Note FROM EDITOR
T
he world economy is at a difficult stage. Some nations are showing growth but many are simply dragging themselves. Europe’s woes have been well-documented. In fact, they appear to be never ending. The only silver lining is the resilience of Germany which has not only stood its ground but also helped struggling economies. It is a story that needs telling. Which is why our cover story is about this wonder of Europe. It is the lead story of our package on SMEs, which are the backbone of any economy. We would love to hear from you on the stories and issues featured in the package. It would help us better organise the summit on SMEs that IFM is putting together in the second half of this year. Africa has some good news. It is finally on the path to speedy economic growth. Despite daunting challenges, many companies are pushing ahead with investments. However, the problem is that the continent lacks sufficient power plants. This is in addition to the unreliability of the political leadership. The continent is also bogged down by a number of conflict zones. In fact, Ghanaian IT entrepreneur Enyo Kumahor says that many of the
Dhiraj Shetty Editor editor@ifinancemag.com
innovations in the continent can be attributed to the increasing desire of Africans to overcome the constraints they have to live in. One country that seems to be looking up is Kenya, which is now trying to ride the boom in Islamic finance. After a slow start, the number of banks offering shariah compliant products has gone up manifold since 2006 when the first licence for Islamic banking was granted. Meanwhile, the US is looking forward to the benefits of what is possibly the biggest solar power project in the world. It will be a giant step in the quest for developing renewable sources of energy. Fuel prices may be down, but for how long? I look forward to hearing your views on our news, views, stories and features. Also, write to us about interesting stories that need to be told and what else you would like to see in your magazine.
Director & Publisher Sunil Bhat Editor Dhiraj Shetty Production Sarah Williams, Mark Miller, Karan Belani Editorial Adriana Coopens, Jessica Smith, Lacy De Schmidt, Suparna Goswami Bhattacharya Business Analysts Dave Jones, Adam Lobo, Sharon Mendis, Ashton Ray, Tanya Jones, Sean Thomas Business Development Manager Steve Martin Business Development Newton Gois, Sunny Shah, Ashish Shenoy Accounts Angela Mathews Head of Events Basant Das Registered office INTERNATIONAL FINANCE MAGAZINE is the trading name of INTERNATIONAL FINANCE Publications Ltd 843 Finchley Road, London, NW11 8NA Phone +44 (0) 208 123 9436 Fax +44 (0) 208 181 6550 Email info@ifinancemag.com Press Contact press@ifinancemag.com Design & Layout Rahil Shaikh Miya
Apr - Jun 2015 International Finance Magazine