Category: Uncategorized

George Richani-CEO-Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait

Adapting for the future: The state government is leading the push for Industry 4.0

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With an eye on the long-term trends towards automation in manufacturing, Nuevo León’s government is looking to take on a leading role within Mexico to develop and adapt the state’s industrial sector, and to increase productivity and competitiveness, by shifting its focus towards research and development (R&D), innovation and higher value-added processes. In December 2017 the Chamber of Industry of Nuevo León (Camara de la Industria de Transformacion de Nuevo León, CAINTRA) estimated that the industrial sector will grow by nearly 3.6% in 2018, while also creating 60,000 new jobs. At a public event in February 2017 Nuevo León’s then-governor, Jaime Heliodoro Rodríguez Calderón, said

Éric N’guessan-Managing Partner-EY Côte d’Ivoire

Curricular update: Efforts under way to boost collaboration between industry and educational institutions under Nuevo León 4.0

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One of Nuevo León’s greatest assets is its universities, which are helping to develop a well-educated workforce. The state’s universities play a big role in helping foster collaboration between government agencies, industrial clusters and private companies, as well as helping to prepare the next generation of technical professionals. “Leadership is one of the main skills that needs to improve in Mexico, and the academic-industry link will ensure companies are provided with a well-trained labour force,” Jorge Escarcega, general manager at metrology manufacturer Mahr, told OBG.

President Alassane Dramane Ouattara

Shift towards diversification: Led by a dynamic manufacturing industry, the state is looking to support other areas of its economy

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

Nuevo León is the capital of advanced industry in Mexico; however, the state economy is not wholly dependent on manufacturing. In addition to a prosperous industrial base, Nuevo León has a well-developed banking industry, a growing construction sector, a robust logistics and transport sector, and increasingly dynamic energy and agriculture sectors. Strategic Clusters In 2004 the state government introduced a cluster strategy that brings together the government, the private sector and local universities to look for ways to maximise the development of new industries and

Chaim Zach-Managing Director and CEO-Agric International Technology and Trade; Kabiru Rabiu-Group Executive Director-BUA Group; and Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed-Managing Director

State of craft: Attention shifts to Hidalgo as an up-and-coming manufacturing powerhouse

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

The potential of Hidalgo as an industrial hub is hardly a new discovery, stemming back to the 1950s when the manufacturing city of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún in the southern municipality of Tepeapulco was founded as part of a federal government initiative to house the Mexican automotive producer National Diesel, also known as DINA, and national rail construction company Constructora Nacional de Carros de Ferrocarril (Concarril). Shortly after, the state began attracting other private companies in the automotive, metal, plastic and textile manufacturing industries. More recently a new focus has been placed on Hidalgo as global companies, new industrial parks and high-tech sectors are setting

Azeem Azimuddin-CFO and Advisor to Chairman-Aya Bank

Pursuing integration: The country seeks to strengthen ties with its neighbours

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  Tanzania is East Africa’s largest nation and has historically served as a gateway to many of the region’s landlocked states. Following independence in 1961, the country took on a more significant role in the area, becoming an influential mediator in the affairs of neighbouring countries. Today, securing stronger diplomatic and economic ties with its neighbours has become central to Tanzania, ensuring its competitiveness on both a regional and global scale. Post-Independence After gaining independence Tanzania took a staunch role in supporting other African nations in their liberation efforts, and opened up Dar es Salaam to headquarter numerous liberation movements. Julius Nyerere, the country’s first

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

Rules of engagement: Reform of industry regulation aimed at ensuring transparency

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  The regulatory framework for the energy sector in Tanzania is evolving rapidly. However, the sheer volume of changes has left many investors struggling to ensure compliance, and recent laws and regulations create potential conflicts with previously struck production-sharing agreements (PSAs). In addition to the Petroleum Law of 2015, which overhauled various upstream and midstream segments, another new law mandates that all new concessions, contracts and licences are public information, while legislation introduced in July 2017 covering all extractive activities has led to uncertainty over existing projects. A number of the reforms have been made to allow for more robust oversight, which should help to

Chaim Zach-Managing Director and CEO-Agric International Technology and Trade; Kabiru Rabiu-Group Executive Director-BUA Group; and Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed-Managing Director

Staying power: The public utility is forming new deals to guarantee gas supply

Posted OBG AdminPosted in Uncategorized

  A persistent shortage of gas has been a key challenge to electricity production in recent years, as the emirate’s installed power generation capacity is dominated by gas-powered facilities. State-owned hydrocarbons company Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) provides locally produced gas to the emirate’s electricity producer, the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA), from its fields via the Sajaa gas processing facility, but such local production only meets approximately 10% of SEWA’s feedstock requirements. As a result, SEWA is forced to source fuel from outside of the emirate. There have been occasions where the producer has not been able to secure enough gas, meaning it

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

Clean goals: Embracing potential to be a renewable energy powerhouse

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  Sri Lanka is poised to become a regional, and perhaps global, leader in renewable energy (RE) development, with the push to switch to a robust clean energy agenda coming in the wake of increasingly extreme weather patterns, which includes two years of severe drought that significantly reduced hydropower output. According to a May 2017 report published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and approved by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA), the country’s target of generating 100% of its power from renewable resources in the coming decades is feasible. As a signatory to the COP21 UN Conference

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

A recipe for success: Adjustments foster a more welcoming business environment

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  Tunisia’s rank in the World Bank “Doing Business” index was 88th among 190 economies in 2018, down from 77th in 2017 and 75th in 2016. While substantial barriers to investment remain, due in part to persisting malpractices and the uncertainty since the country’s revolution of 2011, the government is working towards improving key factors such as the stability of the tax system and the efficiency of the administration. Impediments to Investment  The local business environment is affected by a host of factors, including state-owned enterprises that play a large role in the economy, while foreigners first require permission from the government before they can

Nhon Luc Ly-CEO-AIA Myanmar; Son Nguyen-Country President-Chubb Life Insurance Myanmar; Daw Zarchi Tin-CEO

Home grown: Government incentives help the domestic market expand

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In recent years Tunisia’s tourism sector has turned increasingly towards the domestic market, with 50% of hotel occupancy coming from Tunisian nationals; allowing the sector a 20% increase in overnight stays. The stability of the domestic market, in addition to government-facilitated specialty rates for domestic citizens seeking accommodation, have enabled the sector to remain buoyant. Stable While the foreign market has fluctuated heavily in the years since 2015, domestic tourism has maintained its stability. Domestic tourism spending rose 30.8% in nominal terms between 2010 and 2017, rising from TD3.9bn (€1.5bn) to TD5.1bn (€1.96bn). With a rapidly increasing population, the country has favourable demographics for maintaining