Afa press partner on Dominican Republic

Business & Investment, one of AFA Press partner agencies, recently released a special country report on Dominican Repúblic. The country report was published within the Spanish newspaper El Pais, market leader and one of the top references between the country’s publications, on Thursday, January 31, 2013. This special report was elaborated by the agency thanks to on-site investigations done by one of its teams, which spent several months in the Caribbean country in order to gather all the first hand information the possible and interview the most relevant characters in the nation. The results of this journalistic work can also be read at AFA’s on-line content platform Worldfolio.

One of the stories to be heard is the one of Barceló Rums. Currently marketed by Dominican-Spanish conmany BEICA, it was originally grown by Spanish businessman Juan Barceló in 1930, just one year after arriving to America. The connection between the two Barceló´s nations keeps strong, as now a days Spain is the largest Barceló buyer, receiving the 50% of its total production, while the other half is shared between Dominican Republic and the est of the foreign markets. Barceló didn’t begin its international propelling until 1992, feature that can give a proper idea of the growth rate of the brand during the last two decades.

Nigeria, by Afa Press partner Upper Reach

After months of on-site investigations, Upper Reach, one of AFA Press partner agencies, released a special country report on Nigeria, with big focus on the energetic sector, as well as the general business arena of the country. This report became reality thanks to the work in the field of one of the agency’s teams. They investigated, gathered and compiled all the available data and interviewed the most relevant and interesting characters for this journalistic document. The report was published in The Times on Monday, December 10, 2012, and is still available in the AFA Press on-line platform Worldfolio.

One of the personalities interviewed in Nigeria was Abdul Ganiyu Umar, CEO of Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc. For him, one of the key objectives should be efficiency, as he reflects in his own words: “We are trying our best to be as efficient as possible and we are the first to admit that we have not reached the optimum potential for growth in quality and improving access, reliability and revenue.”

Knowing the characteristics and the potential of the sector, a new challenge has arrived: “One of our challenges is that we need more investment in this sector because it is one that interfaces directly with the public,” the CEO says.

AFA Press partners in the city of Jeddah

During several months, one of AFA Press partner agencies teams was living in the city of Jeddha, in order to understand the business, economic and cultural reality of the second largest city in Saudi Arabia. During that period, apart from data compilation and in-depth investigation, the team had the chance to interview the most relevant decision makers and stake holders along the city, achieving a general overview full of experienced and expert opinions and visions. Thanks to all this, this AFA Press partners, World Report, had the chance to publish within The Independent and special country report, released on Wednesday, February 10, 2011. This country report can also be read at Worldfolio, the AFA Press on-line channel, which includes, apart from the report, some of the complete interviews done in the country as well as company profiles.

Between the personalities in the report we can find Sheikh Amin A Abulhasan, Chairman of Haji Husein Alireza, Co Ltd, one of the top 100 companies in the country. He defines success as a matter of patience and consistency, main guidelines in his company’s strategy. As a family business, “generation after generation has followed a patient, growth-oriented strategy. It is a steady reinvestment in our business that I would credit most with keeping us at the forefront in our industry and we plan to continue this strategy into the future”.

AFA press partner on Dominican Republic

After months of investigation, United World, one of AFA Press partner agencies, published a special report on Dominica Republic. This country report was produced thanks to the work on site made by one of the agency’s teams, which concentrated its efforts in interviewing the main personalities in the country’s political and business arenas and understanding what is really going on in the country, in terms of economy, development and opportunities. This report was published within the USA Today on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 and it’s also available at Worldfolio, the digital platform where the journalistic projects of this AFA Press partner can be read on-line.

As refered by United World, a lot of changes can be found in the recent history of the country. As many other former Spanish colonies, the country had a dictatorship period which later was changed for one of the strongest democracies in the area. Furthermore, the country took big efforts in developing, becoming as well one of the largest economies in the Caribbean area.

Now, one of the priorities of Danilo Medina’s administration is to empower education as a way to boost the economy in the long term. As a matter of fact, they increased investment in this point up to the 4% of the country’s GDP, although tax rises for this issue where not broadly accepted. As affirmed by Medina, “Without education, there is no true freedom. Without a continuous, efficient and high quality electrical service, there is no productive competitiveness.”

Universal News (AFA Press partner) publishes special report on The Philippines

One of the teams of Universal News moved to The Philippines for several months, in order to gather the right information and offer the proper image of the country’s economy and business arenas. As a result, the final country report was distributed with Foreign Policy on Thursday, December 1, 2011, as well as published at Worldfolio, where it can be read online. The team focused on on-site data and information gathering as well as on interviewing this post relevant personalities and stakeholders in the country. Universal News is one of AFA Press partner agencies.

Among the personalities in the report, the words of President Benigno Aquino III have special value. According to the president, the country is ready for any challenge, after having renewed its confidence in its economy, its government and itself. One of the main points of the Philippine economical agenda during the last years was to ease the private companies’ creation and development. But probably the most relevant actions in the country were taking to face corruption. As a summary, according to President Aquino, The Philippines “have streamlined business registration, improved power supply, instituted reforms and issued policies to fight corruption, and established closer coordination between the national and local governments.”

