NextBillion - A WDI Publication

PM: Development Plans are not Only for Big Corporations

Development plans for the country are not designed to benefit only big corporate companies and rich individuals but as many Malaysians as possible, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The Prime Minister wants to see as many Malaysians, from all levels, to participate and benefit directly from the development plans that had been laid out. KOTA BARU: Development plans for the country are not designed to benefit only big corporate companies and rich individuals ...

Source

The Star (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Investing

Tags

business development, corporations

Egyptian Entrepreneurs Struggle Against Culture, Lack of Capital

Dr. Khaled Awad is a risk-taker. A doctor by training, he decided at age 26 to give up a secure position in one of Egypt’s state-run hospitals to do something considered crazy by most of his countrymen: Start his own business. Awad, whose company transmits stock market data directly to mobile phones, is so unusual in Egypt that business people and academics are still trying to agree on a common Arabic word for entrepreneur. CAIRO, Egypt: Dr. Khaled Awad is ...

Source

International Herald Tribune (link opens in a new window)

The Most Successful Daily

Jos Kuper of South Africa’s Daily Sun on Launching a ’Working Class’ Paper Market researcher Jos Kuper was head of marketing and media research for the South African unit of the Irish media chain Independent Group when she and Deon du Plessis unsuccessfully tried to interest that company in a tabloid aimed at working-class black South Africans. She later helped him pitch the project, successfully, to Naspers Ltd. Ms. Kuper spoke via email with The Wall Street Journal&...

Source

Wall Street Journal

Wal-Mart plans a slow ?hockey stick? curve in India

Wal-Mart is going slow in India. Its executives of course won?t admit this, but it is showing no hurry to begin selling in a country where its every move meets opposition . This was not the scenario envisaged by its Indian partner, Sunil Mittal of Bharti Enterprisers, when he decided to link up with Wal-Mart (WMT) at the end of last year in preference to Britain?s Te...

Source

Fortune

Smart money for India?s rural poor

India?s Finance Ministry and Planning Commission are looking into ways of using electronic smart cards to transform the distribution of relatively small amounts of government money to India?s 220 million people who live below the poverty line, and maybe to 200-300 million more who are only marginally better off. This would make it much more difficult for bureaucrats, politicians and middlemen to siphon off the funds as they move down the distribution chain. ?We alr...

Source

Fortune (link opens in a new window)

Region

Asia Pacific

Next Generation of Business Leaders Aim to Build a Sustainable Future

Thousands of MBAs and Professionals To Descend on Nashville in November. NASHVILLE and SAN FRANCISCO - August 16, 2007 ? This November, graduate business students, faculty and administrators from B-schools around the globe will join with corporate and nonprofit professionals for the 2007 Net Impact Conference, the world?s largest such gathering focused on corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, international development, and nonprofit and environmental management.Entitled "...

Source

CSR Wire (link opens in a new window)

IDB Fund Approves US$2.1 Million for Innovation Investment Fund for Brazilian Small and Medium-Sized

The Inter-American Development Bank announced today the approval of a US$2.1 million financing to Capital Tech, created as an innovation investment fund to foster small and medium-sized technology enterprises in Brazil through venture capital. The Multilateral Investment Fund financing will include a US$2 million reimbursable financing for the fund capitalization and a US$100,000 grant for technical cooperation. The fund will also receive contributions from private and institutional i...

Source

eGov Monitor (link opens in a new window)

World Bank Arm Urges More SME Lending

Local banks need to further explore opportunities in small and medium enterprise (SME) lending given estimates of almost P70 billion in unmet demand, an International Finance Corp. (IFC) official yesterday said. IFC Country Coordinator for Advisory Services Euan Marshall told BusinessWorld that providing greater access to finance for SMEs, or firms with less than 500 workers and total assets worth up to P100 million, is a must. Government data show the SME sector comprises ...

Source

Calibre Macro*World (link opens in a new window)