A long-term study of EIU’s proprietary Business Environment Rankings (BER) reveals that Vietnam improved its business environment the most between 2003 and 2023. The country achieved a 1.7-point forecasted improvement between 2003 and 2028 (out of 10), the highest of 82 countries. Vietnam’s meteoric rise in the index is due to its adoption of several […]
Commerzbank and Crypto Finance, a subsidiary of Deutsche Börse, are now offering Commerzbank’s corporate clients in Germany secure and easy access to crypto assets. The joint service will initially focus on bitcoin and ether, targeting selected existing Commerzbank corporate clients in Germany. Under this strategic partnership, Commerzbank will manage the custody of digital assets, while […]
Belgian economic growth came in at 0.2% in the second quarter of 2024. We currently expect GDP growth to remain stable in the third quarter. According to the latest statistics, Belgian economic growth came in at 0.2% in the second quarter of 2024. This is in line with the NAI’s earlier flash estimate but lower […]
ClearBank, the enabler of real-time clearing and embedded banking, today announced it has expanded into Europe, working to fulfil client demand for Euro settlement and accounts. The newly established ClearBank Europe N.V. secured a Credit Institution Licence from the European Central Bank, under the supervision of De Nederlandsche Bank. The licence underlines the bank’s leading […]
An alliance of left-wing parties pulled off a surprise victory in French parliamentary elections and is now the biggest force in French politics. The results were unexpected, with polls predicting National Rally would emerge as the dominant force after a commanding performance in the first round of voting last week. How this election translates into […]
Linkflow Capital’s annual SME financing research shows a significant tightening of credit conditions for Singapore SMEs in 2023, with average loan quantum dropping 42% to $130,000 from $224,000 in 2021. The study, based on data from 2,466 unique users of Linkflow Capital’s SME loan comparison portal, reveals that average business loan interest rates spiked to […]
Improving access to, and the quality of, skills development will help Africa harness the growth potential of a fast-growing and increasingly skilled workforce of young Africans, according to the 2024 edition of Africa’s Development Dynamics: Skills, Jobs and Productivity, published today. 85% of the total expected increase in the global working-age population by 2050 will […]
The Spanish tourism industry recovered with great strength post-pandemic, with most resort destinations experiencing a surge in air traffic boosted by connectivity improvements in 2023, including new international routes. Despite the emergence of alternative sun destinations and further development of direct competitive markets (Italy, Greece, Portugal, etc.), Spanish resorts consolidated their position as the leading […]
Banks and other lenders shared a mostly positive outlook for the asset-based lending market in the first quarter, fueled by predictions of a soft landing for the U.S. economy. But they are mindful of looming regulatory changes and continue to monitor portfolios for signs of post-pandemic stress, according to data released by the Secured Finance Network […]
Once overlooked by the global tech industry, 2024 marks Latin America (LatAm) as the best region for tech “unicorns”, and particularly fintech start-ups, to emerge as game-changers and industry leaders. Worldwide, businesses are realising the advantages of the region’s emerging tech talent and market potential and are flocking to be part of the exponential growth […]
