The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Friday that it has approved a loan of $1 billion for Kazakhstan in an effort to help counter an economic slowdown driven by a tumble in global oil prices that forced the nation to devalue its currency, the tenge. “This loan from ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility will give the country the fiscal leeway … Continue reading
By Qingzhen Chen Jokowi’s revamped cabinet features experienced technocrats appointed to boost the largest economy in Southeast Asia. Domestic business insiders welcomed the cabinet reshuffle, but remain cautious as they wait for better policy coherence and direction. Just ten months into his first term, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo replaced six ministers in a 34-official cabinet on Wednesday. … Continue reading
By IMF Russia’s economy is expected to contract by 3.4 percent in 2015, although growth should return in 2016. Medium-term growth prospects are modest due to slow progress in implementing structural reforms, according to the IMF’s latest economic health check. The dual external shock of lower oil prices and geopolitical tensions are key factors exerting … Continue reading
China, the world’s second-largest economy, could be the next country to join the zero interest rate club, according to Oxford Economics. “There is a risk that Chinese short-term rates will approach the zero ‘lower bound’ by 2016,” said Adam Slater, an economist at Oxford, in a research note on Tuesday. Oxford’s Slater believes that China’s economic … Continue reading