Overview

Technical and vocational training improve employment rates around the world
OBG
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Although priorities vary when it comes to economic development, the increasing need for skilled labour is both a cause of and a requirement for accelerated growth across markets. This demand for technical specialists is often most concentrated in the sectors that are vital to economic advancement, including infrastructure, oil and gas exploration and extraction, and value-add processes for agricultural…

Overview

Demand for pharmaceutical products is rising worldwide
OBG
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In recent decades, the pharmaceutical market has expanded its geographical reach. This trend appears to be here to stay; in a survey of major pharmaceutical firms conducted by global consulting firm PwC’s Strategy& team, more than half of respondents anticipated that over 30% of their global sales would originate in emerging markets by 2018. Even in the most newly opened markets, drug…

Overview

Long-term plans to improve Algeria's hotel market
OBG
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A diverse land of thermal springs, mountains, historic sites, vast desert and unspoilt Mediterranean coastline, Algeria offers a remarkable variety of activities for travellers. However, a decade-long civil war ending in 2002 and an antiquated transport infrastructure network has curtailed growth in the tourism sector, alongside negative perceptions abroad and a cumbersome visa regime. These…

Overview

OBG Business Barometer: Algeria CEO Survey
OBG
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While the 2014-17 period saw the effectiveness of the import ban called into question and was marked by a significant drop in oil receipts, recovering commodity prices in 2018 appear to be bolstering both local business sentiment and economic growth prospects. The results of the second OBG Business Barometer: Algeria CEO Survey, gathered through face-to-face interviews with 90 of the country’s top…

Overview

Increased public spending and improved investment climate benefits Algeria's economic performance
OBG
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Recovering international oil prices and a loosening of the government’s purse strings have afforded Algeria some breathing room after a number of challenging years for the economy. As Africa’s most important gas exporter, Algeria remains highly dependent on the hydrocarbons sector for the majority of its government’s revenues and almost the entirety of its exports. Despite reforms to encourage…

Overview

Focus on renewables adds to Algeria's commitment to fossil fuels
OBG
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The steep fall of oil prices in 2014 underlined the extent to which the Algerian economy, already under pressure from growing domestic demand for energy and decreasing output, was dependent on hydrocarbons. Algeria is now facing the challenges of reforming and revitalising this strategic sector and, through state-owned energy company Sonatrach and its SH2030 Leading the Change strategy, is giving shape…

Overview

Medium-term prospects suggest globalisation is set to continue
OBG
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Decades of growth in trade and foreign investment have seen global economies become more interconnected than ever before. This trend has been reinforced by the steady liberalisation of international trade and investment, at the bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral levels. National economic specialisations, and regional economic and political integration, have broadly proceeded in a single direction…

Overview

How well founded is the positive outlook of CEOs?
OBG
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With the import ban launched in 2016 having coincided with a drop in energy prices, in early 2018 Algeria started to rethink, with a view at improving the country’s finances and easing a challenging tax situation. In June 2018 Parliament duly approved a measure replacing the ban on certain products with Customs duties. The 2014-17 period saw the effectiveness of the import ban being called into…

Overview

Impacts of lower corporate tax rates on developed and developing economies
OBG
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Recent decades have seen a downward trend in corporate taxation, with headline corporate tax rates falling by 20 percentage points since the early 1980s. The average for advanced economies dipped to 22% in 2015, and investment incentives have further reduced effective rates for transnational corporations. After the 2007-08 global financial crisis, many countries had to slash spending and raise revenue…

Overview

Algeria expands its water infrastructure and natural gas network
OBG
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Despite being rich in fossil fuels, Algeria faces challenges in its utilities sector in terms of distribution and efficiency. While the provision of electricity is a non-issue – though sustainable generation notably is – the rate of household connections to the natural gas network is in need of improvement, especially outside major cities. Drinking water is largely secure, yet business needs are…