Code Context ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<p style="padding-bottom:5px">By <?php echo join(',',$att); ?><br> - via <a href="https://<?php echo $urlParse['host']; ?>" style="font-family:Myriad-pro;font-weight:normal"><?php echo $news['Article']['Source']['name']; ?></a> <?php echo date('M d, Y', strtotime($news["Article"]['Article']['publication_date'])); ?></p>
$viewFile = '/home/u663623892/domains/old.gmipost.com/public_html/app/View/Elements/_six_hover_news_block.ctp'
$dataForView = array(
'debugToolbarPanels' => array(
'history' => array(
'content' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'elementName' => 'history_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'session' => array(
'content' => null,
'elementName' => 'session_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'request' => array(
'content' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'elementName' => 'request_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'sql_log' => array(
'content' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'elementName' => 'sql_log_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'timer' => array(
'content' => null,
'elementName' => 'timer_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'log' => array(
'content' => object(DebugKitLog) {},
'elementName' => 'log_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'variables' => array(
'content' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'elementName' => 'variables_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'environment' => array(
'content' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'elementName' => 'environment_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'include' => array(
'content' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'elementName' => 'include_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
)
),
'debugToolbarJavascript' => array(
'libs' => 'DebugKit./js/js_debug_toolbar'
),
'debugToolbarCss' => array(
(int) 0 => 'DebugKit./css/debug_toolbar.css'
),
'category' => array(
'Category' => array(
'id' => '1',
'name' => 'REGIONAL',
'url' => 'regional',
'parent_id' => null,
'description' => 'asdsd',
'is_active' => true,
'is_menu' => false,
'sort' => '1',
'is_main' => true,
'article_count' => '4881',
'keyword_count' => '9',
'lft' => '1',
'rght' => '4',
'custom_url' => null,
'is_category' => true
),
'CategoryImage' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
'Keywords' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 5 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 6 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 7 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 8 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'top_two_articles' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'right_six_articles' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'middle_two_articles' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'middle_eight_articles' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'six_hover_news_block' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'five_small_news_row' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 3 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 4 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'gmt_tweets' => array(),
'latest_special_features' => array(
'latest_six' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 5 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
'others' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 5 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 6 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 7 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 8 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 9 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 10 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 11 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 12 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 13 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 14 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 15 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 16 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 17 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 18 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 19 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 20 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 21 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 22 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 23 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 24 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 25 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 26 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 27 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 28 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 29 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 30 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 31 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 32 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 33 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 34 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 35 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 36 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 37 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 38 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 39 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 40 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 41 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 42 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 43 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 44 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 45 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 46 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 47 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 48 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 49 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 50 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 51 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 52 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 53 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 54 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 55 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 56 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 57 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 58 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 59 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 60 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 61 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 62 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 63 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 64 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 65 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 66 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 67 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 68 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 69 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 70 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 71 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 72 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 73 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 74 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 75 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 76 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 77 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 78 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 79 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 80 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 81 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 82 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 83 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 84 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 85 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 86 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 87 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 88 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 89 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 90 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 91 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 92 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 93 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 94 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 95 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 96 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 97 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 98 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 99 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 100 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'company_focus' => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '366571',
'title' => 'TWSE: Cultivating Growth',
'description_old' => 'When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.',
'description' => 'When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'twse-cultivating-growth',
'tags' => 'Taiwan, Taiwan Stock Exchange, Economy',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p>When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the <a href="http://www.twse.com.tw/en/" target="_blank">Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)</a> has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.</p>
<p>With strict attention paid to corporate governance reporting standards and strong economic upturn, Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. This is evidenced in the growth of TWSE's main index, which hit the 10,000 ceiling on May 11.</p>
<p>TWSE Chairman Jun-ji Shih knows what it takes not only to realize this record high but also to sustain that growth.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Taiwan%202017/TWSE-Photo.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="452" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. </figcaption></figure>
<p style="text-align: left;">"One factor is economic performance, and we think that performance should be able to support the growth of the stock market. Other factors include the inflow of foreign funds and the contribution of individual domestic investors to enhance capital market surplus. The last decade has seen a steady climb in institutional investors, with this group having 40% of the overall holdings of the Taiwan market.”</p>
<p>At the end of June 2017, the TWSE reported 837 domestic listed companies and 64 foreign primary listed companies. Taiwan's well-known strength in high tech has also contributed to the stock market progress with globally-recognized giants <a href="http://www.tsmc.com/english/default.htm" target="_blank">Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company</a> and <a href="http://www.foxconn.com/" target="_blank">Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn)</a> being listed on TWSE. Biotech is also active, and the bourse has the highest number of listed biotech companies in Asia.</p>
<p>"Taiwan's position as a leading global supply chain gives our market many advantages with international linkage thro ugh Asia and worldwide. Our advanced ICT ecosystem enterprises are an integral part of our success. Investors in these companies enjoy the benefits of Taiwan's transparency and shareholder protection, while easily accessing other markets in the region and beyond,” noted Shih.</p>
<p>External recognition of Taiwan's advances in corporate governance by global reporting bodies shows yet another side of Taiwan's market strength. It is well worth mentioning that <a href="http://www.robecosam.com/en/sustainability-insights/about-sustainability/country-sustainability-ranking/" target="_blank">2016 was the first year Taiwan made the Robeco SAM Country Sustainability Ranking</a>. This is significant because when Taiwan was ranked, it was in the top third. Taiwan also placed first in APAC in Bloomberg's ESG category as well as rising to the 4th place position in ACGA's most recent survey.</p>
<p>"The ultimate goal of the TWSE is to provide trading value growth and consistently high dividend yields in the 4% range. Our listed companies also have reasonable P/E ratios; both of these are factors that continue to draw foreign investors to our market," Shih added.</p>
<p>Looking to the future, Shih is active in building greater collaboration with the international community to further strengthen Taiwan's investment environment. This involves working closely with other exchanges like Japan, Korea, Malaysia and NASDAQ with whom strong ties are held. Promoting the advantages of investing in Taiwan is also a key strategy, which entails roadshows in all regions of the world that include New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. With all this momentum in place, the TWSE is poised to deliver.</p>',
'content' => '<p>When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the <a href="http://www.twse.com.tw/en/" target="_blank">Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)</a> has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.</p>
<p>With strict attention paid to corporate governance reporting standards and strong economic upturn, Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. This is evidenced in the growth of TWSE's main index, which hit the 10,000 ceiling on May 11.</p>
<p>TWSE Chairman Jun-ji Shih knows what it takes not only to realize this record high but also to sustain that growth.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Taiwan%202017/TWSE-Photo.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="452" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. </figcaption></figure>
<p style="text-align: left;">"One factor is economic performance, and we think that performance should be able to support the growth of the stock market. Other factors include the inflow of foreign funds and the contribution of individual domestic investors to enhance capital market surplus. The last decade has seen a steady climb in institutional investors, with this group having 40% of the overall holdings of the Taiwan market.”</p>
<p>At the end of June 2017, the TWSE reported 837 domestic listed companies and 64 foreign primary listed companies. Taiwan's well-known strength in high tech has also contributed to the stock market progress with globally-recognized giants <a href="http://www.tsmc.com/english/default.htm" target="_blank">Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company</a> and <a href="http://www.foxconn.com/" target="_blank">Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn)</a> being listed on TWSE. Biotech is also active, and the bourse has the highest number of listed biotech companies in Asia.</p>
<p>"Taiwan's position as a leading global supply chain gives our market many advantages with international linkage thro ugh Asia and worldwide. Our advanced ICT ecosystem enterprises are an integral part of our success. Investors in these companies enjoy the benefits of Taiwan's transparency and shareholder protection, while easily accessing other markets in the region and beyond,” noted Shih.</p>
<p>External recognition of Taiwan's advances in corporate governance by global reporting bodies shows yet another side of Taiwan's market strength. It is well worth mentioning that <a href="http://www.robecosam.com/en/sustainability-insights/about-sustainability/country-sustainability-ranking/" target="_blank">2016 was the first year Taiwan made the Robeco SAM Country Sustainability Ranking</a>. This is significant because when Taiwan was ranked, it was in the top third. Taiwan also placed first in APAC in Bloomberg's ESG category as well as rising to the 4th place position in ACGA's most recent survey.</p>
<p>"The ultimate goal of the TWSE is to provide trading value growth and consistently high dividend yields in the 4% range. Our listed companies also have reasonable P/E ratios; both of these are factors that continue to draw foreign investors to our market," Shih added.</p>
<p>Looking to the future, Shih is active in building greater collaboration with the international community to further strengthen Taiwan's investment environment. This involves working closely with other exchanges like Japan, Korea, Malaysia and NASDAQ with whom strong ties are held. Promoting the advantages of investing in Taiwan is also a key strategy, which entails roadshows in all regions of the world that include New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. With all this momentum in place, the TWSE is poised to deliver.</p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2017-09-01',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2017-09-01',
'category_id' => '2',
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => null,
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => 'TWSE-Photo.jpg',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => 'TWSE-Banner.jpg',
'general_image' => null,
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => 'TW',
'region_id' => '4012',
'type_id' => '2',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'Source' => array(
'id' => '3',
'name' => 'GMI Post',
'type' => '1',
'url' => 'http://www.gmipost.com',
'is_active' => true,
'urls_count' => '0',
'date_created' => null,
'date_modified' => null
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => null,
'title' => null,
'description' => null,
'url' => null,
'place' => null,
'tags' => null,
'is_published' => null,
'visible_upcoming_links' => null,
'pdf_path' => null,
'pdf_preview_path' => null,
'source_id' => null,
'small_image' => null,
'left_block_image' => null,
'main_image' => null,
'header_image' => null,
'content' => null,
'publication_date' => null,
'creation_date' => null,
'is_active' => null,
'participant_count' => null,
'source_custom_url' => null,
'digital_link' => null,
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
),
'Type' => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'Company Focus',
'code' => 'company_focus',
'is_active' => true
),
'Authors' => array()
),
'banner' => array(
'id' => '16',
'banner' => 'umbrellas.jpg',
'category_id' => '1'
),
'eath_no_ads' => true,
'upcoming_report_section' => array(
'features' => array()
),
'categories' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Keywords' => array([maximum depth reached])
)
),
'footer_latest_special_features' => array(
'latest_nine' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
'others' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'is_home' => false
)
$debugToolbarPanels = array(
'history' => array(
'content' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
'elementName' => 'history_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'session' => array(
'content' => null,
'elementName' => 'session_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'request' => array(
'content' => array(
'params' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'url' => 'category/regional.html',
'query' => array([maximum depth reached]),
'data' => array([maximum depth reached]),
'get' => array([maximum depth reached]),
'currentRoute' => object(CakeRoute) {}
),
'elementName' => 'request_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'sql_log' => array(
'content' => array(
'connections' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'threshold' => (int) 20
),
'elementName' => 'sql_log_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'timer' => array(
'content' => null,
'elementName' => 'timer_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'log' => array(
'content' => object(DebugKitLog) {},
'elementName' => 'log_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'variables' => array(
'content' => array(
'category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'top_two_articles' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'right_six_articles' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'middle_two_articles' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'middle_eight_articles' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'six_hover_news_block' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'five_small_news_row' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'gmt_tweets' => array([maximum depth reached]),
'latest_special_features' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'company_focus' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'banner' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'eath_no_ads' => true,
'upcoming_report_section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'categories' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'footer_latest_special_features' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'is_home' => false,
'$request->data' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
'elementName' => 'variables_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'environment' => array(
'content' => array(
'php' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'cake' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'app' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
'elementName' => 'environment_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
),
'include' => array(
'content' => array(
'core' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'app' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'plugins' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'paths' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
'elementName' => 'include_panel',
'plugin' => 'DebugKit',
'title' => null,
'disableTimer' => true
)
)
$debugToolbarJavascript = array(
'libs' => 'DebugKit./js/js_debug_toolbar'
)
$debugToolbarCss = array(
(int) 0 => 'DebugKit./css/debug_toolbar.css'
)
$category = array(
'Category' => array(
'id' => '1',
'name' => 'REGIONAL',
'url' => 'regional',
'parent_id' => null,
'description' => 'asdsd',
'is_active' => true,
'is_menu' => false,
'sort' => '1',
'is_main' => true,
'article_count' => '4881',
'keyword_count' => '9',
'lft' => '1',
'rght' => '4',
'custom_url' => null,
'is_category' => true
),
'CategoryImage' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'id' => '7',
'banner' => '5379b9996084d-monks.jpg',
'category_id' => '1'
),
(int) 1 => array(
'id' => '13',
'banner' => 'asian-night-street.jpg',
'category_id' => '1'
),
(int) 2 => array(
'id' => '14',
'banner' => 'african-motos.jpg',
'category_id' => '1'
),
(int) 3 => array(
'id' => '15',
'banner' => 'red-pot-grey-pots.jpg',
'category_id' => '1'
),
(int) 4 => array(
'id' => '16',
'banner' => 'umbrellas.jpg',
'category_id' => '1'
)
),
'Keywords' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'id' => '1',
'name' => 'AFRICA',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 1 => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'ASIA PACIFIC',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 2 => array(
'id' => '3',
'name' => 'EUROPE',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 3 => array(
'id' => '4',
'name' => 'NORTH AMERICA',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 4 => array(
'id' => '5',
'name' => 'SOUTH AMERICA',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 5 => array(
'id' => '6',
'name' => 'RUSSIA & CIS',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 6 => array(
'id' => '7',
'name' => 'UNITED STATES',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 7 => array(
'id' => '8',
'name' => 'CHINA',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
),
(int) 8 => array(
'id' => '10',
'name' => 'JAPAN',
'category_id' => '1',
'sort' => '0'
)
)
)
$top_two_articles = array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '386760',
'title' => 'Business opportunities in Latin America for Japanese companies',
'description_old' => 'Thanks to Texas' proximity to the emerging markets of Central and South America, several major Japanese companies with significant investments in Latin America have set up operations in the state. Japanese companies also regard Texas as a manufacturing and research hub because of its highly skilled workforce and a healthy appetite for risk taking among Texans.
Javier Mazon, a Texas-based consultant and former Texas Instruments executive for Latin America, talks about why investing in Latin America makes sense for Japanese companies.',
'description' => 'Thanks to Texas' proximity to the emerging markets of Central and South America, several major Japanese companies with significant investments in Latin America have set up operations in the state. Japanese companies also regard Texas as a manufacturing and research hub because of its highly skilled workforce and a healthy appetite for risk taking among Texans.
