew further

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The following is an extract from our full Telecoms and Technology Report for this country The number of Internet subscribers has grown substantially in recent years, following initially slow take-up during the ####s and

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: After a modest and short-lived revival in popular support in March and April, the ruling LDP is once again looking into the political abyss, with the

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Norway: Oslo Benchmark Index (##/##/##=###) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] General Motors Corp. said Wednesday that sales in China jumped ## percent in the first half of this year, helped by strong demand for its minivans and other small vehicles. GM sold more than ###

Policy towards private enterprise and competition ####-##: Concessions, rather than outright privatisations, remain the norm and include hospitals, prisons, urban drainage, irrigation, dams and highways. Reform of the civil service picks up speed. ####-##: Strengthening of transparency in

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The Capital Market and Financial Institution Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK) reported that there were ### pension funds in Indonesia at end-####. Pension assets totalled Rp##.#trn at end-#### and Rp##.#trn at end

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Philippines: Manila Composite (#/#/##=###) Wall Street Journal/Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Thai Press Reports (Thailand)] First Gen Corp. is considering to bid for the independent power producer (IPP) contracts of the ###-megawatt (MW) Casecnan hydroelectric power plant in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija. "We are interested in Casecnan because

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] Poor planning has led to rising costs and huge delays for a nuclear reactor going up in Finland, the country#;s biggest-ever construction project, officials said. The plant on the island of

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Xinhua News Agency (CEIS) (China)] China#;s truck market still faces challenges in May, despite soaring output and sales of the whole auto industry during the month. But some sub-type sectors reported good performances. The dump

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Abbott Laboratories plans to appeal a jury#;s $#.## billion patent infringement ruling in a case involving two blockbuster drugs that treat rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disorders. Late Monday, a jury in the

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Egypt has long relied on a relatively small number of exports for foreign exchange. Most of these have been in services--notably in tourism and Suez Canal trade--though exports of crude oil and related

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: The ruling centre-left coalition, comprising the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party (SV) and the Centre Party, has some two months remaining of its four-year

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: Mr Key#;s government enjoys strong public support and a large parliamentary majority by New Zealand#;s standards, putting it in a good position to push through

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Marketwatch] Carrefour CEO Lars Olofsson on Tuesday detailed plans to reinvent the "hypermarket" format in France and to streamline the group#;s organization as he updated investors for the first time on the retailer#;s efforts to

Industry Report Telecoms and technology France July #### Economist Intelligence Unit ## Red Lion Square London WC#R #HQ United Kingdom Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Bangkok Post (Thailand)] Acer has taken on another challenge to prove how successful it can be in the Thai market after the company announced its new product line, Gateway. Acquired by Acer two years ago, Gateway was

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] Kirin Holdings Co. (####) is expected to report a consolidated pretax profit of about ## billion yen for the first six months of the year, a ##% increase from the same period a

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [ADP France News] French retailer Carrefour (EPA:CA) said on Tuesday it expects an operating profit of EUR #.# billion-#.# billion (USD #.#bn-#.#bn) in ####, which represents a ##% decline on

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [American Banker] Bank of New York Mellon Corp. announced Tuesday that it bought a minority stake in NasdaqOMX Group Inc.#;s international derivatives-clearing group. The group serves as a designated clearing organization for clearing and settling

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: Hungary (Forint/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Russia: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY close (Rubles/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Monetary system: Overview Bank Indonesia (the central bank--BI) is relatively autonomous and operates on inflation-targeting principles. Faced with inflationary pressures imported by food and fuel prices, the central bank#;s policy in ####

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: Sweden (Swedish Krona/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Peru: Lima General IGBVL (##/##/##=###) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The activities of venture-capital firms abruptly halted during the regional financial crisis of ####-## and recovery has yet to be seen the industry. According to press reports, the total assets of venture-capital

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Despite global financial instability during ####, Indonesia#;s banks remain well insulated from the sort of financial crisis that the country faced a decade ago. Sustained and responsible credit growth, improving rates on non-performing

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: U.S. (US$/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Thailand: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (Baht/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: UK: London Financial Times ## (#/#/##=###) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates)] The UAE has been chosen as the location for the International Renewable Energy Agency headquarters because of the country#;s political stability, infrastructure and research programmes, development experts said on Tuesday. Khaled

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## Attempts by both the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance to increase their representation in national and state parliaments will ensure that the

