Showing 1 - 10 of 187
Being graft-free is good for business
News, Published on 25/09/2024
» Risks of corruption and bribery are key factors that multinational companies take into account when deciding to invest money or conduct business in Thailand. Early this month, a well-known US-based company selling farm and construction equipment paid $10 million (329 million baht) to settle charges from the US Securities and Exchange Commission after its Thai subsidiary was found bribing government officials to secure procurement contracts from the Department of Highways (DoH) and the Department of Rural Roads (DRR).
Data can unlock more financing
Oped, Published on 06/08/2024
» Late last month, the United Nations convened world leaders and development experts in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to try to focus minds on the need for more development finance. In the face of tight government budgets, a looming debt crisis, and the chronic challenge of attracting private investment, the outlook for many developing countries -- especially in Africa -- seems bleak.
Poorest countries can't be ignored
Published on 18/06/2024
» They are home to a quarter of humanity -- 1.9 billion people. They possess prized natural resources, including one-fifth of the world's copper and gold reserves, as well as many of the rare metals essential for the transition to clean energy. Their working-age populations are set to expand for the next five decades amid demographic decline nearly everywhere else. Yet a historic reversal is underway among the world's 75 countries eligible for grants and low-interest loans from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA).
Being protectionist and world leader isn't possible
News, Published on 31/05/2024
» President Joe Biden likes to call the United States "the indispensable nation". By that, he means that America is the only power simultaneously mighty and benevolent enough to preserve whatever is left of a liberal order -- one in which rules and multilateral institutions govern, among other things, a system of relatively free international finance and trade.
The 'billions to trillions' charade
Oped, Published on 23/05/2024
» The international development sector has become fixated on calculating financing gaps. Hardly a day goes by without new estimates of the funds low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) need to meet their climate targets and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Why the US can't win trade war with China
Oped, Published on 22/05/2024
» Allegations about China's manufacturing overcapacity have sparked heated discussions among policymakers. During her visit to China in April, US Treasury Secretary Janet L Yellen reportedly argued that "when the global market is flooded by artificially cheap Chinese products, the viability of American and other foreign firms is put into question", adding that it was the same story a decade ago.
The WTO's investment challenge
Oped, Published on 01/03/2024
» Every country is eager to attract foreign direct investment -- and for good reason. FDI facilitates capital inflows, creates jobs, drives skills development and facilitates technology transfers, accelerating economic growth and enabling recipient countries to access global markets.
Going green on catalytic capital
Oped, Published on 28/02/2024
» The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28) concluded with a landmark agreement to shift away from fossil fuels and triple the world's renewable-energy capacity. While this is a step in the right direction, how can we ensure that emerging economies have the necessary resources to achieve a just clean-energy transition?
A tale of nickel and copper
News, David Fickling, Published on 23/02/2024
» The world's biggest miner, BHP Group Ltd, grew powerful by building dominant positions in producing the minerals of the future. That makes the challenges it's facing with two key clean-tech ingredients a sobering lesson for the energy transition.