Javier Mazon, a Texas-based consultant and former Texas Instruments executive for Latin America, talks about why investing in Latin America makes sense for Japanese companies.',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'business-opportunities-in-latin-america-for-japanese-companies',
'tags' => 'United States, Latin America, Japan, Investment, Group Lamerica',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p>As an overall market, Latin America is usually broken down into four major regions: Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Collectively, Latin America continues to provide huge business opportunities for Japan, whose exports to the region are valued at more than $28.7 billion every year. </p>
<p>For Japanese companies, high market growth opportunities are still emerging in several industrial sectors across Latin America with an aggregate market of more than 630 million consumers. This year, GDP growth for the region is predicted to surge to 2.2% from 1.3% in 2017.</p>
<p>And with emerging markets still driving global economic growth, Latin America is expected provide among the best performers. This year, GDP growth in the region is predicted to grow at its fastest pace since 2013, when regional GDP growth reached 2.9 %. The individual country projections for 2018 are: Chile (2.8%), Brazil (2.0%), Peru (2.9%), Colombia (2.6%), and Mexico (2.4%).</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Texas%202018/Javier-Mazon-.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="432" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Group Lamerica President and General Manager Javier A. Manzon </figcaption></figure>
<p>The factors favoring investment in Latin America include growing economic stability; a young and educated workforce; an expanding middle class; more democratic political institutions; more open trade conditions; increasing international investments and established active operations.</p>
<p>Japanese companies have a history in the region. From the 1960s, trade between Japan and Latin America has experienced substantial growth, driven by demand for natural resources and the competitive labor costs in manufacturing. By 2015, Japanese investment had expanded into the services sectors.</p>
<p>Relations between Latin America and Asia, particularly Japan, encompass trade and foreign direct investment in a range of industries that benefit both sides and bely a wide-held notion that trade and integration are only about commodities-for-manufacturing.</p>
<p>The most recent effort to further open trade opportunities is the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a revival of the abandoned Trans-Pacific Partnership.</p>
<p>The CPTPP is a trade agreement agreed to in principle in January 2018 between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam and signed in March 2018 in Santiago, Chile. </p>
<p>This new agreement, coupled with continuing successes from on-going arrangements, will focus on the role of companies and governments in seeking new areas of mutually beneficial trade and investment and encouraging a broader distribution of developmental gains.</p>
<p>The outlook for opportunities is very positive and well worth consideration by Japanese businesses looking for strategic expansion into Latin America.</p>
<p><em>(Ed. Note: <a href="mailto:jmazon@grouplamerica.com" target="_blank">Javier A. Mazon</a> is president and general manager of </em><a href="http://www.grouplamerica.com/" target="_blank"><em>Group Lamerica</em>,</a><em> an American business consultancy and operational services company)</em></p>',
'content' => '<p>As an overall market, Latin America is usually broken down into four major regions: Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Collectively, Latin America continues to provide huge business opportunities for Japan, whose exports to the region are valued at more than $28.7 billion every year. </p>
<p>For Japanese companies, high market growth opportunities are still emerging in several industrial sectors across Latin America with an aggregate market of more than 630 million consumers. This year, GDP growth for the region is predicted to surge to 2.2% from 1.3% in 2017.</p>
<p>And with emerging markets still driving global economic growth, Latin America is expected provide among the best performers. This year, GDP growth in the region is predicted to grow at its fastest pace since 2013, when regional GDP growth reached 2.9 %. The individual country projections for 2018 are: Chile (2.8%), Brazil (2.0%), Peru (2.9%), Colombia (2.6%), and Mexico (2.4%).</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Texas%202018/Javier-Mazon-.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="432" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Group Lamerica President and General Manager Javier A. Manzon </figcaption></figure>
<p>The factors favoring investment in Latin America include growing economic stability; a young and educated workforce; an expanding middle class; more democratic political institutions; more open trade conditions; increasing international investments and established active operations.</p>
<p>Japanese companies have a history in the region. From the 1960s, trade between Japan and Latin America has experienced substantial growth, driven by demand for natural resources and the competitive labor costs in manufacturing. By 2015, Japanese investment had expanded into the services sectors.</p>
<p>Relations between Latin America and Asia, particularly Japan, encompass trade and foreign direct investment in a range of industries that benefit both sides and bely a wide-held notion that trade and integration are only about commodities-for-manufacturing.</p>
<p>The most recent effort to further open trade opportunities is the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a revival of the abandoned Trans-Pacific Partnership.</p>
<p>The CPTPP is a trade agreement agreed to in principle in January 2018 between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam and signed in March 2018 in Santiago, Chile. </p>
<p>This new agreement, coupled with continuing successes from on-going arrangements, will focus on the role of companies and governments in seeking new areas of mutually beneficial trade and investment and encouraging a broader distribution of developmental gains.</p>
<p>The outlook for opportunities is very positive and well worth consideration by Japanese businesses looking for strategic expansion into Latin America.</p>
<p><em>(Ed. Note: <a href="mailto:jmazon@grouplamerica.com" target="_blank">Javier A. Mazon</a> is president and general manager of </em><a href="http://www.grouplamerica.com/" target="_blank"><em>Group Lamerica</em>,</a><em> an American business consultancy and operational services company)</em></p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2018-03-26',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2018-03-26',
'category_id' => '1',
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => null,
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => 'Javier-Mazon-.jpg',
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => 'US',
'region_id' => '4157',
'type_id' => '1',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => false,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'Source' => array(
'id' => '3',
'name' => 'GMI Post',
'type' => '1',
'url' => 'http://www.gmipost.com',
'is_active' => true,
'urls_count' => '0',
'date_created' => null,
'date_modified' => null
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => null,
'title' => null,
'description' => null,
'url' => null,
'place' => null,
'tags' => null,
'is_published' => null,
'visible_upcoming_links' => null,
'pdf_path' => null,
'pdf_preview_path' => null,
'source_id' => null,
'small_image' => null,
'left_block_image' => null,
'main_image' => null,
'header_image' => null,
'content' => null,
'publication_date' => null,
'creation_date' => null,
'is_active' => null,
'participant_count' => null,
'source_custom_url' => null,
'digital_link' => null,
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
),
'Authors' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '1567',
'title' => 'Two nations revitalize cooperation',
'description_old' => 'Entering their 105th anniversary, relations between Colombia and Japan have assumed a higher profile over the last few years with high-level trips by officials from both countries, including a state visit to Tokyo by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2011.
That year, Colombia and Japan signed the Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investment, the first step in continuing efforts to expand the coverage of their economic relations. The two sides have also just completed two rounds of negotiations in finalizing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)...',
'description' => 'Entering their 105th anniversary, relations between Colombia and Japan have assumed a higher profile over the last few years with high-level trips by officials from both countries, including a state visit to Tokyo by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2011.
That year, Colombia and Japan signed the Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investment, the first step in continuing efforts to expand the coverage of their economic relations. The two sides have also just completed two rounds of negotiations in finalizing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)...',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'two-nations-revitalize-cooperation',
'tags' => 'Jose Manuel Santos, APPI, EPA, Colombia, Tokyo, National Planning Department, Kazuo Watanabe, Uribe, Bogota, Fumihiro Shimizu, BC Hoteles, Incolmotos-Yamaha, Canacol, FAM Group, Colombia Securities Exchange, Sony, Distribuidora Toyota, ',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<figure class="image-container floated-left" style="float: left;"><img style="float: left;" src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202013/Mid-Page-Cutter-Tall-Lead-Santos.jpg" alt="" width="358" height="500" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos</figcaption></figure>
<p>Entering their 105th anniversary, relations between Colombia and Japan have assumed a higher profile over the last few years with high-level trips by officials from both countries, including a state visit to Tokyo by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2011.</p>
<p>That year, Colombia and Japan signed the <a href="http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2011/0909_02.html" target="_blank">Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investment</a>, the first step in continuing efforts to expand the coverage of their economic relations. The two sides have also just completed two rounds of <a href="http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/colombia/epa.html" target="_blank">negotiations in finalizing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)</a>, with a third round in Tokyo planned soon.</p>
<p>“Regarding the EPA, we are seeking a positive impact on national economic development. <a href="https://www.dnp.gov.co/" target="_blank">The National Planning Department</a> prepared a study on the impact of various trade agreements on the country. This study concluded that a trade agreement with Japan will add another 0.16 percent to GDP growth,” said President Santos.</p>
<p>Japanese Ambassador to Colombia Kazuo Watanabe agreed: “This is a very important aspect. If Japan can conclude this EPA with Colombia, it would indeed be a win-win situation.”</p>
<p>Over the past two decades, Colombia’s leaders have persisted in breaking away from the country’s troubled history, shedding its tarnished image, and solving its deeply rooted economic and social problems.</p>
<p>Today, it looks like their cumulative persistence has begun to pay off, with many observers noting that the biggest concerns of prospective foreign investors have been addressed.</p>
<p>“Since 2002, beginning with former President Uribe, and then under the current administration of President Santos, Colombia has tremendously increased its level of security,” said Fumihiro Shimizu, the representative of the <a href="http://www.jetro.go.jp/" target="_blank">Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)</a> in Bogota.</p>
<p>But the process is far from over, as the country first needs to change the world’s perception.<br />“Colombia has so much to offer that the world just doesn’t know about yet,” admitted Jorge Alberto Duran, president of BC Hoteles, which operates an <a href="http://www.hotelalmirantecartagena.com.co/" target="_blank">award-winning hotel in the city of Cartagena</a>.</p>
<p>The observation is shared by several local businessmen.</p>
<p>“The first image they have of Colombia is that it is very dangerous. Under the leadership of former President Uribe, the security situation improved drastically. The challenge is to bring the Japanese to Colombia. Once they get here, they immediately fall in love with the country,” said <a href="http://www.incolmotos-yamaha.com.co/site/" target="_blank">Incolmotos-Yamaha</a> President Francisco Sierra, who also once served as ambassador of Colombia to Japan.</p>
<p><br />The steady improvement over the last several years has translated into consistent growth. Since 2003, the country has reported an average annual growth rate of 4 percent. In 2012, GDP growth reached 4 percent, just slightly above the regional average of 3.5 percent.<br />Reaffirming those figures, credit rating agency <a href="https://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-changes-outlook-on-Colombias-government-bond-rating-to-positive--PR_277366" target="_blank">Moody’s has raised the outlook on Colombian government bonds to a “stable” BAA3</a>, a move that translated into increased foreign direct investment (FDI) valued at around $16 billion a year, with a significant amount going to the mining, energy, and oil and gas sectors.</p>
<p>“Colombia represents a very good investment opportunity not only in upstream oil and gas, but also in infrastructure. Obviously, Japan can bring quite a bit to the table in infrastructure projects,” said <a href="http://www.canacolenergy.com/s/home.asp" target="_blank">Canacol Energy</a> President and CEO Charle Gamba.<br />Colombia’s need for infrastructure development and Japan’s tried-and-tested know-how in the field provide lucrative avenues for bilateral cooperation.</p>
<blockquote style="float: right;">
<p>"If Japan can conclude this EPA with Colombia, it would indeed be a win-win situation,”</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- Kazuo Watanabe, Ambassador of Japan to Colombia</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>“We can use the expertise of the Japanese in infrastructure development. Japan has one of the finest infrastructure networks in the world. We can take advantage of Japan’s extraordinary knowledge in this field,” stressed FAM Group President Carlos Guillermo Aragon Farkas.</p>
<p>Because of Colombia’s backlog in infrastructure development, the government can assure Japan of a long list of projects in need of investment.</p>
<p>“There is a growing expectation for infrastructure investment over the next 10 years. We should be seeing incrementally larger projects coming downstream.There is a lot of catching up to do,” noted Juan Pablo Cordoba, the president of the <a href="http://en.bvc.com.co/" target="_blank">Colombia Securities Exchange</a>.<br />The opportunity has not gone unnoticed by Japan.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-left" style="float: left;"><img style="float: left;" src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202013/Mid-Page-Cutter-Tall-Lead-Watanabe.jpg" alt="" width="358" height="500" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Japan's Ambassador to Colombia Kazuo Watanabe</figcaption></figure>
<p>“The Japanese government and the private sector have an interest in infrastructure development here in Colombia. This is a vast country with three chains of mountains, making transport challenging, particularly between the east and west of the country. We hope that the Japanese public and private sectors can contribute to improving the infrastructure in Colombia,” said Ambassador Watanabe.</p>
<p>On the consumer side, the steady growth of the Colombian economy has led to a swelling middle-class, which has been spending more and aspiring for more.</p>
<p>“In the past 10 years, there have been great strides made in reducing poverty, and this growing middle class is responsible for pushing consumption higher not only of electronics but also of cars, houses, among other things. You now see many premium brands here in Colombia that you might not have seen 10 years ago,” said <a href="http://www.sony.com.co/" target="_blank">Sony Colombia</a> President Takashi Kawano.</p>
<p>Amid the growing prosperity, both countries have realized similarities between their peoples.</p>
<p>“Colombian workers are very diligent and hardworking, very much like the Japanese. There is high quality of the labor force here in Colombia, which is something that should be considered by Japanese investors,” said Ambassador Watanabe.<br />Other business owners agree, among them Federico Pfeil-Schneider, who has headed <a href="http://www.distoyota.com/home.php" target="_blank">Distribuidora Toyota</a> for 46 years.</p>
<p>Launched in 2012, the regional Pacific Alliance bloc has also become another investment incentive.</p>
<p>Made up of Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile, the trade bloc represents about 36 percent of Latin America’s GDP, estimated at $2 trillion.</p>
<p>“Doing business in Colombia not only gives you access to a market of 45 million people; through the Pacific Alliance, you also gain access to a 600 million person market,” said Francisco Guaqueta Hemelberg, the president of the Colombian-Japanese Chamber of Commerce.</p>
<p>The Colombian president stressed: “We want Colombia to be known for its high levels of investor confidence, which is seen in the record number of foreign investment in recent years.”</p>
<p>So, as efforts of the past two decades continue to bear fruit, it becomes clearer that when faced with the question of “where to invest in South America,” the answer becomes Colombia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: myriad-pro; font-size: 10pt;">- Note: This Special Report on Colombia originally appeared in <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp" target="_blank">The Japan Times</a> on August 30, 2013 (Credit: <a href="http://hk.linkedin.com/in/gmiphilippe" target="_blank">Philippe Le Saux</a> and Jose Sanchez)</span></p>',
'content' => '<figure class="image-container floated-left" style="float: left;"><img style="float: left;" src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202013/Mid-Page-Cutter-Tall-Lead-Santos.jpg" alt="" width="358" height="500" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos</figcaption></figure>
<p>Entering their 105th anniversary, relations between Colombia and Japan have assumed a higher profile over the last few years with high-level trips by officials from both countries, including a state visit to Tokyo by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2011.</p>
<p>That year, Colombia and Japan signed the <a href="http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2011/0909_02.html" target="_blank">Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investment</a>, the first step in continuing efforts to expand the coverage of their economic relations. The two sides have also just completed two rounds of <a href="http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/colombia/epa.html" target="_blank">negotiations in finalizing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)</a>, with a third round in Tokyo planned soon.</p>
<p>“Regarding the EPA, we are seeking a positive impact on national economic development. <a href="https://www.dnp.gov.co/" target="_blank">The National Planning Department</a> prepared a study on the impact of various trade agreements on the country. This study concluded that a trade agreement with Japan will add another 0.16 percent to GDP growth,” said President Santos.</p>
<p>Japanese Ambassador to Colombia Kazuo Watanabe agreed: “This is a very important aspect. If Japan can conclude this EPA with Colombia, it would indeed be a win-win situation.”</p>
<p>Over the past two decades, Colombia’s leaders have persisted in breaking away from the country’s troubled history, shedding its tarnished image, and solving its deeply rooted economic and social problems.</p>
<p>Today, it looks like their cumulative persistence has begun to pay off, with many observers noting that the biggest concerns of prospective foreign investors have been addressed.</p>
<p>“Since 2002, beginning with former President Uribe, and then under the current administration of President Santos, Colombia has tremendously increased its level of security,” said Fumihiro Shimizu, the representative of the <a href="http://www.jetro.go.jp/" target="_blank">Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)</a> in Bogota.</p>
<p>But the process is far from over, as the country first needs to change the world’s perception.<br />“Colombia has so much to offer that the world just doesn’t know about yet,” admitted Jorge Alberto Duran, president of BC Hoteles, which operates an <a href="http://www.hotelalmirantecartagena.com.co/" target="_blank">award-winning hotel in the city of Cartagena</a>.</p>
<p>The observation is shared by several local businessmen.</p>
<p>“The first image they have of Colombia is that it is very dangerous. Under the leadership of former President Uribe, the security situation improved drastically. The challenge is to bring the Japanese to Colombia. Once they get here, they immediately fall in love with the country,” said <a href="http://www.incolmotos-yamaha.com.co/site/" target="_blank">Incolmotos-Yamaha</a> President Francisco Sierra, who also once served as ambassador of Colombia to Japan.</p>
