ICPE Member States News - 17.3.2010

Albania

Fourth mobile phone operator to be launched in June (Balkans.com): A fourth mobile phone operator in Albania is expected to be launched in June,the local media Shqip reported. “The launch of the fourth operator will increase competition andtherefore will affect the reduction of tariffs,” Chairman of ElectronicCommunications Authority, Piro Xhixho said in an interview for Shqip.

Bankers Petroleum gets lift from Albania (Calgary Herald): Investors are bidding Calgarybased Bankers Petroleum Ltd. shares ever higher after the company posted a dramatic one-third boost this month in its proven heavy oil reserves in Albania.

Algeria

Gazprom starts work in Algeria (Upi.com): Russian energy giant Gazprom announced it commenced drilling its first prospecting well in the Berkine basin in Algeria. The block is about 300 miles south of Algiers, the capital of Algeria, near gas production centers in the town of Hassi Messaoud.

Algeria Oil Min: Niger Coup Complicates Trans-Sahara Pipe Project (Wall Street Journal): A military coup in Niger is creating uncertainty on plans to build a trans-Saharan natural gas pipeline, Algeria's energy minister said Tuesday. Speaking to reporters here ahead of a meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Chakib Khelil, the minister for Energy and Mines said that because of the situation in Niger, "It's not at the same stage as it was before" for the pipeline. Last year, Niger signed an agreement with Nigeria and Algeria to build the $10 billion Trans-Sahara natural-gas pipeline, Africa's most costly pipeline and a cornerstone of Europe's strategy to diversify its energy supply.

Bangladesh

Despite slow growth, country’s macroeconomic outcome positive (Financial Express):Bangladesh's overall macroeconomic outcome in terms of real output growth and inflation remained positive, despite showing a slow growth in its external trade and investment activities following the global recession, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) said.

Energy shortage driving slowdown in Bangladesh (Steel Guru): The Financial Express reported that energy shortages are causing slowed down economic activities in Bangladesh. But the country's potential reserves of high energy some 2.5 billion tonnes of coal deposits of high grade are being kept buried underground from fruitless bickering over the manner of their extraction and pondering about alternatives.

PM seeks assistance from dev partners, donor agencies for economic uplift (The Financial Express): Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina Tuesday sought assistance from Bangladesh's development partners and donor agencies, particularly from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for economic development of the country, reports UNB.

Boosting up ties with China (The New Nation): The Prime Minster of Bangladesh is going to start her five-day state visit to People's Republic beginning from March 17, 2010. This will be her first visit to China since AL led grand alliance assumed the power. Though she had already drawn attention of the global community in various international forums and paid a significant visit to India, she has taken the decision to visit China at the end of her fourteen month office.

Professional skills must to ataining successes in baking sector (The New Nation):  Gaining professional skills is indispensable to atain professional success in the banking sector along with socio-economic development of the nation.

Macro-economic performance and puzzles (The Daily Star):  In an international Conference organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) in connection with its Golden Jubilee Celebration few years back, my favourite teacher and world-famous economist Dr Azizur Rahman Khan (best known as AR Khan) revealed a few pertinent puzzles that he observed in our macroeconomic calculus.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina invites RI investors (The Jakarta Post): Bosnia and Herzegovina seeks to attract Indonesia’s investors to invest in the country’s infrastructure, energy, agriculture and tourism in an effort to boost economic growth in the southeastern European state, says the envoy.

DRC

Total: Interested In Joining Tullow Oil's Congo Blocks (Wall Street Journal): Total SA (TOT) said Tuesday it is interested in joining Tullow Oil PLC's (TLW.LN) oil blocks in Congo, as the African nation becomes increasingly attractive for large international oil companies.

Guinea

Rio Tinto and Chinalco in Talks Over Guinea Mine (Wall Street Jouranl): Rio Tinto and Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. are in advanced talks to jointly develop the Simandou iron-ore project in the West African nation of Guinea, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Macedonia

Bulgaria's Central Cooperative Bank Secures Third Macedonian Buy (novinite.com): Bulgaria's Central Cooperative bank, part of the country's largest holding company Chimimport, has been given the green light to acquire a third bank in Macedonia by the country's financial supervision authorities.

Nepal

Godrej Sara Lee to set up insecticides plant in Nepal (Sify News): Godrej Sara Lee (GSLL), a joint venture between India's Godrej Group and the US' Sara Lee Corporation, is setting up a plant in Nepal to meet the growing demand for insecticides in the Himalayan republic.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka to double incomes (Strait Times): Fresh from the end of 30 years of civil war, Sri Lanka aspires to be a regional hub for aviation and shipping and plans to double per capita incomes in the next five years.

Syria

Syria, Germany Sign Letters on Technical Cooperation (SANA): The Syrian and German governments signed on Wednesday letters on technical cooperation at the State Planning Commission, according to which the German government will present a grant of Euro 12 million to participate in carrying out vital development projects.

Syrian Investment Authority Sign a Memo with Gulf Finance House (SANA): Syrian Investment Authority (SIA) signed, on behalf of the under construction Syrian Finance House (SFH), a memorandum of understanding with Gulf Finance House (GFH), as to develop an economic region and projects related to energy and phosphate exploration in Syria.

Tanzania

Pinda to Officiate at Kilimo Kwanza Workshop (AllAfrica.com): Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda will on Thursday officiate at the 15th Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) workshop whose theme is 'Kilimo Kwanza' in Dar es Salaam.

Zambia

Depositors Act coming- BoZ (Daily Mail): The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) is in the process of introducing a Deposit Protection Act and scheme to cushion depositors in case of bank failures.

Consider Zambia for higher funding (Zambia Daily Time): Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane has appealed to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to consider Zambia for a higher compact funding like it did to other countries in Africa and elsewhere which benefited from the scheme.

EDITED BY INTL. INTERNSHIP TEAM (ICPE INCUBATOR)

Ana Milić

Andreja Mamilovič

Rok Kogej

Špela Berlec