GlobalSource Partners | Country Insights

In a context of an increase in the number of positive cases of the new coronavirus, declaration of the State of Emergency, imposition of the curfew and increasing economic paralysis, the Central Electoral Board has published the result of the municipal elections. These confirm victory for the opp...

Covid-19 in Venezuela

VENEZUELA · Report · 21 Mar 2020

Covid 19 is hitting a Venezuelan people already in a precarious state, lacking reliable supplies of basic services such as running water with which to wash their hands, and supplies of essential goods such as … food. It is also hitting a public health system that already was overwhelmed. This pan...

Coronavirus update - the Health Minister's statements and additional measures

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 20 Mar 2020

As of today, according to the Ministry of Health, there are 699 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Brazil, and eight fatalities. It is important to note that the Ministry will no longer release the number of suspected or dismissed cases, only confirmed cases. The Ibovespa closed at 66, 800, down 2...

8pm-6am curfew introduced as positive cases for coronavirus doubles

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · In Brief · 20 Mar 2020

Moments ago, President Danilo Medina signed a decree that set a curfew beginning today March 20 and ending on April 3. The curfew was set from 8pm through 6am. Exceptions were made for health, security, press and emergency personnel. Also the Minister of Public Health announced today that positiv...

Gulf weekly: Stimulus mixed with spending cuts as oil drops further and COVID cases double

GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 20 Mar 2020

The weekly is a skimmable summary of key developments by country, overlaid with our analysis, the outlook and links to further information. Headlines include: * Active coronavirus cases doubled in the Gulf, stabalizing in Bahrain but quadrupling in Saudi. * $75bn in stimulus measures were ann...

New Minister of economy, a strong manager or a debt restructuring pro – impression mixed

UKRAINE · In Brief · 20 Mar 2020

On March 17th parliament approved Igor Petrashko as Minister of Economy, Trade and Agriculture. Petrashko was Deputy Director of Ukrlandfarming, the agro-holding of oligarch Oleg Bahmatyuk, and he was the person who completed the debt restructuring of the holding. Due to that story observers joke...

Daily news on Covid 19, the car industry, special EU funds and fiscal reserves

HUNGARY · In Brief · 20 Mar 2020

The number of confirmed and active Covid-19 case rose from 70 to 75 over the last 24 hours. This would sound enviable for many countries, but the authorities keep stressing that the country is at the doorstep of mass infections, most probably with a view to avoiding that people take the situation...

GlobalSource Partners' Analyst Webinar Series: Turkey - Corona can change the politics and macro outlook

TURKEY · Report · 20 Mar 2020

In this webinar, Atilla speaks about the impact of the coronavirus on Turkey's domestic and international political dynamics.

Congress unanimously approved the declaration of National Emergency

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · In Brief · 20 Mar 2020

Yesterday, both chambers of Congress approved president Medina's request to declare the state of National Emergency. The law provides the president wider powers specifically to tackle the health and economic crisis associated the impact of Covid-19. The law states that two fundamental rights are ...

Village roadblocks in China

CHINA ADVISORY · Report · 20 Mar 2020

We conducted a telephone survey about access to seed and other goods through local transport by calling a number of Chinese villages. The data shows modest attempts by local villages to prevent entry, which could affect the agriculture sector. The data set is small but does suggest that there wil...

Gulf support and stimulus measures target SMEs

GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 19 Mar 2020

Gulf governments and central banks, except for Kuwait, have rolled out their first wave of monetary and fiscal packages in response to the oil slump and coronavirus crisis, totalling at least $75bn, a figure that mixes liquidity support for banks, loan deferrals and fiscal measures such as tax cu...

Coronavirus - latest measures

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 19 Mar 2020

As of today, the Ministry of Healthcare has announced that there are 428 coronavirus cases in Brazil, with suspected cases at 11, 278, dismissed cases at 1,841, and seven deaths from the virus. The Ibovespa closed at 69.389 +3.58 and the dollar stood at 5.1. The business sector is mobilizing t...

Russia grapples with coronavirus

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 19 Mar 2020

On March 19 Russia announced its first death from coronavirus. The country now has 199 cases. Worryingly, 35% of these cases were diagnosed on March 19. Is the disease spreading or are the authorities getting more efficient at finding infected people?Russia has one of the highest per capita numbe...

The South African Reserve Bank cuts interest rates by 100 basis points amid the Covid-19 pandemic

SOUTH AFRICA · Report · 19 Mar 2020

The South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has today announced that it is cutting the benchmark interest rate by 100 basis points from 6.25% to 5.25%, which means the prime lending rate also goes from 9.75% to 8.75%. This is an especially bold move from the normally c...

From bad to worse

ARGENTINA · Report · 19 Mar 2020

President Alberto Fernández says that now the problem is the economy, rather than the deficit -- meaning that the government will shift to prioritizing the preservation of income of workers and low-income families, and will try to contain the recession.His aim is no different from that of U.S. Pr...