<p><br />The steady improvement over the last several years has translated into consistent growth. Since 2003, the country has reported an average annual growth rate of 4 percent. In 2012, GDP growth reached 4 percent, just slightly above the regional average of 3.5 percent.<br />Reaffirming those figures, credit rating agency <a href="https://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-changes-outlook-on-Colombias-government-bond-rating-to-positive--PR_277366" target="_blank">Moody’s has raised the outlook on Colombian government bonds to a “stable” BAA3</a>, a move that translated into increased foreign direct investment (FDI) valued at around $16 billion a year, with a significant amount going to the mining, energy, and oil and gas sectors.</p>
<p>“Colombia represents a very good investment opportunity not only in upstream oil and gas, but also in infrastructure. Obviously, Japan can bring quite a bit to the table in infrastructure projects,” said <a href="http://www.canacolenergy.com/s/home.asp" target="_blank">Canacol Energy</a> President and CEO Charle Gamba.<br />Colombia’s need for infrastructure development and Japan’s tried-and-tested know-how in the field provide lucrative avenues for bilateral cooperation.</p>
<blockquote style="float: right;">
<p>"If Japan can conclude this EPA with Colombia, it would indeed be a win-win situation,”</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- Kazuo Watanabe, Ambassador of Japan to Colombia</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>“We can use the expertise of the Japanese in infrastructure development. Japan has one of the finest infrastructure networks in the world. We can take advantage of Japan’s extraordinary knowledge in this field,” stressed FAM Group President Carlos Guillermo Aragon Farkas.</p>
<p>Because of Colombia’s backlog in infrastructure development, the government can assure Japan of a long list of projects in need of investment.</p>
<p>“There is a growing expectation for infrastructure investment over the next 10 years. We should be seeing incrementally larger projects coming downstream.There is a lot of catching up to do,” noted Juan Pablo Cordoba, the president of the <a href="http://en.bvc.com.co/" target="_blank">Colombia Securities Exchange</a>.<br />The opportunity has not gone unnoticed by Japan.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-left" style="float: left;"><img style="float: left;" src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202013/Mid-Page-Cutter-Tall-Lead-Watanabe.jpg" alt="" width="358" height="500" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Japan's Ambassador to Colombia Kazuo Watanabe</figcaption></figure>
<p>“The Japanese government and the private sector have an interest in infrastructure development here in Colombia. This is a vast country with three chains of mountains, making transport challenging, particularly between the east and west of the country. We hope that the Japanese public and private sectors can contribute to improving the infrastructure in Colombia,” said Ambassador Watanabe.</p>
<p>On the consumer side, the steady growth of the Colombian economy has led to a swelling middle-class, which has been spending more and aspiring for more.</p>
<p>“In the past 10 years, there have been great strides made in reducing poverty, and this growing middle class is responsible for pushing consumption higher not only of electronics but also of cars, houses, among other things. You now see many premium brands here in Colombia that you might not have seen 10 years ago,” said <a href="http://www.sony.com.co/" target="_blank">Sony Colombia</a> President Takashi Kawano.</p>
<p>Amid the growing prosperity, both countries have realized similarities between their peoples.</p>
<p>“Colombian workers are very diligent and hardworking, very much like the Japanese. There is high quality of the labor force here in Colombia, which is something that should be considered by Japanese investors,” said Ambassador Watanabe.<br />Other business owners agree, among them Federico Pfeil-Schneider, who has headed <a href="http://www.distoyota.com/home.php" target="_blank">Distribuidora Toyota</a> for 46 years.</p>
<p>Launched in 2012, the regional Pacific Alliance bloc has also become another investment incentive.</p>
<p>Made up of Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile, the trade bloc represents about 36 percent of Latin America’s GDP, estimated at $2 trillion.</p>
<p>“Doing business in Colombia not only gives you access to a market of 45 million people; through the Pacific Alliance, you also gain access to a 600 million person market,” said Francisco Guaqueta Hemelberg, the president of the Colombian-Japanese Chamber of Commerce.</p>
<p>The Colombian president stressed: “We want Colombia to be known for its high levels of investor confidence, which is seen in the record number of foreign investment in recent years.”</p>
<p>So, as efforts of the past two decades continue to bear fruit, it becomes clearer that when faced with the question of “where to invest in South America,” the answer becomes Colombia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: myriad-pro; font-size: 10pt;">- Note: This Special Report on Colombia originally appeared in <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp" target="_blank">The Japan Times</a> on August 30, 2013 (Credit: <a href="http://hk.linkedin.com/in/gmiphilippe" target="_blank">Philippe Le Saux</a> and Jose Sanchez)</span></p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2013-11-01',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2014-09-15',
'category_id' => '1',
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '1',
'special_feature_id' => '15',
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => 'Big-3-Top-Lead-Watanabe.jpg',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => null,
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => 'CO',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '3',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => false,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => false,
'created_user_id' => '0',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'Source' => array(
'id' => '1',
'name' => 'The Japan Times',
'type' => '1',
'url' => 'http://www.japantimes.co.jp/',
'is_active' => true,
'urls_count' => '12',
'date_created' => null,
'date_modified' => null
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => '15',
'title' => 'Colombia 2013',
'description' => 'Entering their 105th anniversary, relations between Colombia and Japan have assumed a higher profile over the last few years with high-level trips by officials from both countries, including a state visit to Tokyo by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2011.',
'url' => 'colombia-2013',
'place' => 'Colombia',
'tags' => '',
'is_published' => true,
'visible_upcoming_links' => false,
'pdf_path' => '2013-COLOMBIA-PUB-reduced.pdf',
'pdf_preview_path' => 'Colombia-PDF-Screenshot.jpg',
'source_id' => '1',
'small_image' => 'Special-Small-Front-Pic-Colombia-2013.jpg',
'left_block_image' => '',
'main_image' => 'Home-Page-Sketch-Colombia-2013.png',
'header_image' => 'Big-Top-Pic-Colombia-2013.jpg',
'content' => '<p>Entering their 105th anniversary, relations between Colombia and Japan have assumed a higher profile over the last few years with high-level trips by officials from both countries, including a state visit to Tokyo by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2011.</p>',
'publication_date' => '2013-11-01',
'creation_date' => '2014-06-24',
'is_active' => true,
'participant_count' => '0',
'source_custom_url' => '',
'digital_link' => null,
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
),
'Authors' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
)
)
$right_six_articles = array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
)
)
$middle_two_articles = array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '353243',
'title' => 'The Impact of the Iran Nuclear Agreement',
'description_old' => 'Iran has restricted its nuclear program and given international inspectors unprecedented access, but it has not seen the economy recovery expected in the aftermath of the agreement with international powers. ',
'description' => 'Iran has restricted its nuclear program and given international inspectors unprecedented access, but it has not seen the economy recovery expected in the aftermath of the agreement with international powers. ',
'credit_id' => null,
'image' => '/publication/image-resizer.php?id=39032&preset=bkg_tcp_1160',
'image_caption' => 'U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif meet in Vienna on Implementation Day. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)',
'url' => 'the-impact-of-the-iran-nuclear-agreement',
'tags' => '',
'is_rss' => true,
'rss_url' => 'http://feeds.cfr.org/~r/region/middle_east/~3/Fkga5e_5iTY/p39032',
'content_old' => '<p><span>Introduction</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Iran has dismantled much of its nuclear program and given international inspectors extensive access to sensitive sites under an agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under its terms, the United States, European Union, and United Nations have lifted sanctions that had crippled the Iranian economy, but more than year after the accord took effect, Iranians have yet to see the recovery that President Hassan Rouhani had promised. Meanwhile, as the Trump administration has vowed a more aggressive approach to Iran and the U.S. Congress considers levying new sanctions, international businesses, sensing uncertainty, have largely held back from investing in the country.</p><div id="intro-pullout"/></p><p><span>What are the terms of the JCPOA?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The JCPOA, which was signed in July 2015 and went into effect the following January, imposes restrictions on Iran’s stockpiles of uranium and its ability to enrich it. The so-called P5+1—that is, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and United States) and Germany—negotiated the agreement with Iran over nearly two years. During this period, the Obama administration said its intent was to set back Iran’s nuclear program so that any decision to sprint toward producing fissile material for a weapon—an indicator known as “breakout times”—would take <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/08/11/431652556/obama-iran-will-face-longer-breakout-time-though-not-indefinitely">at least a year</a>, up from just a few weeks.</p>
<p><em>Nuclear restrictions on Iran. </em>To extend that breakout time, the agreement requires that uranium enrichment at Fordow and Natanz be restricted and a heavy-water reactor, at Arak, have its core rendered inoperable; its plutonium byproduct, the P5+1 countries feared, could have been reprocessed into weapons-grade material. These facilities <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/iran-nuclear-deal-opens-door-scientific-collaborations">are now being repurposed</a> for research, industrial, or medical purposes, and subjected to inspections by monitors from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The accord imposes limits on the numbers and types of centrifuges Iran can operate, as well as the size of its caches of enriched uranium. (Mined uranium has less than 1 percent of the <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/ur-enrichment.html">uranium-235 isotope</a>, and centrifuges increase that isotope’s concentration. Uranium enriched to 5 percent is used in nuclear power plants, and at 20 percent it can be used in research reactors or for medical purposes. High-enriched uranium, at some 90 percent, is used in nuclear weapons.) The JCPOA also aims to guard against the possibility that Iran could develop nuclear arms in secret at undeclared sites.</p>
<p>Many of the JCPOA’s <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/A-Comprehensive-Nuclear-Agreement-with-Iran-at-a-Glance">nuclear provisions</a> have expiration dates. After ten years, for example, centrifuge restrictions will be lifted, and after fifteen years, so too will limits on the low-enriched uranium it can possess, as well as the IAEA’s access to undeclared sites.</p>
<p><em>Monitoring and verification. </em>Among the open-ended provisions, Iran is bound to implement and later ratify an “<a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/IAEAProtoco">additional protocol</a>” to its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, which gives IAEA inspectors unprecedented access to Iran’s nuclear facilities. (As a signatory to the Nonproliferation Treaty, or NPT, Iran has committed to never pursue nuclear weapons, but it is entitled to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.) The agency’s director-general issues <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/iran/iaea-and-iran-iaea-reports">quarterly reports</a> to the IAEA Board of Governors and UN Security Council verifying Iran’s implementation of its nuclear commitments.</p>
<p>The JCPOA established the Joint Commission, with the negotiating parties all represented, to monitor implementation of the agreement. That body, chaired by Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, is charged with dispute resolution, and a majority vote of its members can gain IAEA inspectors access to undeclared sites they consider suspect. It also oversees the transfer of nuclear-related or dual-use materials.</p>
<p><em>Sanctions relief. </em>In exchange for these limitations on its nuclear program and opening up access to international inspectors, the EU, UN, and United States all committed to lifting sanctions that they had imposed on Iran for its nuclear program. While the United States has only suspended extant nuclear sanctions, it pledged in the JCPOA to remove specified entities from sanctions lists and seek legislation to repeal the suspended sanctions within eight years, as long as the IAEA concludes that Iran’s nuclear activities remain peaceful in nature.</p>
<p>Still, <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS20871.pdf">other U.S. sanctions</a> [PDF], some dating back to the hostage crisis in 1979, remain in effect. They cover matters such as ballistic missile production, support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups, and domestic human rights abuses. The United States has stopped enforcing its sanctions on oil exports, freeing Iran to trade on international markets again, but <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/01/26/464435805/as-sanctions-on-iran-are-lifted-many-u-s-business-restrictions-remain">restrictions on financial transactions</a> remain in place. Many banks and other companies, including foreign subsidiaries of U.S. businesses, are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/foreign-investors-flock-to-iran-as-u-s-firms-watch-on-the-sidelines-1490607002">wary of doing business</a> in Iran for fear of incurring fines or being barred from dealing on Wall Street. A major exception to U.S. primary sanctions allows Boeing to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/boeing-agrees-to-first-plane-sale-to-iran-under-trump-1491297134">sell aircraft</a> to Iranian airlines.</p>
<p>New Security Council resolutions are periodically needed to keep UN sanctions suspended, so, by alleging a major violation, any one of the P5 members can veto a new resolution. This “snapback” mechanism is set to remain in effect for ten years, after which point the UN sanctions are set to be repealed.</p></p><p><span>Has Iran upheld its obligations?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Implementation Day, on which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/world/middleeast/iran-sanctions-lifted-nuclear-deal.html">sanctions were lifted</a>, came once the IAEA certified that Iran had met preliminary requirements, including taking thousands of centrifuges offline, rendering the core of the Arak heavy-water reactor inoperable, and selling excess low-enriched uranium to Russia. Since then, the IAEA has mostly found Iran in compliance with the JCPOA's requirements. Iran twice exceeded the amount of heavy water that it is allowed under the agreement, the IAEA reported, but <a href="http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-nuclear-heavywater-oman/28129896.html">quickly resolved it</a>.</p>
<blockquote>“Monitoring is a physical act, but verification is a political act.” —Christopher Bidwell, Federation of American Scientists</blockquote>
<p>The challenge inspectors face is that they are “looking to prove the negative,” says <a href="https://fas.org/expert/christopher-bidwell/">Christopher Bidwell</a>, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. “IAEA reports talk about where Iran is compliant, but then are silent on known rough issues,” he says, highlighting military sites, for which inspectors must seek access from Iranian authorities or adjudication by the Joint Commission. Also <a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iran/173-implementing-iran-nuclear-deal-status-report">omitted from the public record</a>, the International Crisis Group notes, are reports on Iran’s caches of low-enriched uranium and research on centrifuges. “Monitoring is a physical act, but verification is a political act,” Bidwell says. “How sure are you that what you’ve monitored has told you what you want to know?”</p></p><p><span>Have the P5+1 countries upheld their obligations?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The United Nations, European Union, and United States all repealed or suspended the sanctions that the JCPOA specified be lifted on Implementation Day, and since then the United States has also unfrozen or delivered to Iran certain seized funds. (Liquid assets freed up in European and Asian banks might have totaled some <a href="https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0144.aspx">$50 billion</a>, according to a U.S. Treasury official; in addition, the United States refunded $1.7 billion delivered for an arms deal that was signed before the 1979 revolution but never fulfilled.) Most significantly, the United States is no longer enforcing secondary sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, which has allowed Iran to ramp up its oil exports to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-07/iran-s-crude-oil-exports-increase-to-level-last-seen-in-1970s">nearly the level</a> it had been prior to sanctions. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) <a href="http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2016/mcd/eng/pdf/mreo1016.pdf">estimated in October</a> [PDF] that Iran’s GDP was growing at 4.5 percent in 2016 as it boosted its oil production to 3.6 million barrels per day.</p></p><p><span>How is Iran’s economy performing?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Iranians have not seen as robust an economic recovery as many had expected to follow the JCPOA’s implementation. A morass of U.S. sanctions unrelated to the nuclear program has discouraged major international banks from investing in the country and made many companies wary of expanding into Iran. They fear being held liable for transacting with the numerous sanctioned entities associated with, for example, the <a href="http://www.cfr.org/iran/powerful-irans-revolutionary-guard-corps/p38009">Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps</a> (IRGC), which is ubiquitous in some industries. Uncertainty over whether the nuclear sanctions might be restored persists.</p>
<p>But factors unrelated to sanctions are also hampering the recovery. Corruption, mismanagement, and aging infrastructure are widely acknowledged <a href="http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings">barriers to industry</a>, and, at about $50 a barrel as of April 2017, oil is trading at less than half the price it was five years earlier, so the revenues to be made from export don’t go as far. The IMF projected that Iran’s growth would “<a href="https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2016/mcd/eng/pdf/mreo1016.pdf">taper sharply</a>” [PDF] in 2017 as it would have trouble surpassing its pre-sanctions level of oil production, and in March 2017 Iran said it would <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-oil-opec-idUSKBN16L1DT">limit its oil production</a> to 3.8 million barrels per day if OPEC members’ agreement to cap their production—a bid to raise oil prices—holds.</p>
<p>With the economy underperforming compared to what Rouhani had promised, some Iranian politicians have accused the United States of dealing in bad faith. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has expressed ambivalence about the JCPOA, <a href="http://www.voanews.com/a/reu-iran-khamenei-economy/3757104.html">criticized the faltering recovery</a>. But so too has Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who negotiated the agreement. He said at CFR in September 2016, “<a href="http://www.cfr.org/iran/conversation-javad-zarif/p38314">it takes a lot to change the global climate</a> that is afraid of the United States taking action against any bank that does any business with Iran.” Referring to U.S. Treasury regulations, he added, “there is one sentence that it’s OK to do business with Iran and about five pages of ifs and buts,” discouraging banks from entering the market. </p></p><p><span>Do U.S. politics jeopardize the JCPOA?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to dismantle or renegotiate the nuclear agreement, echoing the criticisms made by some members of Congress as the agreement was being finalized. Many objected to sanctions relief on the grounds that it would enrich Iran and allow it to expand its influence in regional conflicts like the Syrian civil war. Critics also said that monitoring provisions in the JCPOA offered no guarantee that Iran could not covertly develop a nuclear weapon.</p>
