Bangladesh, by AFA Press partner United World

United World, an AFA Press partner agency with a special agreement with USA Today, published a special country report on Bangladesh within the North-American daily newspaper on Monday, November 19, 2012. This report was elaborated by one of the agency’s teams, which traveled to the country in order to imbibe the cultural, economical and business uses and realities. During their stay, they had the chance to inquire the reality of the country and to interview some of its most relevant personalities. These interviews, along with other key pieces of news, can be read on-line at Worldfolio, as well as the whole report on Bangladesh.

Among the different leaders AFA Press partners interviewed in the country it was Chairman of Pacific Jeans, Nasir Uddin. His company is a leader in the exporting sector, specifically in the ready-made garment (RMG), and a Bangladeshi pioneering premium jeans manufacturer. According to his words, Bangladesh is capable of accommodating the needs of the top-tier international premium brands. In fact, up-market retailers are already sourcing from Bangladesh.”

In the same line, he defends “Made in Bangladesh” as a synonym of quality and efficiency and, as many other manufacturers, fight against the general image of a low-priced garment production associated with some Asian markets. He defines his country as an upscale, quality high-street manufacturing hub.

AFA Press publishes special report on Ghana

The Financial Times Deutschland published last April 13, 2012 a special report on Ghana. The country report was produced and edited by AFA Press. One of our teams was sent to the country in order to gather all the fundamental information about Ghana’s economy and culture, while interviewing the most relevant characters of its political, economic and business arenas and discovering on site the functioning and development of its main industries and companies. This special country report can also be read on line at Worldfolio.

Ghana is becoming the focus points for foreign investment in the Gulf of Guinea’s area. As a matter of fact, in the 2010-2011 period Foreign Direct Investment Grew by a 500%. Other features, as an expected average growth of 7.5% in the period 2013-2016 or a 13.6% GDP growth in 2011 help to identify the country as a potential winning bet.

Mining is one of the main pillars on the country’s economy. Ghana has two billion ounces of gold, 100 million karats of diamonds (4th in the world), 400 million tons of bauxite, and 49 million tons of manganese (third in the world) in reserves.

Furthermore, Ghana’s current and planned port installations are driven in the way to make the country the main maritime transportation hub in the region.

The country is enjoying a big renewal energies development, focused the solar energy systems, with an installed capacity of 3.2MW, and its wind power. Chief Director at the Ministry of Energy Professor Thomas Mba Akabzaa places the gross wind electric potential in about 5,600MW. The country is also making efforts on bio-energy potential and bio-mass energy and the different dams distributed along the country raise the hydroelectric potential production of the country up to 2500MW.