SOUTH AFRICA: Another ANC fudge or the beginning of Ace’s end?
While today brought slightly better-than-expected news on the economic front – with Q3 GDP growing at 13.5% q-o-q following the disastrous lockdown-related contraction of 16.6% in Q2 – on the political front an upside is not yet clear. Concluding a three-day ANC National Execut… Become a member to read the rest of this article […]
JAPAN: Suga puts his stamp on economic policy in new stimulus package
The Suga administration has unveiled a new stimulus package, the third stimulus package to counter the impact of Covid-19. While the new stimulus package is smaller than the first two, it includes a significant sum of money aimed at post-pandemic structural transformation. … Become a member to read the rest of this article
CHINA: Poised to dominate vaccine provision for the developing world in 2021
With the US and Europe prioritizing vaccine access for their own citizens, China could be the main source of vaccines for the developing world through at least early 2021.China’s success in controlling Covid-19 through aggressive test-and-trace policies increases Beijing’s flexi… Become a member to read the rest of this article
MACRO: Policy responses to Covid-19
MACRO: Policy responses to Covid-19Below is this week’s updated table on the health and economic policies that selected governments around the world are implementing to counter the fallout from Covid-19. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss any of… Become a member to read the rest of this article
GREECE: Struggling with the pandemic; betting on the EU recovery fund
The government has labored with the second Covid-19 wave after being praised for its sure-footed approach earlier in the pandemic crisis. Nevertheless, this has not yet had a significant impact on New Democracy’s opinion poll ratings. Athens submitted its Recovery Fund prop… Become a member to read the rest of this article
INDONESIA: The challenges for the new sovereign wealth fund
On Sunday, the Indonesian government announced that it had secured a USD 4bn pledge from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation for its soon-to-be-formed sovereign wealth fund, the Nusantara Investment Authority (NIA). The amount is on top of a possible USD 2bn from the U… Become a member to read the rest of this […]
UK/EU: High-level meeting could kick the can further down the road
The upcoming meeting between PM Boris Johnson and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen might be what is needed to finally get a trade deal signed off – or at least to prevent a collapse of the negotiations ahead of time. Johnson’s direct involvement is positive, because at… Become a member to read the […]
Far more to Renminbi than USD/CNY cross
The prevailing market view, as depicted in a recent Reuters article, is seemingly that Chinese policy makers are happy to allow further Renminbi appreciation versus the Dollar driven by a rising domestic trade surplus and strong capital account inflows. The Renminbi has indeed a… Become a member to read the rest of this article