<p>Trump could reimpose waived sanctions or add new ones by presidential prerogative, enact statutory sanctions passed by Congress, or allow the presidential waivers of nuclear sanctions to lapse when they come due for renewal. Any of those measures could be perceived by either Iran or other members of the P5+1 as the United States reneging on its commitments.</p>
<p>After Iran tested ballistic missiles in late January 2017, the administration <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-sanctions-iran-on-missile-test/2017/02/03/dfb101ce-4107-409e-ab45-f49449e92c1f_story.html?utm_term=.40e262f3c660">extended sanctions</a> to twenty-five individuals and entities associated with either the missile program or the IRGC’s expeditionary Quds Force. (Though ballistic missiles could be used to deliver nuclear weapons, they are beyond the scope of the JCPOA; the UN Security Council resolution that codified the JCPOA contains only <a href="http://www.un.org/en/sc/2231/restrictions-ballistic.shtml">nonbinding language</a> on the matter.) “It wasn't a drastic departure from previous policy, including from the Obama administration,” says <a href="http://sfs.georgetown.edu/faculty-bio/ariane-m-tabatabai/#_ga=1.129638348.1397207993.1487264145">Ariane M. Tabatabai</a>, a visiting assistant professor at Georgetown’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.</p>
<p>A bill <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/722">cosponsored by the top Republican and Democrat</a> on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could prevent the president from fulfilling the U.S. obligation to delist certain entities within eight years of implementation; it could also be construed as impeding the benefits Iran can accrue from sanctions relief. That would “<a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/pressroom/2017-03/analysis-sanctions-bill-poses-risk-iran-deal">threaten the ongoing implementation</a> of the nuclear deal,” says the Arms Control Association, an independent Washington-based nonproliferation group. <strong/></p></p><p><span>Do Iranian politics jeopardize the JCPOA?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The JCPOA is contentious in Iran as well. Rouhani is running for reelection on May 19, and “the main thing he’s being judged on by the electorate is the economic recovery,” Tabatabai says.</p>
<p>“The Rouhani government oversold its ability to generate economic recovery following the sanctions relief,” she says, “and so now it is dialing back expectations of what is realistic.” The government is now arguing that the recovery will take more time, and that its lag cannot be attributed to sanctions alone. </p>
<p>Hard-liners in Iran argue that the United States is angling to keep the Iranian economy depressed and that Rouhani was hoodwinked into unfavorable terms, a view they say is bolstered by extreme rhetoric from some members of the Trump administration and Congress. They argue that Iran has “redesigned its nuclear facilities while the sanctions have only been suspended,” and so the United States can reinstate sanctions with relative ease even as the Iranian nuclear program has been permanently set back, says <a href="http://bush.tamu.edu/faculty/mtabaar/">Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar</a>, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service</p>
<p>While some U.S. lawmakers continue to criticize the JCPOA, the other members of the P5+1 are firmly behind it. Many close watchers of the accord say that if the United States were to reinstate sanctions without presenting clear evidence of Iranian cheating, its negotiating partners would be unlikely to follow suit and resurrect the global regime that drove Iran to the negotiating table. “Iran’s goal is to create a gap between the U.S. and EU,” says Tabaar, so Iran likely won’t renege on its nuclear commitments. Instead, he says, hard-liners might push back against the United States in areas beyond the scope of the JCPOA, such as testing ballistic missiles or boosting its support for its clients in Iraq, Syria, or Yemen.</p></p>',
'content' => '<p><span>Introduction</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Iran has dismantled much of its nuclear program and given international inspectors extensive access to sensitive sites under an agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under its terms, the United States, European Union, and United Nations have lifted sanctions that had crippled the Iranian economy, but more than year after the accord took effect, Iranians have yet to see the recovery that President Hassan Rouhani had promised. Meanwhile, as the Trump administration has vowed a more aggressive approach to Iran and the U.S. Congress considers levying new sanctions, international businesses, sensing uncertainty, have largely held back from investing in the country.</p><div id="intro-pullout"/></p><p><span>What are the terms of the JCPOA?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The JCPOA, which was signed in July 2015 and went into effect the following January, imposes restrictions on Iran’s stockpiles of uranium and its ability to enrich it. The so-called P5+1—that is, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and United States) and Germany—negotiated the agreement with Iran over nearly two years. During this period, the Obama administration said its intent was to set back Iran’s nuclear program so that any decision to sprint toward producing fissile material for a weapon—an indicator known as “breakout times”—would take <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/08/11/431652556/obama-iran-will-face-longer-breakout-time-though-not-indefinitely">at least a year</a>, up from just a few weeks.</p>
<p><em>Nuclear restrictions on Iran. </em>To extend that breakout time, the agreement requires that uranium enrichment at Fordow and Natanz be restricted and a heavy-water reactor, at Arak, have its core rendered inoperable; its plutonium byproduct, the P5+1 countries feared, could have been reprocessed into weapons-grade material. These facilities <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/07/iran-nuclear-deal-opens-door-scientific-collaborations">are now being repurposed</a> for research, industrial, or medical purposes, and subjected to inspections by monitors from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The accord imposes limits on the numbers and types of centrifuges Iran can operate, as well as the size of its caches of enriched uranium. (Mined uranium has less than 1 percent of the <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/ur-enrichment.html">uranium-235 isotope</a>, and centrifuges increase that isotope’s concentration. Uranium enriched to 5 percent is used in nuclear power plants, and at 20 percent it can be used in research reactors or for medical purposes. High-enriched uranium, at some 90 percent, is used in nuclear weapons.) The JCPOA also aims to guard against the possibility that Iran could develop nuclear arms in secret at undeclared sites.</p>
<p>Many of the JCPOA’s <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/A-Comprehensive-Nuclear-Agreement-with-Iran-at-a-Glance">nuclear provisions</a> have expiration dates. After ten years, for example, centrifuge restrictions will be lifted, and after fifteen years, so too will limits on the low-enriched uranium it can possess, as well as the IAEA’s access to undeclared sites.</p>
<p><em>Monitoring and verification. </em>Among the open-ended provisions, Iran is bound to implement and later ratify an “<a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/IAEAProtoco">additional protocol</a>” to its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, which gives IAEA inspectors unprecedented access to Iran’s nuclear facilities. (As a signatory to the Nonproliferation Treaty, or NPT, Iran has committed to never pursue nuclear weapons, but it is entitled to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.) The agency’s director-general issues <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/iran/iaea-and-iran-iaea-reports">quarterly reports</a> to the IAEA Board of Governors and UN Security Council verifying Iran’s implementation of its nuclear commitments.</p>
<p>The JCPOA established the Joint Commission, with the negotiating parties all represented, to monitor implementation of the agreement. That body, chaired by Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, is charged with dispute resolution, and a majority vote of its members can gain IAEA inspectors access to undeclared sites they consider suspect. It also oversees the transfer of nuclear-related or dual-use materials.</p>
<p><em>Sanctions relief. </em>In exchange for these limitations on its nuclear program and opening up access to international inspectors, the EU, UN, and United States all committed to lifting sanctions that they had imposed on Iran for its nuclear program. While the United States has only suspended extant nuclear sanctions, it pledged in the JCPOA to remove specified entities from sanctions lists and seek legislation to repeal the suspended sanctions within eight years, as long as the IAEA concludes that Iran’s nuclear activities remain peaceful in nature.</p>
<p>Still, <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS20871.pdf">other U.S. sanctions</a> [PDF], some dating back to the hostage crisis in 1979, remain in effect. They cover matters such as ballistic missile production, support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups, and domestic human rights abuses. The United States has stopped enforcing its sanctions on oil exports, freeing Iran to trade on international markets again, but <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/01/26/464435805/as-sanctions-on-iran-are-lifted-many-u-s-business-restrictions-remain">restrictions on financial transactions</a> remain in place. Many banks and other companies, including foreign subsidiaries of U.S. businesses, are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/foreign-investors-flock-to-iran-as-u-s-firms-watch-on-the-sidelines-1490607002">wary of doing business</a> in Iran for fear of incurring fines or being barred from dealing on Wall Street. A major exception to U.S. primary sanctions allows Boeing to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/boeing-agrees-to-first-plane-sale-to-iran-under-trump-1491297134">sell aircraft</a> to Iranian airlines.</p>
<p>New Security Council resolutions are periodically needed to keep UN sanctions suspended, so, by alleging a major violation, any one of the P5 members can veto a new resolution. This “snapback” mechanism is set to remain in effect for ten years, after which point the UN sanctions are set to be repealed.</p></p><p><span>Has Iran upheld its obligations?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Implementation Day, on which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/world/middleeast/iran-sanctions-lifted-nuclear-deal.html">sanctions were lifted</a>, came once the IAEA certified that Iran had met preliminary requirements, including taking thousands of centrifuges offline, rendering the core of the Arak heavy-water reactor inoperable, and selling excess low-enriched uranium to Russia. Since then, the IAEA has mostly found Iran in compliance with the JCPOA's requirements. Iran twice exceeded the amount of heavy water that it is allowed under the agreement, the IAEA reported, but <a href="http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-nuclear-heavywater-oman/28129896.html">quickly resolved it</a>.</p>
<blockquote>“Monitoring is a physical act, but verification is a political act.” —Christopher Bidwell, Federation of American Scientists</blockquote>
<p>The challenge inspectors face is that they are “looking to prove the negative,” says <a href="https://fas.org/expert/christopher-bidwell/">Christopher Bidwell</a>, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists. “IAEA reports talk about where Iran is compliant, but then are silent on known rough issues,” he says, highlighting military sites, for which inspectors must seek access from Iranian authorities or adjudication by the Joint Commission. Also <a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iran/173-implementing-iran-nuclear-deal-status-report">omitted from the public record</a>, the International Crisis Group notes, are reports on Iran’s caches of low-enriched uranium and research on centrifuges. “Monitoring is a physical act, but verification is a political act,” Bidwell says. “How sure are you that what you’ve monitored has told you what you want to know?”</p></p><p><span>Have the P5+1 countries upheld their obligations?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The United Nations, European Union, and United States all repealed or suspended the sanctions that the JCPOA specified be lifted on Implementation Day, and since then the United States has also unfrozen or delivered to Iran certain seized funds. (Liquid assets freed up in European and Asian banks might have totaled some <a href="https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0144.aspx">$50 billion</a>, according to a U.S. Treasury official; in addition, the United States refunded $1.7 billion delivered for an arms deal that was signed before the 1979 revolution but never fulfilled.) Most significantly, the United States is no longer enforcing secondary sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, which has allowed Iran to ramp up its oil exports to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-07/iran-s-crude-oil-exports-increase-to-level-last-seen-in-1970s">nearly the level</a> it had been prior to sanctions. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) <a href="http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2016/mcd/eng/pdf/mreo1016.pdf">estimated in October</a> [PDF] that Iran’s GDP was growing at 4.5 percent in 2016 as it boosted its oil production to 3.6 million barrels per day.</p></p><p><span>How is Iran’s economy performing?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Iranians have not seen as robust an economic recovery as many had expected to follow the JCPOA’s implementation. A morass of U.S. sanctions unrelated to the nuclear program has discouraged major international banks from investing in the country and made many companies wary of expanding into Iran. They fear being held liable for transacting with the numerous sanctioned entities associated with, for example, the <a href="http://www.cfr.org/iran/powerful-irans-revolutionary-guard-corps/p38009">Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps</a> (IRGC), which is ubiquitous in some industries. Uncertainty over whether the nuclear sanctions might be restored persists.</p>
<p>But factors unrelated to sanctions are also hampering the recovery. Corruption, mismanagement, and aging infrastructure are widely acknowledged <a href="http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings">barriers to industry</a>, and, at about $50 a barrel as of April 2017, oil is trading at less than half the price it was five years earlier, so the revenues to be made from export don’t go as far. The IMF projected that Iran’s growth would “<a href="https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2016/mcd/eng/pdf/mreo1016.pdf">taper sharply</a>” [PDF] in 2017 as it would have trouble surpassing its pre-sanctions level of oil production, and in March 2017 Iran said it would <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-oil-opec-idUSKBN16L1DT">limit its oil production</a> to 3.8 million barrels per day if OPEC members’ agreement to cap their production—a bid to raise oil prices—holds.</p>
<p>With the economy underperforming compared to what Rouhani had promised, some Iranian politicians have accused the United States of dealing in bad faith. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has expressed ambivalence about the JCPOA, <a href="http://www.voanews.com/a/reu-iran-khamenei-economy/3757104.html">criticized the faltering recovery</a>. But so too has Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who negotiated the agreement. He said at CFR in September 2016, “<a href="http://www.cfr.org/iran/conversation-javad-zarif/p38314">it takes a lot to change the global climate</a> that is afraid of the United States taking action against any bank that does any business with Iran.” Referring to U.S. Treasury regulations, he added, “there is one sentence that it’s OK to do business with Iran and about five pages of ifs and buts,” discouraging banks from entering the market. </p></p><p><span>Do U.S. politics jeopardize the JCPOA?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to dismantle or renegotiate the nuclear agreement, echoing the criticisms made by some members of Congress as the agreement was being finalized. Many objected to sanctions relief on the grounds that it would enrich Iran and allow it to expand its influence in regional conflicts like the Syrian civil war. Critics also said that monitoring provisions in the JCPOA offered no guarantee that Iran could not covertly develop a nuclear weapon.</p>
<p>Trump could reimpose waived sanctions or add new ones by presidential prerogative, enact statutory sanctions passed by Congress, or allow the presidential waivers of nuclear sanctions to lapse when they come due for renewal. Any of those measures could be perceived by either Iran or other members of the P5+1 as the United States reneging on its commitments.</p>
<p>After Iran tested ballistic missiles in late January 2017, the administration <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-sanctions-iran-on-missile-test/2017/02/03/dfb101ce-4107-409e-ab45-f49449e92c1f_story.html?utm_term=.40e262f3c660">extended sanctions</a> to twenty-five individuals and entities associated with either the missile program or the IRGC’s expeditionary Quds Force. (Though ballistic missiles could be used to deliver nuclear weapons, they are beyond the scope of the JCPOA; the UN Security Council resolution that codified the JCPOA contains only <a href="http://www.un.org/en/sc/2231/restrictions-ballistic.shtml">nonbinding language</a> on the matter.) “It wasn't a drastic departure from previous policy, including from the Obama administration,” says <a href="http://sfs.georgetown.edu/faculty-bio/ariane-m-tabatabai/#_ga=1.129638348.1397207993.1487264145">Ariane M. Tabatabai</a>, a visiting assistant professor at Georgetown’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.</p>
<p>A bill <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/722">cosponsored by the top Republican and Democrat</a> on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could prevent the president from fulfilling the U.S. obligation to delist certain entities within eight years of implementation; it could also be construed as impeding the benefits Iran can accrue from sanctions relief. That would “<a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/pressroom/2017-03/analysis-sanctions-bill-poses-risk-iran-deal">threaten the ongoing implementation</a> of the nuclear deal,” says the Arms Control Association, an independent Washington-based nonproliferation group. <strong/></p></p><p><span>Do Iranian politics jeopardize the JCPOA?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The JCPOA is contentious in Iran as well. Rouhani is running for reelection on May 19, and “the main thing he’s being judged on by the electorate is the economic recovery,” Tabatabai says.</p>
<p>“The Rouhani government oversold its ability to generate economic recovery following the sanctions relief,” she says, “and so now it is dialing back expectations of what is realistic.” The government is now arguing that the recovery will take more time, and that its lag cannot be attributed to sanctions alone. </p>
<p>Hard-liners in Iran argue that the United States is angling to keep the Iranian economy depressed and that Rouhani was hoodwinked into unfavorable terms, a view they say is bolstered by extreme rhetoric from some members of the Trump administration and Congress. They argue that Iran has “redesigned its nuclear facilities while the sanctions have only been suspended,” and so the United States can reinstate sanctions with relative ease even as the Iranian nuclear program has been permanently set back, says <a href="http://bush.tamu.edu/faculty/mtabaar/">Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar</a>, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service</p>
<p>While some U.S. lawmakers continue to criticize the JCPOA, the other members of the P5+1 are firmly behind it. Many close watchers of the accord say that if the United States were to reinstate sanctions without presenting clear evidence of Iranian cheating, its negotiating partners would be unlikely to follow suit and resurrect the global regime that drove Iran to the negotiating table. “Iran’s goal is to create a gap between the U.S. and EU,” says Tabaar, so Iran likely won’t renege on its nuclear commitments. Instead, he says, hard-liners might push back against the United States in areas beyond the scope of the JCPOA, such as testing ballistic missiles or boosting its support for its clients in Iraq, Syria, or Yemen.</p></p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2017-04-11',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2017-04-11',
'category_id' => '1',
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '2',
'special_feature_id' => null,
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => null,
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => '',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '0',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => false,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => false,
'created_user_id' => '0',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'Source' => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'Foreign Affairs',
'type' => '2',
'url' => 'http://www.foreignaffairs.com/about-us/sponsors',
'is_active' => true,
'urls_count' => '20',
'date_created' => null,
'date_modified' => null
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => null,
