IFC – International Finance Corporation: Eliminating Poverty, One Loan at a Time

The famed Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto has said it all along: The world’s destitute are oftentimes somewhat less poor than they think. It’s just that untold millions are toiling away in the informal economy and as such remain under

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Bangladesh: Steadily Moving Up without Beating the Drum

Skipping the usual ado and almost silently, Bangladesh is moving up the ladder and surpassing its local peers in a number of key areas such as health and education. During the past decade, the country has managed to greatly improve

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Ernst & Young, Argentina: Trusts, Tax Evasion and Money Laundering

By Horacio López Tax division partner at Ernst & Young Argentina On June 30, 2013, it will be a year since General Resolution No. 3312 became effective, and in July it will expire once again, this time for 2012. This

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Looking for a Fig Leaf: US & UK Mull Punitive Action against Syria

Here we go again. The US and Britain are whipping themselves once more into a frenzy over the actions of an evil strongman in the Middle East. This time around the recipient of American and British ire is Syrian president

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Connecting a Country: Iraq Gears Up for a Telecoms Leap

In Iraq the budding telecom sector is to spearhead the country’s drive to full economic recovery. The Baghdad government has adopted a series of policies to encourage the sector’s growth through innovation and the early adoption of new technologies. The

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The Equator Principles: Banking on Sustainability

Financial institutions worldwide are increasingly benchmarking their larger investment projects to the Equator Principles of social and environmental risk assessment. A third and more comprehensive edition of these guiding principles has now been drawn up and is being used by

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Indian Rupee Looking for a Line in the Sand

Earlier this week, Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram unveiled a comprehensive – and long-awaited – plan to improve the country’s crumbling infrastructure by reviving no less than 36 stalled projects. The government has earmarked over $28bn (€21.2bn, £17.7bn) to finance

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Use of Chemical Weapons in Damascus: UN Voices Deep Shock and Concern

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his shock at reports of alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria’s Damascus suburbs yesterday, as a United Nations team continues to investigate the matter in other parts of the war-torn country. Following a late-day closed-door

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Assaulting Freedom to Protect Freedom: UK Government Gets Tough on Press

Legislation aimed at preventing acts of terrorism is now being misused to intimidate reporters and the media they work for. In the UK, police authorities invoked Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to question for nine hours David Miranda,

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Revamping the Gezira Scheme: Sudan Seeks Food Security with Rice

A single grain of rice can tip the scale. It may also contribute to the realisation of food security in Sudan where, according to UN estimates, up to 12% of the population may need some form of nutritional assistance. Rice

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