Indonesia’s middle class (more than US$ 3000 available income per year) is rapidly expanding. Only 1.6 million people in 2004, it is now about 50 million people and according to analysts it will be close to 150 million in 2014. And they put their income to good use. Indonesians bought 8 million scooters and 750’000…
Tag Archive: Development
China – Power Stations Reduce Output
China’s generally very effective development machine faces new challenges. With inflation on the rise and heavily relying on export oriented low cost and energy intensive industries, China’s bureaucracy scrambles to keep electricity costs down. One might consider this to be an easy task. After all, utilities are state controlled and basically have to follow orders….
Ivory Coast – Obese Government
After he, decisively supported by the UN-troops ousted his rival Laurent Gbagbo, the rightful president of Ivory Coast Mr. Ouattara is now acceded to power. His newly presented cabinet features the astonishing number of 36 minsters. A figure so impressive that it is understandable that Ouattara had trouble to find enough distinguished tasks for all…
India – Indigenous Tribe More Important Than Aluminium Mine
Under the slopes of the mountain Niyamgiri – holy to the indigenous Indian tribe Dongriah Kond hide important deposits of bauxite (used to produce aluminum) that the company Vedanta plans to extract. An Avatar-like setting, however with a different outcome. The Indian ministry of environment now decided against the mine, since this would endanger the…
Transparency – USA Requires Corporations to Declare Money Flows to Developing Countries
Earnings stemming of natural resources frequently don’t benefit the local populations but are grabbed by officials, ministers, presidents including their (usually big) families, friends, clans, study colleagues, tribes etc. Preventing this phenomenon also know as the “resource curse” is the aim of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Participating states and corporations engage in publicly…
Development Aid – China One of the Biggest Recipient of Health Funding
China, now the second-biggest economy and disposing staggering 2.4 trillion US$ of currency reserves is one of the major recipients of development aid money aimed at improve health conditions and infrastructures in poor developing countries. More precisely, it is the fourth-biggest receiver of money for combating malaria and tuberculosis even though it is much less…