'title' => null,
'description' => null,
'url' => null,
'place' => null,
'tags' => null,
'is_published' => null,
'visible_upcoming_links' => null,
'pdf_path' => null,
'pdf_preview_path' => null,
'source_id' => null,
'small_image' => null,
'left_block_image' => null,
'main_image' => null,
'header_image' => null,
'content' => null,
'publication_date' => null,
'creation_date' => null,
'is_active' => null,
'participant_count' => null,
'source_custom_url' => null,
'digital_link' => null,
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
),
'Authors' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '353246',
'title' => 'How Does the U.S. Spend Its Foreign Aid?',
'description_old' => 'With President Donald J. Trump advocating for deep cuts to U.S. foreign aid, debate has renewed over the role of foreign assistance funds in boosting growth, promoting democracy, and saving lives. ',
'description' => 'With President Donald J. Trump advocating for deep cuts to U.S. foreign aid, debate has renewed over the role of foreign assistance funds in boosting growth, promoting democracy, and saving lives. ',
'credit_id' => null,
'image' => '/publication/image-resizer.php?id=39034&preset=bkg_tcp_1160',
'image_caption' => 'A woman carries a bag of rice distributed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)',
'url' => 'how-does-the-us-spend-its-foreign-aid',
'tags' => '',
'is_rss' => true,
'rss_url' => 'http://feeds.cfr.org/~r/region/americas/~3/NMjR_CLKw1Q/p39034',
'content_old' => '<p><span>Introduction</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>President Donald J. Trump's <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2017/03/16/trumps-misguided-national-security-budget-every-problem-is-not-a-nail/">budget blueprint</a> for 2018 calls for deep cuts to foreign assistance programs, raising pointed questions about the role the United States should play around the world.</p><div id="intro-pullout"/>
<p>There has long been broad bipartisan agreement on the moral and strategic significance of foreign aid. Aid levels rose sharply after the 9/11 attacks, with policymakers seeing global economic development as a way to promote U.S. national security.</p>
<p>Though aid remains a small percentage of the overall U.S. budget, some politicians and economists have criticized the spending as ineffective. Others have urged the United States to expand its international aid commitments.</p></p><p><span>What is foreign aid?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The current foreign aid system was created by the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/usaid-history">1961 Foreign Assistance Act</a>, which attempted to streamline the government’s efforts to provide assistance around the world. The statute defines aid as “the unilateral transfers of U.S. resources by the U.S. Government to or for the benefit of foreign entities.” These resources include not just goods and funding, but also technical assistance, educational programming, and other services. Recipients include foreign governments, including foreign militaries and security forces, as well as local businesses and charitable groups, international organizations such as the United Nations, and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs).</p></p><p><span>How much does the United States spend on it?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Given the many agencies, funding methods, and categories of aid associated with U.S. foreign assistance efforts, estimates can differ. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), which uses the <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40213.pdf">broadest definition of aid</a> [PDF], including military and security assistance, total spending was nearly $49 billion in 2015. This accounts for roughly 1.3 percent of the federal budget.</p>
<p>Aid funding levels are at their highest since the period immediately following World War II, when the United States invested heavily in rebuilding European economies. In the 1990s, in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, aid levels were cut to barely half of what they are today, falling to less than $20 billion in 1997, or 0.8 percent of the overall budget. Aid rose again in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, surpassing 1.4 percent of the budget by 2007, which analysts say was driven largely by assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as President George W. Bush’s global health programs.</p></p><p><span>What are its objectives?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>As former State Department official and aid expert Carol Lancaster pointed out in her book, <a href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo4134278.html"><em>Foreign Aid: Diplomacy, Development, Domestic Politics</em></a>, modern U.S. aid originated in Cold War geopolitics: the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe was designed to blunt the influence of rising Communist political forces on the continent. National security concerns have continued to drive U.S. assistance policy, aiming to provide stability in conflicted regions, bolster allies, promote democracy, or contribute to counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts abroad. </p>
<blockquote>National security concerns have continued to drive U.S. assistance policy, aiming to provide stability in conflicted regions.</blockquote>
<p>Other objectives, related to but separate from U.S. national security, also drive assistance. These include most notably humanitarian relief efforts to respond directly to acute disasters, poverty reduction, health care, and other development programs.</p></p><p><span>How is the money spent?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>U.S. aid policy seeks to achieve its aims through a diverse array of programs, which can be organized into several major categories. According to CRS calculations, foreign aid spending in 2015 broke down as follows:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Long-term development aid (38 percent)</strong> provides ongoing funding for projects to promote broad-based economic growth and general prosperity in the world’s poorest countries. More than half of this goes to bilateral global health programs, including treatment of HIV/AIDS, maternal and family health, and support for government health-care systems, mostly in Africa. About 15 percent of this goes to multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the UN Development Program.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Military and security aid (35 percent)</strong> primarily goes toward helping allies purchase U.S. military equipment, training foreign military personnel, and funding peacekeeping missions. A smaller slice goes to “non-military security assistance”, which includes counternarcotics programs in Afghanistan, Colombia, Peru, and elsewhere, as well as nonproliferation and counterterrorism efforts.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Humanitarian aid (16 percent)</strong> is spent to alleviate short-term humanitarian crises, such as those resulting from famine, earthquakes, war, failed states, or other natural or man-made disasters. This includes State Department and Defense Department disaster relief efforts, as well as purchases of U.S. agricultural goods and funding for organizations such as the International Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Political aid (11 percent)</strong> is intended to support political stability, free market economic reforms, and democratic institutions. Programs include governance and justice system reforms, backing for human rights organizations, and support for peace talks and treaty implementation.</p></p><p><span>Which agencies manage it?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>U.S. foreign assistance is managed by a complex ecosystem of agencies, with over twenty federal agencies involved in either funding or implementing foreign aid policy.</p>
<p>The 1961 Foreign Assistance Act created the U.S. government’s primary aid organization, the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/usaid-history">U.S. Agency for International Development</a> (USAID). The agency administers the bulk of U.S. development and humanitarian aid, <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1869/USAIDFY2015DevelopmentBudgetFactSheet.pdf">managing</a> [PDF] over $20 billion in funds and employing more than nine thousand staff around the world.</p>
<p>USAID is a semi-independent agency, operating under the policy guidance of the president, the State Department, and the National Security Council. It receives its funding through the State Department budget. In 2006, in an attempt to streamline what some policymakers considered a dysfunctional aid system, the Bush administration created a new role, the <a href="https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/233332.htm">Director of Foreign Assistance</a>, in the State Department with a mandate to coordinate all U.S. aid activity. </p>
<p>The Department of Defense plays a major role as the agency primarily responsible for implementing traditional military aid, though the State Department also funds and influences many security assistance programs. The Department of Health and Human Services implements many health-related programs, including the <a href="https://www.pepfar.gov/about/index.htm">President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief</a> (PEPFAR). The Treasury Department helps manage funding of global financial institutions, as well as programs for debt relief and economic reforms in poor countries. There are also a plethora of other agencies and autonomous organizations, including the <a href="https://www.mcc.gov/about">Millennium Challenge Corporation</a>, the <a href="https://www.peacecorps.gov/about/">Peace Corps</a>, and the <a href="http://www.usadf.gov/">African Development Foundation</a>, involved in aid work.</p></p><p><span>Which countries receive the most aid?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>More than <a href="https://explorer.usaid.gov/aid-dashboard.html">two hundred countries</a> receive U.S. aid. It disproportionately goes to a few, however, with the top five <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40213.pdf">receiving</a> [PDF] over $1 billion per year as of 2015: Afghanistan ($5.5 billion), Israel ($3.1 billion), Iraq ($1.8 billion), Egypt ($1.5 billion), and Jordan ($1.1 billion).</p>
<p>As a <em>Washington Post</em> analysis <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/which-countries-get-the-most-foreign-aid/">points out</a>, this is largely due to the concentration of military aid in a few countries: Afghanistan receives $3.7 billion in security aid, all of Israel’s $3.1 billion is military aid, and the vast majority of aid to both Egypt and Iraq is security-related.</p>
<blockquote>More than two hundred countries receive U.S. aid. Aid disproportionately goes to a few, however.</blockquote>
<p>Economic and development aid is much more dispersed: while Afghanistan again receives the most of any single country, most of the ten-largest recipients are in Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Regionally, Africa receives 32 percent of all U.S. aid, followed by the Middle East at 31 percent and South and Central Asia at 25 percent.</p>
<p>Some of this funding takes place through U.S. contributions to the United Nations, which are distributed to development initiatives and peacekeeping operations around the world. As CFR’s Stewart Patrick <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2017/01/26/trumps-uns-executive-order-would-cut-off-americas-nose-to-spite-its-face/">explains</a>, the United States provides roughly $8 billion a year for UN operations. About $2.5 billion of that <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/13/white-house-seeks-to-cut-billions-in-funding-for-united-nations/">goes to</a> peacekeeping.</p></p><p><span>How does U.S. aid spending compare with other countries?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The United States is by far the largest single foreign donor. It outspends the next largest, the United Kingdom, by more than $10 billion a year; Germany, France, and Japan follow.</p>
<p>As a percent of GDP, however, U.S. aid spending ranks near the bottom of all developed countries. It accounts for 0.17 percent of GDP, <a href="http://www2.compareyourcountry.org/oda">twentieth out of twenty-eight countries</a> measured by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom all spend more than 0.7 percent of GDP on foreign aid, which is the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/the07odagnitarget-ahistory.htm">target set</a> by the United Nations. </p></p><p><span>What are the criticisms of foreign aid?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>A number of economists have criticized various aspects of the global foreign aid system as ineffective or counterproductive. New York University professor and former World Bank economist William Easterly made the case in his 2006 book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Mans-Burden-Efforts-Little/dp/0143038826"><em>The White Man’s Burden</em></a>, that development aid is dominated by top-down planners and bureaucrats with little accountability, and that there is scant evidence that aid boosts a country’s long-term growth. Easterly is also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/03/31/this-common-argument-for-u-s-foreign-aid-is-actually-quite-xenophobic/?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.9afe746fd52d">highly critical</a> of linking aid to counterterrorism efforts, and he and <a href="http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2014/12/15/providing-aid-to-repressive-terrorist-source-countries-does-not-make-the-u-s-any-safer/">other analysts</a> have warned about the potential for military aid to bolster repressive regimes. To combat that, Congress <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/us/politics/military-says-law-barring-us-aid-to-rights-violators-hurts-training-mission.html">has passed legislation</a> barring U.S. aid to military units that were found to have violated human rights.</p>
<blockquote>Military aid in particular has come under fire for its potential to bolster repressive regimes.</blockquote>
<p>Nobel laureate Sir Angus Deaton <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/does-foreign-aid-always-help-the-poor/">argues</a> that aid gives a lifeline to corrupt governments, insulating them from the political pressures that would create a better functioning state. Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123758895999200083">writes</a> that more than $1 trillion in aid has flowed to Africa in past decades, but real per capital income on the continent has not improved since the 1970s.</p>
<p>Some analysts, and many in Congress, have criticized U.S. aid as wasteful spending. Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute <a href="http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA00/20170328/105791/HHRG-115-FA00-Wstate-PletkaD-20170328.pdf">argued before Congress</a> [PDF] that USAID has little to show for much of its spending, and that the aid structure established by the 1961 foreign assistance law is increasingly dysfunctional.</p></p><p><span>What are the arguments in favor?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>High-profile defenders of aid like tech billionaire Bill Gates and Colombia University economist Jeffrey Sachs counter that health initiatives in particular have <a href="http://www.economywatch.com/economy-business-and-finance-news/why-foreign-aid-skeptics-are-wrong.31-05.html">saved millions of lives</a>. Gates <a href="http://time.com/4704550/bill-gates-cutting-foreign-aid-makes-america-less-safe/">says</a> that successes like anti-HIV/AIDS and polio campaigns have increased political stability, expanded economic opportunity, and boosted U.S. popularity. (Critics such as Easterly and Deaton praise such life-saving humanitarian aid, but point out it is a small fraction of total aid spending.)</p>
<p>R. Nicholas Burns, a Harvard University professor and former U.S. ambassador, concurs with some of the criticisms of the State Department, arguing that the system needs some restructuring to improve performance. However, he <a href="http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA00/20170328/105791/HHRG-115-FA00-Wstate-BurnsR-20170328.pdf">warns that</a> reducing funding to USAID and other programs would be “unwise, unnecessary, and a danger to our overall national security.”</p>
<p>Many military leaders are also outspoken supporters of foreign aid programs. A <a href="http://www.usglc.org/downloads/2017/02/FY18_International_Affairs_Budget_House_Senate.pdf">2017 letter to Congress</a> authored by more than 120 retired admirals and generals advocated for continued aid funding in the next budget, arguing that “the State Department, USAID, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way.”</p>
<p>President Trump’s secretary of defense, retired General Jim Mattis, has made similar arguments, saying, “If you don’t fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.” CFR’s Patrick <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2017/03/16/trumps-misguided-national-security-budget-every-problem-is-not-a-nail/">agrees</a>, writing that cutting the foreign assistance budget “would signal the definitive surrender of any pretense to U.S. global leadership.”</p></p>',
'content' => '<p><span>Introduction</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>President Donald J. Trump's <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2017/03/16/trumps-misguided-national-security-budget-every-problem-is-not-a-nail/">budget blueprint</a> for 2018 calls for deep cuts to foreign assistance programs, raising pointed questions about the role the United States should play around the world.</p><div id="intro-pullout"/>
<p>There has long been broad bipartisan agreement on the moral and strategic significance of foreign aid. Aid levels rose sharply after the 9/11 attacks, with policymakers seeing global economic development as a way to promote U.S. national security.</p>
<p>Though aid remains a small percentage of the overall U.S. budget, some politicians and economists have criticized the spending as ineffective. Others have urged the United States to expand its international aid commitments.</p></p><p><span>What is foreign aid?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The current foreign aid system was created by the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/usaid-history">1961 Foreign Assistance Act</a>, which attempted to streamline the government’s efforts to provide assistance around the world. The statute defines aid as “the unilateral transfers of U.S. resources by the U.S. Government to or for the benefit of foreign entities.” These resources include not just goods and funding, but also technical assistance, educational programming, and other services. Recipients include foreign governments, including foreign militaries and security forces, as well as local businesses and charitable groups, international organizations such as the United Nations, and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs).</p></p><p><span>How much does the United States spend on it?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>Given the many agencies, funding methods, and categories of aid associated with U.S. foreign assistance efforts, estimates can differ. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), which uses the <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40213.pdf">broadest definition of aid</a> [PDF], including military and security assistance, total spending was nearly $49 billion in 2015. This accounts for roughly 1.3 percent of the federal budget.</p>
<p>Aid funding levels are at their highest since the period immediately following World War II, when the United States invested heavily in rebuilding European economies. In the 1990s, in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, aid levels were cut to barely half of what they are today, falling to less than $20 billion in 1997, or 0.8 percent of the overall budget. Aid rose again in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, surpassing 1.4 percent of the budget by 2007, which analysts say was driven largely by assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as President George W. Bush’s global health programs.</p></p><p><span>What are its objectives?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>As former State Department official and aid expert Carol Lancaster pointed out in her book, <a href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo4134278.html"><em>Foreign Aid: Diplomacy, Development, Domestic Politics</em></a>, modern U.S. aid originated in Cold War geopolitics: the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe was designed to blunt the influence of rising Communist political forces on the continent. National security concerns have continued to drive U.S. assistance policy, aiming to provide stability in conflicted regions, bolster allies, promote democracy, or contribute to counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts abroad. </p>
<blockquote>National security concerns have continued to drive U.S. assistance policy, aiming to provide stability in conflicted regions.</blockquote>