Policy towards private enterprise and competition ####-##: The government plays more of a role in the financial sector through its ownership of two banks and stakes in others, and supports employment in the non-financial sector. ####-##: The

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The government and the Central Bank of Venezuela (Banco Central de Venezuela--BCV) introduced currency controls in early #### in an effort to stem capital flight and protect foreign reserves. The official rate of exchange

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Australia: All Ordinaries (#/#/##=###) Wall Street Journal/Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Daily Telegraph (UK)] [Questor column] COMPANIES that can snap up assets cheaply in the downturn will emerge strong the other side and yesterday BG group made a wise acquisition, entering a new market close to the bottom

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Nigeria SE All Share Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Venezuela#;s bank branches traditionally have been concentrated in middle class and upper class districts, but have started to move into lower-income areas, including slums and shantytowns that surround principal cities. Microlending stood at

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [MarketWatch Bullets] Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., teva the Jerusalem drugmaker, said on Wednesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the company to market a generic version of Ortho McNeil Janssen#;s jnj Ortho Tri

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Stock Price Index: Czech Republic: PX## (#/#/##=###) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

Policy towards private enterprise and competition ####-##: A backlash against reforms may delay efforts to improve the competitive environment. ####-##: The telecommunications, housing, pharmaceutical, energy, legal-services and retail sectors are deregulated further. Policy towards foreign investment ####

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Short-term financing: Overview Foreign firms and individuals may obtain funds within Venezuela without limit and there are no particular guarantees required for them to access the credit market. Banks are generally willing to lend

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: New Zealand (NZ$/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] Sales of new cars in Spain slumped by ##.# percent in June on a ##-month basis, the national association of car manufacturers Anfac said on Wednesday. However, this was a smaller

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: Switzerland (Swiss Franc/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

Sweden is expected to remain one of the most attractive business locations in the world over the next five years. The business environment rankings score falls slightly between the forecast period (####-##) and the historical period (####-##), owing

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The leasing sector has been reduced to playing a limited role in Venezuela. Poor returns and legal instability have forced all but one of the leasing companies into the arms of banks. Some banks that

FROM THE ECONOMIST If competition in banking leads to too much risk-taking, the right remedy is better supervision. RICKY GERVAIS, a comedian, tells a story about an anxious flight. When informed that the airline no longer offered newspapers to

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [ADP Nordic News] Norway#;s seasonally-adjusted retail sales index, measured by volume, went up by #.#% month-on-month in May ####, Statistics Norway said today. Over the same period, the volume index, excluding fuel

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Canada: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (Canadian$/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: Australia (Australian$/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Denmark: Spot Exchange Middle Rate, NY Close (Kroner/US$) Wall Street Journal data SOURCE: ViewsWire

COUNTRY VIEW FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT OUTLOOK FOR ####-## DOMESTIC POLITICS: The Labor Party, led by Mr Rudd, has a commanding majority in the House of Representatives (the lower house) and a strong public mandate. After one-half

COUNTRY BRIEFING FROM HAVER ANALYTICS Euro Spot Closing: U.S. (US$/Euro) Financial Times data SOURCE: ViewsWire

Policy towards private enterprise and competition ####-##: Telecommunications competition increases, but greater energy competition may be restrained by emergence of new energy giants in Belgium. Liberalisation of general services from end-####. ####-##: Regions become more important as

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The Venezuelan Economic and Social Development Bank (Banco de Desarrollo Economico y Social de Venezuela--Bandes) is a government-owned financial institution created in #### that provides credits and loans to government agencies, private businesses

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The four state banks are Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia and Bank Tabungan Negara. The largest private domestic banks include Bank Central Asia (BCA), Bank Pan Indonesia (Panin) and Bank Mega. Total

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Moj News Agency (Iran)] Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Saeedi held talks in Moscow with Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia`s Rosatom State Atomic Corporation. "The Iranian delegation and officials of Rosatom

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The following is an extract from our full Consumer Goods and Retail Report for this country The Polish retail landscape has been transformed since the mid-####s, as multinational hypermarket chains have entered the market

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT SOURCE: Country Finance

Pyramids Zona Franca Egypt, a new industrial zone is set to proceed following the memorandum of understanding signed in October #### between Pyramids Industrial Parks (a privately-owned Egyptian firm) and Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (Spain) to