AFA Press partners on Peru

Let’s talk about a country that has increased its imports in almost a 30% and has made its exportations grow over a 30% in the same period. These were some of the surprising data Business & Investment offered about Peru to the Miami Herald readers on Monday, October 22, 2012. The agency, one of AFA Press partners, had a team investigating in the country for several months in order to elaborate a special country report in which to showcase the business and economic reality of this South American country. The result of their investigations, though data gathering and personalities’ interviewing, can still be read online at Worldfolio.

More features: Mexico agreed to buy during 2013 360 million cubic feet per day of Peruvian natural gas, 400 in 2014 and 500 in 2015. Furthermore, its fishing industry is one of the World’s top, while it’s well known by its mining and mineral refining potential after having been a long-term international player in this sector. Not only that but Peru has got invaluable cultural resources inherited from the Inca culture, as the world-known Machu Pichu, one of the most visited destinations in Peru, along with Lima and Cuzco.

Fishing, mining and tourism are the main pillars of Peruvian economy, but it is much wider. As an example, here are some samples of different industries that can be considered solidly established in the country: asparagus, coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, corn, plantains, grapes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, bananas, apples, lemons, pears, coca, tomatoes, mangoes, barley, medicinal plants, palm oil, marigold, onion, wheat, dry beans, poultry, beef, pork, cement, glass, textiles, clothing, food processing, beer, soft drinks, rubber, machinery, electrical machinery, chemicals or furniture.

Vista Reports (AFA Press partner) on U.S. and Angola bilateral relations

One of the AFA Press partner agencies published the third part of a special country report in Bloomberg Businessweek on Monday, December 5, 2011. The agency is Vista Reports, and the country Angola. The two previous parts where published in the same media. The mentioned agency had on site a specialized team whose mission was to elaborate a full analysis on the country’s economics and business, to dive into these ambiences all along the nation and to interview the most relevant Angolan business and politics figures.

It is a key point in the History of Angola, and what several international characters have defined as a new beginning for the country. As a matter of fact, U.S. former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton transmitted his country’s aim to participate in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and building of the new Angola.

Josefina Pitra Diakite, former Ambassador of Angola to the U.S., highlighted the fast evolution of the bilateral relations between the African country and the U.S. since Obama reached the White House and his administration started to work. In order to calibrate the importance of these bilateral relations, It is key to point out that nowadays Angola is U.S. crude oil top suppliers.

AFA Press partner publishes on Kurdistan Region

What can you find in Kurdistan Region? Who are the main economic decision makers in the area? Which are their main industries and growth prospectus? These questions, and many others, have been answered by Upper Reach (AFA Press partner agency) in a special report on Kurdistan Region published in The Times on Tuesday, January 15, 2013. The agency had a team on-site for a considerable period, enough to understand the key factors and forces in the region, thanks to their investigations and interviews with some of the most powerful characters on the economic area of the country. All these pieces of information can also be read at Wordfolio.

Now-a-days the main propeller of the region’s economy is Oil. Keeping oil as a key sector, the aim in the area is to diversify, in order not to depend so much on oil and generate a balanced development. As a matter of fact, the Government’s Regional Development Strategy for the 2012-2016 period is focused on developing housing construction, agriculture and tourism. On the same hand, this plan expects to generate an 8% annual average GDP growth. This prospectus follows the path already taken by Kurdistan, region that enjoyed a 12% (expected) growth during 2012.

Data shows the change is already taking place. For example, 20.6% of Kurdistan’s GDP is represented by housing and real estate. On the same hand, 19.3% is covered by tourism, while trade represents 14.5% and agriculture reaches 6.8%. These figures have been delivered by the Kurdistan Board of Investment.

AFA Press partners Universal News analyzes Sri Lanka's economic plans

As published in Foreign Policy on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, Universal News, one of the different AFA Press partner agencies working around the globe, produced and special report on Sri Lanka. This report is the conclusion of a thorough investigation on site, made by one of Universal News teams who travelled to the country in order to gather first hand information, make interviews to the most relevant and interesting personalities both in the political and business areas. This country report can also be read on line at Worldfolio.com.

Sri Lanka, a country of 21 million inhabitants, has recently entered the club of the mid-range income per capita countries. Data on 2009 reflected an income per capita of 2,053 dollars, almost doubling the average of 2004, 1,063 dollars. The next milestone established by the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa [link], who reached the maximum authority on the country in 2005, is to reach an income per capita of over 4,000 million dollars by 2016, which would mean doubling the current numbers and arriving to the high income countries club as a full right member.

This aim was reflected in the Presidential Election Manifesto 2010. Achieving this landmark implies a need to raise the country’s investment ratio up to the 40% of its Gross Domestic Product, which is currently established on a 25%. At the same time, the country needs to keep its real GDP growth in a yearly 8-to-10 percent range.