<p>Other objectives, related to but separate from U.S. national security, also drive assistance. These include most notably humanitarian relief efforts to respond directly to acute disasters, poverty reduction, health care, and other development programs.</p></p><p><span>How is the money spent?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>U.S. aid policy seeks to achieve its aims through a diverse array of programs, which can be organized into several major categories. According to CRS calculations, foreign aid spending in 2015 broke down as follows:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Long-term development aid (38 percent)</strong> provides ongoing funding for projects to promote broad-based economic growth and general prosperity in the world’s poorest countries. More than half of this goes to bilateral global health programs, including treatment of HIV/AIDS, maternal and family health, and support for government health-care systems, mostly in Africa. About 15 percent of this goes to multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the UN Development Program.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Military and security aid (35 percent)</strong> primarily goes toward helping allies purchase U.S. military equipment, training foreign military personnel, and funding peacekeeping missions. A smaller slice goes to “non-military security assistance”, which includes counternarcotics programs in Afghanistan, Colombia, Peru, and elsewhere, as well as nonproliferation and counterterrorism efforts.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Humanitarian aid (16 percent)</strong> is spent to alleviate short-term humanitarian crises, such as those resulting from famine, earthquakes, war, failed states, or other natural or man-made disasters. This includes State Department and Defense Department disaster relief efforts, as well as purchases of U.S. agricultural goods and funding for organizations such as the International Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Political aid (11 percent)</strong> is intended to support political stability, free market economic reforms, and democratic institutions. Programs include governance and justice system reforms, backing for human rights organizations, and support for peace talks and treaty implementation.</p></p><p><span>Which agencies manage it?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>U.S. foreign assistance is managed by a complex ecosystem of agencies, with over twenty federal agencies involved in either funding or implementing foreign aid policy.</p>
<p>The 1961 Foreign Assistance Act created the U.S. government’s primary aid organization, the <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/usaid-history">U.S. Agency for International Development</a> (USAID). The agency administers the bulk of U.S. development and humanitarian aid, <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1869/USAIDFY2015DevelopmentBudgetFactSheet.pdf">managing</a> [PDF] over $20 billion in funds and employing more than nine thousand staff around the world.</p>
<p>USAID is a semi-independent agency, operating under the policy guidance of the president, the State Department, and the National Security Council. It receives its funding through the State Department budget. In 2006, in an attempt to streamline what some policymakers considered a dysfunctional aid system, the Bush administration created a new role, the <a href="https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/233332.htm">Director of Foreign Assistance</a>, in the State Department with a mandate to coordinate all U.S. aid activity. </p>
<p>The Department of Defense plays a major role as the agency primarily responsible for implementing traditional military aid, though the State Department also funds and influences many security assistance programs. The Department of Health and Human Services implements many health-related programs, including the <a href="https://www.pepfar.gov/about/index.htm">President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief</a> (PEPFAR). The Treasury Department helps manage funding of global financial institutions, as well as programs for debt relief and economic reforms in poor countries. There are also a plethora of other agencies and autonomous organizations, including the <a href="https://www.mcc.gov/about">Millennium Challenge Corporation</a>, the <a href="https://www.peacecorps.gov/about/">Peace Corps</a>, and the <a href="http://www.usadf.gov/">African Development Foundation</a>, involved in aid work.</p></p><p><span>Which countries receive the most aid?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>More than <a href="https://explorer.usaid.gov/aid-dashboard.html">two hundred countries</a> receive U.S. aid. It disproportionately goes to a few, however, with the top five <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40213.pdf">receiving</a> [PDF] over $1 billion per year as of 2015: Afghanistan ($5.5 billion), Israel ($3.1 billion), Iraq ($1.8 billion), Egypt ($1.5 billion), and Jordan ($1.1 billion).</p>
<p>As a <em>Washington Post</em> analysis <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/which-countries-get-the-most-foreign-aid/">points out</a>, this is largely due to the concentration of military aid in a few countries: Afghanistan receives $3.7 billion in security aid, all of Israel’s $3.1 billion is military aid, and the vast majority of aid to both Egypt and Iraq is security-related.</p>
<blockquote>More than two hundred countries receive U.S. aid. Aid disproportionately goes to a few, however.</blockquote>
<p>Economic and development aid is much more dispersed: while Afghanistan again receives the most of any single country, most of the ten-largest recipients are in Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Regionally, Africa receives 32 percent of all U.S. aid, followed by the Middle East at 31 percent and South and Central Asia at 25 percent.</p>
<p>Some of this funding takes place through U.S. contributions to the United Nations, which are distributed to development initiatives and peacekeeping operations around the world. As CFR’s Stewart Patrick <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2017/01/26/trumps-uns-executive-order-would-cut-off-americas-nose-to-spite-its-face/">explains</a>, the United States provides roughly $8 billion a year for UN operations. About $2.5 billion of that <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/13/white-house-seeks-to-cut-billions-in-funding-for-united-nations/">goes to</a> peacekeeping.</p></p><p><span>How does U.S. aid spending compare with other countries?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>The United States is by far the largest single foreign donor. It outspends the next largest, the United Kingdom, by more than $10 billion a year; Germany, France, and Japan follow.</p>
<p>As a percent of GDP, however, U.S. aid spending ranks near the bottom of all developed countries. It accounts for 0.17 percent of GDP, <a href="http://www2.compareyourcountry.org/oda">twentieth out of twenty-eight countries</a> measured by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom all spend more than 0.7 percent of GDP on foreign aid, which is the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/the07odagnitarget-ahistory.htm">target set</a> by the United Nations. </p></p><p><span>What are the criticisms of foreign aid?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>A number of economists have criticized various aspects of the global foreign aid system as ineffective or counterproductive. New York University professor and former World Bank economist William Easterly made the case in his 2006 book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/White-Mans-Burden-Efforts-Little/dp/0143038826"><em>The White Man’s Burden</em></a>, that development aid is dominated by top-down planners and bureaucrats with little accountability, and that there is scant evidence that aid boosts a country’s long-term growth. Easterly is also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/03/31/this-common-argument-for-u-s-foreign-aid-is-actually-quite-xenophobic/?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.9afe746fd52d">highly critical</a> of linking aid to counterterrorism efforts, and he and <a href="http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2014/12/15/providing-aid-to-repressive-terrorist-source-countries-does-not-make-the-u-s-any-safer/">other analysts</a> have warned about the potential for military aid to bolster repressive regimes. To combat that, Congress <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/us/politics/military-says-law-barring-us-aid-to-rights-violators-hurts-training-mission.html">has passed legislation</a> barring U.S. aid to military units that were found to have violated human rights.</p>
<blockquote>Military aid in particular has come under fire for its potential to bolster repressive regimes.</blockquote>
<p>Nobel laureate Sir Angus Deaton <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/does-foreign-aid-always-help-the-poor/">argues</a> that aid gives a lifeline to corrupt governments, insulating them from the political pressures that would create a better functioning state. Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123758895999200083">writes</a> that more than $1 trillion in aid has flowed to Africa in past decades, but real per capital income on the continent has not improved since the 1970s.</p>
<p>Some analysts, and many in Congress, have criticized U.S. aid as wasteful spending. Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute <a href="http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA00/20170328/105791/HHRG-115-FA00-Wstate-PletkaD-20170328.pdf">argued before Congress</a> [PDF] that USAID has little to show for much of its spending, and that the aid structure established by the 1961 foreign assistance law is increasingly dysfunctional.</p></p><p><span>What are the arguments in favor?</span><i data-icon="h"/></p><p><p>High-profile defenders of aid like tech billionaire Bill Gates and Colombia University economist Jeffrey Sachs counter that health initiatives in particular have <a href="http://www.economywatch.com/economy-business-and-finance-news/why-foreign-aid-skeptics-are-wrong.31-05.html">saved millions of lives</a>. Gates <a href="http://time.com/4704550/bill-gates-cutting-foreign-aid-makes-america-less-safe/">says</a> that successes like anti-HIV/AIDS and polio campaigns have increased political stability, expanded economic opportunity, and boosted U.S. popularity. (Critics such as Easterly and Deaton praise such life-saving humanitarian aid, but point out it is a small fraction of total aid spending.)</p>
<p>R. Nicholas Burns, a Harvard University professor and former U.S. ambassador, concurs with some of the criticisms of the State Department, arguing that the system needs some restructuring to improve performance. However, he <a href="http://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA00/20170328/105791/HHRG-115-FA00-Wstate-BurnsR-20170328.pdf">warns that</a> reducing funding to USAID and other programs would be “unwise, unnecessary, and a danger to our overall national security.”</p>
<p>Many military leaders are also outspoken supporters of foreign aid programs. A <a href="http://www.usglc.org/downloads/2017/02/FY18_International_Affairs_Budget_House_Senate.pdf">2017 letter to Congress</a> authored by more than 120 retired admirals and generals advocated for continued aid funding in the next budget, arguing that “the State Department, USAID, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way.”</p>
<p>President Trump’s secretary of defense, retired General Jim Mattis, has made similar arguments, saying, “If you don’t fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.” CFR’s Patrick <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2017/03/16/trumps-misguided-national-security-budget-every-problem-is-not-a-nail/">agrees</a>, writing that cutting the foreign assistance budget “would signal the definitive surrender of any pretense to U.S. global leadership.”</p></p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2017-04-11',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2017-04-11',
'category_id' => '1',
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '2',
'special_feature_id' => null,
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => null,
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => '',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '0',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => false,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => false,
'created_user_id' => '0',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'Source' => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'Foreign Affairs',
'type' => '2',
'url' => 'http://www.foreignaffairs.com/about-us/sponsors',
'is_active' => true,
'urls_count' => '20',
'date_created' => null,
'date_modified' => null
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => null,
'title' => null,
'description' => null,
'url' => null,
'place' => null,
'tags' => null,
'is_published' => null,
'visible_upcoming_links' => null,
'pdf_path' => null,
'pdf_preview_path' => null,
'source_id' => null,
'small_image' => null,
'left_block_image' => null,
'main_image' => null,
'header_image' => null,
'content' => null,
'publication_date' => null,
'creation_date' => null,
'is_active' => null,
'participant_count' => null,
'source_custom_url' => null,
'digital_link' => null,
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
),
'Authors' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
)
)
$middle_eight_articles = array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
(int) 3 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
),
(int) 3 => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
)
)
)
$six_hover_news_block = array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Category' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
)
)
$five_small_news_row = array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '513143',
'title' => 'Greece looks beyond the EU thanks for partnership with Japan',
'description_old' => 'The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement created the world's largest trade zone made up of more than half a billion people. Since the EPA came into force in 2019, businesses and citizens of Greece and Japan immediately felt the agreement's positive impact, particularly in the agri-food sector.
As a result of the EPA, tariffs for wine and alcoholic beverages were slashed from 15% to zero. In the coming years, 85% of EU agri-food exports to Japan will be covered by further trade liberalization.',
'description' => 'The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement created the world's largest trade zone made up of more than half a billion people. Since the EPA came into force in 2019, businesses and citizens of Greece and Japan immediately felt the agreement's positive impact, particularly in the agri-food sector.
As a result of the EPA, tariffs for wine and alcoholic beverages were slashed from 15% to zero. In the coming years, 85% of EU agri-food exports to Japan will be covered by further trade liberalization.',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'greece-looks-beyond-the-eu-thanks-for-partnership-with-japan',
'tags' => 'Greece, Japan, Economy',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p>The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement created the world’s largest trade zone made up of more than half a billion people. Since the EPA came into force in 2019, businesses and citizens of Greece and Japan immediately felt the agreement’s positive impact, particularly in the agri-food sector.</p>
<p>As a result of the EPA, tariffs for wine and alcoholic beverages were slashed from 15% to zero. In the coming years, 85% of EU agri-food exports to Japan will be covered by further trade liberalization.</p>
<p>The world’s 3rd largest economy, Japan has a solid reputation as a reliable partner not only of large companies but also of SMEs across the 27-member trading bloc. Notwithstanding the obvious commercial benefits, the EPA is also ambitious in its goal of building a more environmentally sustainable future and promoting the equitable distribution of wealth.</p>
<p>What does this mean for Greek businesses and the local community?</p>
<p>Prior to the pandemic, total trade volume between Japan and Greece has been in a decreasing trend since the economic crisis in Greece, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. But, in 2020, Greek exports to Japan doubled, while Japan jumped from ten places to No. 22 in terms of trade volume to Greece, according to the December 2020 figures from <a href="https://www.enterprisegreece.gov.gr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enterprise Greece</a>, which organizes regular online seminars on Doing Business in Japan to help local businesses expand their overseas markets.</p>
<p>Greek agri-food products, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods, such as cosmetics, have emerged the biggest winners. This comes as no surprise given the trade synergy that exists between the two countries. On one hand, Greek products are known for their superior quality and state-of-the-art packaging. While on the other, the average Japanese consumer is widely known to have high expectations regarding goods and services. </p>
<p>What is also interesting is the growing trend among Japanese towards healthy and nutritious food, a blessing for Greek food producers that represent the widely-praised “Mediterranean diet.”</p>
<p>Beyond consumer goods, innovation and digital transformation have also emerged as major growth areas when it comes to cross-border opportunities. Greek entrepreneurs from the US and other countries have returned him to share their expertise and talent with their enterprising compatriots.</p>
<p>This is a welcome development as Greece’s construction, IT and healthcare sectors have embraced the digital economy and can easily find partners in Japan, which has long been known as the leader in high tech innovation and digital transformation.</p>
<p>Although the world has yet to totally contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Greek enterprises have continued venturing beyond their European borders and have discovered that Greece’s relationship with Japan only just beginning.</p>',
'content' => '<p>The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement created the world’s largest trade zone made up of more than half a billion people. Since the EPA came into force in 2019, businesses and citizens of Greece and Japan immediately felt the agreement’s positive impact, particularly in the agri-food sector.</p>
<p>As a result of the EPA, tariffs for wine and alcoholic beverages were slashed from 15% to zero. In the coming years, 85% of EU agri-food exports to Japan will be covered by further trade liberalization.</p>
<p>The world’s 3rd largest economy, Japan has a solid reputation as a reliable partner not only of large companies but also of SMEs across the 27-member trading bloc. Notwithstanding the obvious commercial benefits, the EPA is also ambitious in its goal of building a more environmentally sustainable future and promoting the equitable distribution of wealth.</p>
<p>What does this mean for Greek businesses and the local community?</p>
<p>Prior to the pandemic, total trade volume between Japan and Greece has been in a decreasing trend since the economic crisis in Greece, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. But, in 2020, Greek exports to Japan doubled, while Japan jumped from ten places to No. 22 in terms of trade volume to Greece, according to the December 2020 figures from <a href="https://www.enterprisegreece.gov.gr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enterprise Greece</a>, which organizes regular online seminars on Doing Business in Japan to help local businesses expand their overseas markets.</p>
<p>Greek agri-food products, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods, such as cosmetics, have emerged the biggest winners. This comes as no surprise given the trade synergy that exists between the two countries. On one hand, Greek products are known for their superior quality and state-of-the-art packaging. While on the other, the average Japanese consumer is widely known to have high expectations regarding goods and services. </p>
<p>What is also interesting is the growing trend among Japanese towards healthy and nutritious food, a blessing for Greek food producers that represent the widely-praised “Mediterranean diet.”</p>
<p>Beyond consumer goods, innovation and digital transformation have also emerged as major growth areas when it comes to cross-border opportunities. Greek entrepreneurs from the US and other countries have returned him to share their expertise and talent with their enterprising compatriots.</p>
<p>This is a welcome development as Greece’s construction, IT and healthcare sectors have embraced the digital economy and can easily find partners in Japan, which has long been known as the leader in high tech innovation and digital transformation.</p>
<p>Although the world has yet to totally contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Greek enterprises have continued venturing beyond their European borders and have discovered that Greece’s relationship with Japan only just beginning.</p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2021-05-08',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2021-05-08',
'category_id' => null,
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => '93',
'section_id' => '272',
'section_summary_old' => 'The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement created the world’s largest trade zone made up of more than half a billion people. Since the EPA came into force in 2019, businesses and citizens of Greece and Japan immediately felt the agreement’s positive impact, particularly in the agri-food sector.
As a result of the EPA, tariffs for wine and alcoholic beverages were slashed from 15% to zero. In the coming years, 85% of EU agri-food exports to Japan will be covered by further trade liberalization.',
'section_summary' => 'The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement created the world’s largest trade zone made up of more than half a billion people. Since the EPA came into force in 2019, businesses and citizens of Greece and Japan immediately felt the agreement’s positive impact, particularly in the agri-food sector.
