Finance

The image of the whistleblower has evolved from negative to positive. Recognising the importance of these bold truth-tellers, especially in the financial sector, has prompted governments to roll out legal protections. Even employers are acknowledging the contributions of their whistleblowers who speak up early, arresting future adversities.

Recognizing the importance of whistleblowers in helping financial institutions maintain compliance with regulations such as anti-money laundering, the US government has implemented legislation to incentivize those with valuable information to come forward. How can organizations encourage and enable employees to share what should be shared?

In an era of deepening global tensions, a friendship between two strong nations seems like a net gain. But the growing solidarity between China and Russia may alarm some, especially when it threatens a shift away from Western norms, such as US-dollar dominance. What are the economic ramifications of the tightening Chinese-Russian alliance?

The World Bank’s twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty while promoting shared prosperity will be paramount for its incoming president, Ajay Banga. In the face of conflicting interests and pressing needs, how can the Bank selectively and effectively employ global public goods to think globally while accommodating regional requirements?

Africa’s potential for economic growth is as vast and varied as the continent itself but requires committed and creative support. Public-private partnerships are essential to Africa’s prosperity by financing development in infrastructure, technology, education, healthcare and other sectors that are fundamental to the continent’s progress.

Sustainable finance has gained traction in the last few years, with climate change becoming embedded in many financial institutions’ decision-making. Another aspect of sustainability, natural capital, has not received as much attention. That is soon to change, with more emphasis placed on sustaining biodiversity by financial organisations.

High inflation rates have become uncomfortably familiar to most economies worldwide, but a few are coping with rates that are far beyond uncomfortable, such as Argentina, which is suffering one of the highest annual increases of more than 100 percent. What factors are contributing to the country’s woes, and can its people expect relief?

E-commerce has never been more popular with consumers, but it has also been a boon to fraudsters seeking to steal their data and funds. As fraudulent cyberattacks increase in sophistication, so must solutions to stop them. Fraud defences today must detect and neutralise organised fraud rings and chains to protect consumers and businesses.

Latest research from Oxford Economics and LexisNexis Risk Solutions shows that UK banks are spending hundreds of millions of pounds each year on Financial Crime Compliance (FCC). Around half of this annual expense is being invested in implementing risk technology into compliance processes – with spend split across hardware, people, and training.

Sri Lanka’s sovereign default a year ago led to severe economic repercussions for the developing country, bringing the IMF’s role in helping the struggling economy into focus. Although solutions have been proposed, a third way that factors in the institutional and economic realities of nations such as Sri Lanka may be the best approach.