Also in the news...
Growth Gateway: Laos sustainability opportunities
Laos could unlock up to £270 million in GDP and create 55,000 jobs by 2030 through targeted climate investments in agriculture, energy and forestry.
UK Trade Envoy in Cambodia to boost trade and investment
UK Trade Envoy Matt Western MP visits Cambodia to strengthen trade and investment ties and support Cambodia’s sustainable economic development.
Who is subject to financial sanctions in the UK?
A guide to the current consolidated list of asset freeze targets, and a list of persons named in relation to financial and investment restrictions under the Russia regulations
Homes for Ukraine visa sponsorship scheme: privacy notice
Homes for Ukraine visa sponsorship scheme: How we use personal data.
Check duties and customs procedures for exporting goods
Find information about how to move goods from the UK to the rest of the world.
Slovakia: Credit Crunch? What Credit Crunch!
Productivity in the region has not always been high, but the Slovakian economy has a greater chance of improving in the face of the credit crunch than longer established economies such as the UK.
MILLY BERNICE discusses why the credit crunch could end up working in Slovakia's favour.
A report in the Slovakias biggest economic newspaper Hospodřské Noviny called for greater competition in the telecommunications and energy markets. The report from liberal economic think tank FA Hayek, also suggests that the government should reduce red-tape to persuade new companies to enter these markets in Slovakia. The government is said to be in favour of encouraging healthy competition.
The report explained that productivity in the region has not always been high, but that the Slovakian economy has a greater chance of improving in the face of the credit crunch than longer established economies such as the UK.
This follows news that the Slovakian banks are unlikely to need any rescue packages, with only one bank in the region falling out of the black. Slovakian based banks have not invested in the US securities markets that have been at the centre of the credit crunch, and customer deposits outweigh borrowing by 20%. Unlike much of Europe, including near neighbour Hungary, the banks collectively made a profit in excess of 500m Euros in 2008.