International Business Opportunities

A report released yesterday over the attractiveness to investment of cellular communications markets in different countries, shows a high potential for growth in Asia and in the CIS countries (former Soviet Union).

The ten countries with the highest levels of attractiveness to investment include seven countries in South and Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan) and three from the CIS (Russia in 5th place, Ukraine in 7th, and Uzbekistan in 9th). […]

Central and Eastern Europe have lost much of their investment potential over the last two years as they have become increasingly saturated in terms of cellular network coverage. So European countries are offering increasingly few opportunities for investors, as the U.S. and Canada are still considered good targets for investment.

The report was carried out by a group of experts from the London Business School, Cambridge University, and the Russian School of Economics. (source: kommersant)

The raise of the costs to keep the Malacca Strait open and safe, may have as a consequence that shipping vessels could soon have to pay a fee to use it.

Littoral states Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have stepped up patrols of the Strait in response to a surge of concern over incidents of piracy that prompted London insurers Lloyds to list the region as a war-risk zone, boosting premiums [..]
The 900-km-long Malacca Straits links Asia with the Middle East and Europe, carrying about 40 percent of the world’s trade, including 80 percent of the energy supplies of Japan and China.

(source:Reuters)

A support to the proposal, from the International Maritime Organisation, a United Nations agency charged with safeguarding international shipping that groups 166 nations, will be crucial to set up a fee for Malacca strait’s users.