As a result of the EPA, tariffs for wine and alcoholic beverages were slashed from 15% to zero. In the coming years, 85% of EU agri-food exports to Japan will be covered by further trade liberalization.',
'section_image' => null,
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => 'Greece-2-sm.jpg',
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => '',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '1',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => '93',
'title' => 'Greece 2021',
'description' => 'Following the disruption caused by the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic last year, GMI Post is preparing a second Special Report on Greece, which will again highlight the country’s main economic players and hidden champions. The special report is planned for this summer to coincide with the opening of the postponed Tokyo Olympics.
While the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic reversed the solid gains made by Greece in 2018, when the country exited its economic bailout program, the country is getting back up on its feet with cautious optimism as the government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mistotakis efficiently oversees its vaccination rollout.
Analysts predict that Greece’s GDP to grow between 3.5 and 4.0 percent in the coming months.',
'url' => 'greece-2021',
'place' => '',
'tags' => 'Greece, Japan, Economy',
'is_published' => true,
'visible_upcoming_links' => false,
'pdf_path' => 'JT-Greece-2021.pdf',
'pdf_preview_path' => 'JT-Greece-2021-Page-1.jpg',
'source_id' => '1',
'small_image' => 'Greece-2-sm.jpg',
'left_block_image' => '',
'main_image' => '',
'header_image' => 'Greece-2-Banner.jpg',
'content' => '<p>Following the disruption caused by the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic last year, GMI Post is preparing a second Special Report on Greece, which will again highlight the country’s main economic players and hidden champions. The special report is planned for this summer to coincide with the opening of the postponed Tokyo Olympics.</p>
<p>While the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic reversed the solid gains made by Greece in 2018, when the country exited its economic bailout program, the country is getting back up on its feet with cautious optimism as the government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mistotakis efficiently oversees its vaccination rollout.</p>
<p>Analysts predict that Greece’s GDP to grow between 3.5 and 4.0 percent in the coming months. Supporting this prediction is the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into effect in 2019, created the world’s largest free trade zone, and gave a strong boost to Greek agri-food exporters. In fact, only one year after the EU-Japan EPA came into effect, Greek exports to Japan doubled.</p>
<p>The upcoming report will highlight Greece’s highly profitable prospects outside the EU and identify valuable investment opportunities for Japanese companies.</p>
<p>Inquiries regarding this report can be directed to Project Coordinator <a href="mailto:francis@gmipost.com?subject=Special%20Report%20on%20Greece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Francis Pacheco</a>.</p>',
'publication_date' => '2021-08-09',
'creation_date' => '2021-08-09',
'is_active' => true,
'participant_count' => '0',
'source_custom_url' => 'https://info.japantimes.co.jp/international-reports/pdf/20210809-GM-Greece.pdf',
'digital_link' => 'https://www.japantimes.co.jp/country-report_category/greece-report-2021/',
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => '272',
'special_feature_id' => '93',
'name' => 'Blog',
'url' => 'greece-2021-blog',
'is_active' => true
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '460875',
'title' => 'Shipping is deep in the Greek DNA',
'description_old' => '',
'description' => '',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'shipping-is-deep-in-the-greek-dna',
'tags' => 'Greece, Japan, Shipping, Star Bulk, Gaslog, Euroseas',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Star-Bulk--Chairman-Spyros-Capralos.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Star Bulk Chairman Spyros Capralos</figcaption></figure>
<p>Over many years, Greece has managed to remain the largest maritime power worldwide. Shipping has always been part of the Greek heritage. In fact, 53 percent of the European fleet is owned by Greeks, while 21 percent of the global fleet is owned by the same.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Gaslog--CEO-Paul-Wogan-.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Gaslog CEO Paul Wogan</figcaption></figure>
<p>There is stiff competition around the world for shipping companies but Greek shipping companies, regardless of economic downturns anywhere around the world, have managed to keep up with the latest technological advancements and innovation. They have dedicated a lot of their resources to promoting environmental sustainability in their vessels as well as in their operations.</p>
<p>While competition in the shipping industry may be ruthless, Greek maritime companies consider each other as allies, as partners that grow the country’s shipping industry together. While recent years have been very challenging for Greek business, the shipping companies have honored the long relationships and commitments of their competitors.advancements and innovation. They have dedicated a lot of their resources to promoting environmental sustainability in their vessels as well as in their operations.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Euroseas-Marcos-Vassilikos-Managing-Dir.-JPG.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Euroseas Managing Director Marcos Vassilikos</figcaption></figure>
<p>And among those companies that have nurtured long, fruitful relationships with Japan are <a href="https://www.starbulk.com/">Star Bulk Inc.</a>, which is Greece’s biggest dry bulk shipping company, <a href="https://www.gaslogltd.com/">Gaslog</a>, which transports liquefied natural gas, and <a href="http://www.euroseas.gr/">Euroseas</a>, which engages in chartering, dry bulk shipping, and the sale and purchase of Japanese ships.</p>',
'content' => '<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Star-Bulk--Chairman-Spyros-Capralos.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Star Bulk Chairman Spyros Capralos</figcaption></figure>
<p>Over many years, Greece has managed to remain the largest maritime power worldwide. Shipping has always been part of the Greek heritage. In fact, 53 percent of the European fleet is owned by Greeks, while 21 percent of the global fleet is owned by the same.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Gaslog--CEO-Paul-Wogan-.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Gaslog CEO Paul Wogan</figcaption></figure>
<p>There is stiff competition around the world for shipping companies but Greek shipping companies, regardless of economic downturns anywhere around the world, have managed to keep up with the latest technological advancements and innovation. They have dedicated a lot of their resources to promoting environmental sustainability in their vessels as well as in their operations.</p>
<p>While competition in the shipping industry may be ruthless, Greek maritime companies consider each other as allies, as partners that grow the country’s shipping industry together. While recent years have been very challenging for Greek business, the shipping companies have honored the long relationships and commitments of their competitors.advancements and innovation. They have dedicated a lot of their resources to promoting environmental sustainability in their vessels as well as in their operations.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Euroseas-Marcos-Vassilikos-Managing-Dir.-JPG.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Euroseas Managing Director Marcos Vassilikos</figcaption></figure>
<p>And among those companies that have nurtured long, fruitful relationships with Japan are <a href="https://www.starbulk.com/">Star Bulk Inc.</a>, which is Greece’s biggest dry bulk shipping company, <a href="https://www.gaslogltd.com/">Gaslog</a>, which transports liquefied natural gas, and <a href="http://www.euroseas.gr/">Euroseas</a>, which engages in chartering, dry bulk shipping, and the sale and purchase of Japanese ships.</p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2020-03-10',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2020-03-10',
'category_id' => null,
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => '84',
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => 'Star-Bulk--Chairman-Spyros-Capralos.jpg',
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => '',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '1',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => '84',
'title' => 'Greece 2020',
'description' => 'When Greece and Japan celebrated the 120th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations last year, the two countries welcomed "a new era of partnership in business and culture." The milestone came at an auspicious time as Greece continued on its road to economic recovery and Japan strengthened its efforts to expand its relations with Europe as the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement came into effect.',
'url' => 'greece-2020',
'place' => '',
'tags' => '',
'is_published' => true,
'visible_upcoming_links' => false,
'pdf_path' => 'JT-GREECE 2020.pdf',
'pdf_preview_path' => 'JT-GREECE-2020-Page-1.jpg',
'source_id' => '1',
'small_image' => 'JT-GREECE-2020-sm.jpg',
'left_block_image' => '',
'main_image' => '',
'header_image' => 'Greece-2020-Banner.jpg',
'content' => '',
'publication_date' => '2020-08-31',
'creation_date' => '2020-02-03',
'is_active' => true,
'participant_count' => '0',
'source_custom_url' => '',
'digital_link' => 'apantimes.co.jp/country-report_category/greece-report-2020/',
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '459790',
'title' => 'Colombia ushers in new era for workers and foreign investors',
'description_old' => '',
'description' => '',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'colombia-ushers-in-new-era-for-workers-and-foreign-investors',
'tags' => 'Colombia, Japan, Employment, Investment',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p>When our team met the Deputy Minister of Labor Carlos Alberto Baena, who has served the government in various capacities since 2001, he outlined the numerous initiatives that took place over the past two years and underlined the positive achievements in the country’s different sectors.</p>
<p>Among the <a href="http://www.mintrabajo.gov.co/web/guest/inicio" target="_blank">Minstry of Labor’s</a> biggest achievements is improving the lives for retried senior citizens under a program called <a href="https://www.fondodesolidaridadpensional.gov.co/" target="_blank">"Colombia Mayor,"</a> which has created new work opportunities for pensioners and provide discounts to public health programs and medical expenses.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202020/Blog-Colombia-Week-1-Labor.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="314" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Deputy Minister of Labor Carlos Alberto Baena</figcaption></figure>
<p>“We also acknowledge the beginning of a stronger social dialog and the promotion of equality in the economic development of the nation. This means business owners and workers will be able to have better relationships and see an increase of salaries without affecting businesses. Through these strengthened dialogs, we saw the highest registered basic salary increase since 2013, when the negotiations started. Now, we see that these negotiations happening every two years,” Baena said.</p>
<p>That was an important step for the ministry because it drove other projects that benefited foreign investment by reducing unemployment, particularly among new college graduates, and providing qualified workers for new investors.</p>
<p>Through continuous dialogue and partnerships, several entities have come up with innovative ideas to highlight the qualifications and skills of Colombia’s fresh graduates. The government is also looking into how to expand this effort into more institutions of higher education as more students look for work and more companies – local and foreign – seek more workers.</p>
<p>The government is very confident that its labor-related incentives will benefit Colombia’s labor and industrial sector just as the country positions itself as an ideal destination for investment.</p>',
'content' => '<p>When our team met the Deputy Minister of Labor Carlos Alberto Baena, who has served the government in various capacities since 2001, he outlined the numerous initiatives that took place over the past two years and underlined the positive achievements in the country’s different sectors.</p>
<p>Among the <a href="http://www.mintrabajo.gov.co/web/guest/inicio" target="_blank">Minstry of Labor’s</a> biggest achievements is improving the lives for retried senior citizens under a program called <a href="https://www.fondodesolidaridadpensional.gov.co/" target="_blank">"Colombia Mayor,"</a> which has created new work opportunities for pensioners and provide discounts to public health programs and medical expenses.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202020/Blog-Colombia-Week-1-Labor.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="314" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Deputy Minister of Labor Carlos Alberto Baena</figcaption></figure>
<p>“We also acknowledge the beginning of a stronger social dialog and the promotion of equality in the economic development of the nation. This means business owners and workers will be able to have better relationships and see an increase of salaries without affecting businesses. Through these strengthened dialogs, we saw the highest registered basic salary increase since 2013, when the negotiations started. Now, we see that these negotiations happening every two years,” Baena said.</p>
<p>That was an important step for the ministry because it drove other projects that benefited foreign investment by reducing unemployment, particularly among new college graduates, and providing qualified workers for new investors.</p>
<p>Through continuous dialogue and partnerships, several entities have come up with innovative ideas to highlight the qualifications and skills of Colombia’s fresh graduates. The government is also looking into how to expand this effort into more institutions of higher education as more students look for work and more companies – local and foreign – seek more workers.</p>
<p>The government is very confident that its labor-related incentives will benefit Colombia’s labor and industrial sector just as the country positions itself as an ideal destination for investment.</p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2020-02-27',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2020-02-27',
'category_id' => null,
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => '85',
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => 'Blog-Colombia-Week-1-Labor.jpg',
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => '',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '1',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => '85',
'title' => 'Colombia 2020',
'description' => 'As Japan and Colombia celebrate 112 years of diplomatic relations this year, the world's third-largest economy remains the largest Asian investor in the South American economy and plans to further expand its investment in the country.
Continuing its coverage of South America in The Japan Times, GMI Post explores Colombia's partnership with Japan and will cover the cities of Medellin, Cartagena, and Cali.
