Category: Country Reports
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May 2024
Kazakhstan’s ‘steady as she goes’ approach to international relations continues. President Tokayev is still walking a tightrope between the East, the West and Russia. At the same time he is dealing with the biggest domestic floods for 80 years so home affairs have been his major focus in April. As May begins his priority will…
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May 2024
Pakistan urgently needs a new IMF programme. It is also crying out for immediate economic reforms. The nation sits on a cliff edge in danger of a fall into a debt restructuring. We have a new government but are they up to the task? Coalition governments often make poor economic decisions as they try to…
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April 2024
The seemingly daily blame-game between the two main political parties continues apace, with the two blaming each other for a lack of democracy in the country. On the economic front, exports continue to surge with a third consecutive month of USD 5-billion plus earnings, while remittance collection also continues to show good numbers.…… Read the…
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April 2024
This month it is all about the money. As March opened USD1 was trading at EGP30.89. As it ended USD1 bought you EGP47.25. The much-anticipated floatation of EGP was long overdue – indeed, we predicted it six months ago. The knock on impact on prices has been painful for many but there has still been…
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February 2024
Pakistan remains completely cash strapped, pushing it to go cap in hand after loans and extensions in attempt to reduce pressure on external debt payments. Election campaigns are continuing quietly and voting day is not far away. Taking control of a country on the brink of bankruptcy is not a job for everyone but whoever…
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April 2024
Turnout in nationwide legislative elections was low, as expected. Conservatives – there was little else to choose from – will dominate the Majlis and Guardian Council in the next term. As the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement marks its first year, the agreement is holding up amid tensions in the region, with Iranian proxies coming under further pressure…