Finance

The Amazon rainforest is one of Earth’s most valuable natural resources, but recently, it has been under intensifying attack from ranchers, miners and wood harvesters intent on exploiting the region, aided by the current presidential administration. Foreign investors can either run the other way or take a stand and be part of the solution.

Although female-led businesses have proven to be a good investment, you’d never know it by looking at the asset mix of fund managers worldwide. The financial world still suffers from a dearth of women investment decision-makers and women investees. The argument for gender-balanced investing speaks for itself—to those willing to listen.

In 2020, Thailand was the envy of the world for its deft handling of COVID-19. But this year, not so much, as the Delta variant surges and squashes hopes of recovery for the country’s usually buoyant tourist industry, which accounts for a large share of its economic activity. What are the realistic expectations for the Thai economy?

Companies in the US that are placed under a monitorship must engage thoroughly and completely with the monitor. Once a monitor is in place and agreement has been reached on the terms of the enforcement agreement, engagement letter and scope of work to be performed, what should the company do to ensure a successful outcome?

The area of financial crime management at banks is vast with scope encompassing customer due diligence, sanctions & screening, fraud prevention and AML compliance. Over the years the combination of technology & operations supporting this area has become mature and internal service provided include effective prediction and prevention of the movement

The Sustainable Development Goals provide a blueprint for achieving inclusivity and sustainability, and participation from the financial sector is crucial. COVID-19 has complicated efforts to accomplish the SDGs by 2030 in the Asia-Pacific region, but ESCAP, empowered by innovation, is partnering with public and private sectors to succeed.

Increasing regulatory enforcement, legislation and geopolitical changes, record-setting monetary fines make adequate AML and sanctions risk management a significant challenge for financial institutions. Norton Rose Fulbright’s survey reveals how FIs are confronting AML and sanctions compliance and suggests steps to improve their tactics.

Yemen, the victim of a conflict that has torn it apart from within since the Houthi rebels’ 2014 uprising, is teetering on the economic cliff. As the value of its currency plummets, this nation, heavily dependent on food exports, faces a combination of catastrophic circumstances, with more foreign aid possibly the only viable solution.

The recent riots in South Africa sparked by the imprisonment of the country’s former president, Jacob Zuma, left a path of property damage and lost lives. The root causes go much deeper than the ex-president’s arrest, and fixing the country’s underlying economic problems will be a complicated but essential process for the government.

egulatory standards play an important role in safeguarding consumers, financial institutions and the global financial industry. As regulatory scrutiny in areas such as anti-money laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) continues to grow, so does the opportunity to streamline and enhance compliance efforts to tackle financial crime more efficiently and effectively.