Seven years after its previous report on Colombia, GMI Post's team will expand its scope into more sectors, such as legal services, agriculture, food & beverage, education and hospitality. ',
'url' => 'colombia-2020',
'place' => '',
'tags' => '',
'is_published' => true,
'visible_upcoming_links' => false,
'pdf_path' => 'JT-Colombia 2020.pdf',
'pdf_preview_path' => 'JT-COLOMBIA-2020-Page-1.jpg',
'source_id' => '1',
'small_image' => 'Colombia-2020-sm.jpg',
'left_block_image' => '',
'main_image' => '',
'header_image' => 'Colombia-2020-Banner.jpg',
'content' => '',
'publication_date' => '2020-07-16',
'creation_date' => '2020-02-03',
'is_active' => true,
'participant_count' => '0',
'source_custom_url' => '',
'digital_link' => 'https://www.japantimes.co.jp/country-report_category/colombia-report-2020/',
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
)
),
(int) 3 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '459791',
'title' => 'The world gets a taste of Greece',
'description_old' => '',
'description' => '',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'the-world-gets-a-taste-of-greece',
'tags' => 'Greece, Japan, Trikalinos, Roussas Dairy, Greek Nature Estate, Food and Drink, Agriculture',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p>Greece’s food and agriculture industries have been the country’s most important and most reliable export sectors, providing the world with premium quality olive oil, feta cheese, cotton, tobacco and honey, among others.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Roussas-Dairy.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Roussas Dairy President and CEO Alexandros Botos</figcaption></figure>
<p>But one product that has not received as much global attention is Greek wine. The country has been producing very good wines that have begun to catch the attention of connoisseurs in Europe. These wine makers, making slow but sure strides in America and Australia, hope that the rest of the world will soon catch up.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, many traditional food growers and food producers, deeply committed to preserving the quality of their produce and goods, are starting to shed their worries that new technology will negatively impact the superiority of their products. So, we have seen more companies adopt the latest machinery and implement new processes to increase efficiency and raise their output, without compromising quality.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Trikalinos.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Trikalinos CEO Zafiris Trikalinos</figcaption></figure>
<p>Last year, 16 Greek food companies participated in Japan FoodEx 2019, among them <a href="https://www.roussas.gr/" target="_blank">Roussas Dairy</a> (feta cheese), <a href="https://greeknatureestate.gr/" target="_blank">Greek Nature Estate</a> (olive oil) and <a href="https://trikalinos.gr/en/" target="_blank">Trikalinos</a> (cured fish roe), which received an award from Pentawards in 2009 for its innovative packaging and from the International Taste Institute in 2012 for product quality.</p>
<p>The food and agriculture sectors are forecast to further increase their share of Greece’s GDP in the next few years as exporters continue to expand their markets around the world, like the United States, China and Japan.</p>',
'content' => '<p>Greece’s food and agriculture industries have been the country’s most important and most reliable export sectors, providing the world with premium quality olive oil, feta cheese, cotton, tobacco and honey, among others.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Roussas-Dairy.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Roussas Dairy President and CEO Alexandros Botos</figcaption></figure>
<p>But one product that has not received as much global attention is Greek wine. The country has been producing very good wines that have begun to catch the attention of connoisseurs in Europe. These wine makers, making slow but sure strides in America and Australia, hope that the rest of the world will soon catch up.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, many traditional food growers and food producers, deeply committed to preserving the quality of their produce and goods, are starting to shed their worries that new technology will negatively impact the superiority of their products. So, we have seen more companies adopt the latest machinery and implement new processes to increase efficiency and raise their output, without compromising quality.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Greece%202020/Trikalinos.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Trikalinos CEO Zafiris Trikalinos</figcaption></figure>
<p>Last year, 16 Greek food companies participated in Japan FoodEx 2019, among them <a href="https://www.roussas.gr/" target="_blank">Roussas Dairy</a> (feta cheese), <a href="https://greeknatureestate.gr/" target="_blank">Greek Nature Estate</a> (olive oil) and <a href="https://trikalinos.gr/en/" target="_blank">Trikalinos</a> (cured fish roe), which received an award from Pentawards in 2009 for its innovative packaging and from the International Taste Institute in 2012 for product quality.</p>
<p>The food and agriculture sectors are forecast to further increase their share of Greece’s GDP in the next few years as exporters continue to expand their markets around the world, like the United States, China and Japan.</p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2020-02-27',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2020-02-27',
'category_id' => null,
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => '84',
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => 'Roussas-Dairy.jpg',
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => '',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '1',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => '84',
'title' => 'Greece 2020',
'description' => 'When Greece and Japan celebrated the 120th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations last year, the two countries welcomed "a new era of partnership in business and culture." The milestone came at an auspicious time as Greece continued on its road to economic recovery and Japan strengthened its efforts to expand its relations with Europe as the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement came into effect.',
'url' => 'greece-2020',
'place' => '',
'tags' => '',
'is_published' => true,
'visible_upcoming_links' => false,
'pdf_path' => 'JT-GREECE 2020.pdf',
'pdf_preview_path' => 'JT-GREECE-2020-Page-1.jpg',
'source_id' => '1',
'small_image' => 'JT-GREECE-2020-sm.jpg',
'left_block_image' => '',
'main_image' => '',
'header_image' => 'Greece-2020-Banner.jpg',
'content' => '',
'publication_date' => '2020-08-31',
'creation_date' => '2020-02-03',
'is_active' => true,
'participant_count' => '0',
'source_custom_url' => '',
'digital_link' => 'apantimes.co.jp/country-report_category/greece-report-2020/',
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
)
),
(int) 4 => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '458474',
'title' => 'The growth in greener initiatives for public vehicles in Colombia ',
'description_old' => '',
'description' => '',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'the-growth-in-greener-initiatives-for-public-vehicles-in-colombia',
'tags' => 'Colombia, Infrastructure, Electric Vehicles, Green Economy, Investment ',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">As our team began the project in Colombia, we've met many organizations and companies that were interested in initiatives to protect the environment. Acknowledging a growing clamor to safeguard the country’s valuable flora and fauna, the Ministry of Environment unveiled its <em>Programa Infraestructura, </em>which includes the building of roads that can provide power to electric vehicles.</span></p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202020/Blog-Colombia-Week-1-Asopartes.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Jose Alcibiades Garcia, President of the ASOPARTES (Association of the Automotive Sector and Auto Parts Sector)</figcaption></figure>
<p class="Body">Over the past several years, there has been a consistent rise in the demand for electric vehicles because of a growing awareness of the connection between carbon emissions, global warming and climate change. Amid this global crisis, Colombia recognized that it did not have the technology to address such environmental challenges. So, <a href="https://investincolombia.com.co/news/988-opportunities-to-invest-in-infrastructure-in-colombia.html" target="_blank">the government wants to develop so-called 4G roads, which will integrate the country’s transport infrastructure and link vital industrial centers and major ports</a>.</p>
<p class="Body">Although the initiative has encountered delays since it was launched in 2014, momentum has grown as more electric public transport and vehicles ply the streets of the capital Bogota.</p>
<p class="Body">Forecasts by automobile importers indicate that by 2023, the number of electric and hybrid vehicles, whether they be private or public, will double at the very least. The government is encouraging consumers to by “green” cars by not imposing any taxes or duties on them.</p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">With this long-term vision, Colombia’s government, with the support of various groups, has created a new area for growth for the automotive sector and the rest of the economy, which </span><span lang="EN-US">should be welcome news for foreign investors around the world in search of promising opportunities.</span></p>',
'content' => '<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">As our team began the project in Colombia, we've met many organizations and companies that were interested in initiatives to protect the environment. Acknowledging a growing clamor to safeguard the country’s valuable flora and fauna, the Ministry of Environment unveiled its <em>Programa Infraestructura, </em>which includes the building of roads that can provide power to electric vehicles.</span></p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="https://www.gmipost.com/img/uploads/Colombia%202020/Blog-Colombia-Week-1-Asopartes.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="288" /><figcaption class="image-caption">With Jose Alcibiades Garcia, President of the ASOPARTES (Association of the Automotive Sector and Auto Parts Sector)</figcaption></figure>
<p class="Body">Over the past several years, there has been a consistent rise in the demand for electric vehicles because of a growing awareness of the connection between carbon emissions, global warming and climate change. Amid this global crisis, Colombia recognized that it did not have the technology to address such environmental challenges. So, <a href="https://investincolombia.com.co/news/988-opportunities-to-invest-in-infrastructure-in-colombia.html" target="_blank">the government wants to develop so-called 4G roads, which will integrate the country’s transport infrastructure and link vital industrial centers and major ports</a>.</p>
<p class="Body">Although the initiative has encountered delays since it was launched in 2014, momentum has grown as more electric public transport and vehicles ply the streets of the capital Bogota.</p>
<p class="Body">Forecasts by automobile importers indicate that by 2023, the number of electric and hybrid vehicles, whether they be private or public, will double at the very least. The government is encouraging consumers to by “green” cars by not imposing any taxes or duties on them.</p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">With this long-term vision, Colombia’s government, with the support of various groups, has created a new area for growth for the automotive sector and the rest of the economy, which </span><span lang="EN-US">should be welcome news for foreign investors around the world in search of promising opportunities.</span></p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2020-02-14',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2020-02-14',
'category_id' => null,
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => '85',
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => '',
'general_image' => 'Blog-Colombia-Week-1-Asopartes.jpg',
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => '',
'region_id' => null,
'type_id' => '1',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => '85',
'title' => 'Colombia 2020',
'description' => 'As Japan and Colombia celebrate 112 years of diplomatic relations this year, the world's third-largest economy remains the largest Asian investor in the South American economy and plans to further expand its investment in the country.
Continuing its coverage of South America in The Japan Times, GMI Post explores Colombia's partnership with Japan and will cover the cities of Medellin, Cartagena, and Cali.
Seven years after its previous report on Colombia, GMI Post's team will expand its scope into more sectors, such as legal services, agriculture, food & beverage, education and hospitality. ',
'url' => 'colombia-2020',
'place' => '',
'tags' => '',
'is_published' => true,
'visible_upcoming_links' => false,
'pdf_path' => 'JT-Colombia 2020.pdf',
'pdf_preview_path' => 'JT-COLOMBIA-2020-Page-1.jpg',
'source_id' => '1',
'small_image' => 'Colombia-2020-sm.jpg',
'left_block_image' => '',
'main_image' => '',
'header_image' => 'Colombia-2020-Banner.jpg',
'content' => '',
'publication_date' => '2020-07-16',
'creation_date' => '2020-02-03',
'is_active' => true,
'participant_count' => '0',
'source_custom_url' => '',
'digital_link' => 'https://www.japantimes.co.jp/country-report_category/colombia-report-2020/',
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
)
)
)
$gmt_tweets = array()
$latest_special_features = array(
'latest_six' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 3 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 4 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 5 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'others' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 3 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 4 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 5 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 6 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 7 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 8 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 9 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 10 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 11 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 12 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 13 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 14 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 15 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 16 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 17 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 18 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 19 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 20 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 21 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 22 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 23 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 24 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 25 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 26 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 27 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 28 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 29 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 30 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 31 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 32 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 33 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 34 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 35 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 36 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 37 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 38 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 39 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 40 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 41 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 42 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 43 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 44 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 45 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 46 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 47 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 48 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 49 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 50 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 51 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 52 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 53 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 54 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 55 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 56 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 57 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 58 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 59 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 60 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 61 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 62 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 63 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 64 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 65 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 66 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 67 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 68 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 69 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 70 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 71 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 72 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 73 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 74 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 75 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 76 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 77 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 78 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 79 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 80 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 81 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 82 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 83 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 84 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 85 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 86 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 87 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 88 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 89 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 90 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 91 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 92 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 93 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 94 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 95 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 96 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 97 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 98 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 99 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 100 => array(
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
)
)
$company_focus = array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '366571',
'title' => 'TWSE: Cultivating Growth',
'description_old' => 'When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.',
'description' => 'When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'twse-cultivating-growth',
'tags' => 'Taiwan, Taiwan Stock Exchange, Economy',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p>When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the <a href="http://www.twse.com.tw/en/" target="_blank">Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)</a> has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.</p>
<p>With strict attention paid to corporate governance reporting standards and strong economic upturn, Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. This is evidenced in the growth of TWSE's main index, which hit the 10,000 ceiling on May 11.</p>
<p>TWSE Chairman Jun-ji Shih knows what it takes not only to realize this record high but also to sustain that growth.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Taiwan%202017/TWSE-Photo.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="452" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. </figcaption></figure>
<p style="text-align: left;">"One factor is economic performance, and we think that performance should be able to support the growth of the stock market. Other factors include the inflow of foreign funds and the contribution of individual domestic investors to enhance capital market surplus. The last decade has seen a steady climb in institutional investors, with this group having 40% of the overall holdings of the Taiwan market.”</p>
<p>At the end of June 2017, the TWSE reported 837 domestic listed companies and 64 foreign primary listed companies. Taiwan's well-known strength in high tech has also contributed to the stock market progress with globally-recognized giants <a href="http://www.tsmc.com/english/default.htm" target="_blank">Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company</a> and <a href="http://www.foxconn.com/" target="_blank">Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn)</a> being listed on TWSE. Biotech is also active, and the bourse has the highest number of listed biotech companies in Asia.</p>
<p>"Taiwan's position as a leading global supply chain gives our market many advantages with international linkage thro ugh Asia and worldwide. Our advanced ICT ecosystem enterprises are an integral part of our success. Investors in these companies enjoy the benefits of Taiwan's transparency and shareholder protection, while easily accessing other markets in the region and beyond,” noted Shih.</p>
<p>External recognition of Taiwan's advances in corporate governance by global reporting bodies shows yet another side of Taiwan's market strength. It is well worth mentioning that <a href="http://www.robecosam.com/en/sustainability-insights/about-sustainability/country-sustainability-ranking/" target="_blank">2016 was the first year Taiwan made the Robeco SAM Country Sustainability Ranking</a>. This is significant because when Taiwan was ranked, it was in the top third. Taiwan also placed first in APAC in Bloomberg's ESG category as well as rising to the 4th place position in ACGA's most recent survey.</p>
<p>"The ultimate goal of the TWSE is to provide trading value growth and consistently high dividend yields in the 4% range. Our listed companies also have reasonable P/E ratios; both of these are factors that continue to draw foreign investors to our market," Shih added.</p>
<p>Looking to the future, Shih is active in building greater collaboration with the international community to further strengthen Taiwan's investment environment. This involves working closely with other exchanges like Japan, Korea, Malaysia and NASDAQ with whom strong ties are held. Promoting the advantages of investing in Taiwan is also a key strategy, which entails roadshows in all regions of the world that include New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. With all this momentum in place, the TWSE is poised to deliver.</p>',
'content' => '<p>When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the <a href="http://www.twse.com.tw/en/" target="_blank">Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)</a> has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.</p>
<p>With strict attention paid to corporate governance reporting standards and strong economic upturn, Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. This is evidenced in the growth of TWSE's main index, which hit the 10,000 ceiling on May 11.</p>
<p>TWSE Chairman Jun-ji Shih knows what it takes not only to realize this record high but also to sustain that growth.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Taiwan%202017/TWSE-Photo.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="452" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Taiwan has a well-earned reputation as a preferred investment destination both at home and abroad. </figcaption></figure>
<p style="text-align: left;">"One factor is economic performance, and we think that performance should be able to support the growth of the stock market. Other factors include the inflow of foreign funds and the contribution of individual domestic investors to enhance capital market surplus. The last decade has seen a steady climb in institutional investors, with this group having 40% of the overall holdings of the Taiwan market.”</p>
<p>At the end of June 2017, the TWSE reported 837 domestic listed companies and 64 foreign primary listed companies. Taiwan's well-known strength in high tech has also contributed to the stock market progress with globally-recognized giants <a href="http://www.tsmc.com/english/default.htm" target="_blank">Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company</a> and <a href="http://www.foxconn.com/" target="_blank">Hon Hai Precision (Foxconn)</a> being listed on TWSE. Biotech is also active, and the bourse has the highest number of listed biotech companies in Asia.</p>
<p>"Taiwan's position as a leading global supply chain gives our market many advantages with international linkage thro ugh Asia and worldwide. Our advanced ICT ecosystem enterprises are an integral part of our success. Investors in these companies enjoy the benefits of Taiwan's transparency and shareholder protection, while easily accessing other markets in the region and beyond,” noted Shih.</p>
<p>External recognition of Taiwan's advances in corporate governance by global reporting bodies shows yet another side of Taiwan's market strength. It is well worth mentioning that <a href="http://www.robecosam.com/en/sustainability-insights/about-sustainability/country-sustainability-ranking/" target="_blank">2016 was the first year Taiwan made the Robeco SAM Country Sustainability Ranking</a>. This is significant because when Taiwan was ranked, it was in the top third. Taiwan also placed first in APAC in Bloomberg's ESG category as well as rising to the 4th place position in ACGA's most recent survey.</p>
<p>"The ultimate goal of the TWSE is to provide trading value growth and consistently high dividend yields in the 4% range. Our listed companies also have reasonable P/E ratios; both of these are factors that continue to draw foreign investors to our market," Shih added.</p>
<p>Looking to the future, Shih is active in building greater collaboration with the international community to further strengthen Taiwan's investment environment. This involves working closely with other exchanges like Japan, Korea, Malaysia and NASDAQ with whom strong ties are held. Promoting the advantages of investing in Taiwan is also a key strategy, which entails roadshows in all regions of the world that include New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. With all this momentum in place, the TWSE is poised to deliver.</p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2017-09-01',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2017-09-01',
'category_id' => '2',
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => null,
'section_id' => null,
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => 'TWSE-Photo.jpg',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => 'TWSE-Banner.jpg',
'general_image' => null,
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => 'TW',
'region_id' => '4012',
'type_id' => '2',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'Source' => array(
'id' => '3',
'name' => 'GMI Post',
'type' => '1',
'url' => 'http://www.gmipost.com',
'is_active' => true,
'urls_count' => '0',
'date_created' => null,
'date_modified' => null
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => null,
'title' => null,
'description' => null,
'url' => null,
'place' => null,
'tags' => null,
'is_published' => null,
'visible_upcoming_links' => null,
'pdf_path' => null,
'pdf_preview_path' => null,
'source_id' => null,
'small_image' => null,
'left_block_image' => null,
'main_image' => null,
'header_image' => null,
'content' => null,
'publication_date' => null,
'creation_date' => null,
'is_active' => null,
'participant_count' => null,
'source_custom_url' => null,
'digital_link' => null,
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => null,
'special_feature_id' => null,
'name' => null,
'url' => null,
'is_active' => null
),
'Type' => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'Company Focus',
'code' => 'company_focus',
'is_active' => true
),
'Authors' => array()
)
$banner = array(
'id' => '16',
'banner' => 'umbrellas.jpg',
'category_id' => '1'
)
$eath_no_ads = true
$upcoming_report_section = array(
'features' => array()
)
$categories = array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Category' => array(
'id' => '7',
'name' => 'Special Reports',
'url' => 'special-features',
'parent_id' => null,
'description' => 'Special Reports',
'is_active' => true,
'is_menu' => true,
'sort' => '5',
'is_main' => false,
'article_count' => '0',
'keyword_count' => '0',
'lft' => '11',
'rght' => '12',
'custom_url' => '/special-features.html',
'is_category' => false
),
'Keywords' => array()
)
)
$footer_latest_special_features = array(
'latest_nine' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
'others' => array(
(int) 0 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 5 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 6 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 7 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 8 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 9 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 10 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 11 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 12 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 13 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 14 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 15 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 16 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 17 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 18 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 19 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 20 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 21 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 22 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 23 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 24 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 25 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 26 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 27 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 28 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 29 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 30 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 31 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 32 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 33 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 34 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 35 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 36 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 37 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 38 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 39 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 40 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 41 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 42 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 43 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 44 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 45 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 46 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 47 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 48 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
(int) 0 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 1 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 2 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 3 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 4 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 5 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 6 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 7 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 8 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 9 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 10 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 11 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 12 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 13 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 14 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 15 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 16 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 17 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 18 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 19 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 20 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 21 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 22 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 23 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 24 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 25 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 26 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 27 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 28 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 29 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 30 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 31 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 32 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 33 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 34 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 35 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 36 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 37 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 38 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 39 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 40 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 41 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 42 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 43 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 44 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 45 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 46 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
(int) 47 => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
)
)
$is_home = false
$idx = (int) 0
$block = array(
(int) 0 => array(
'Category' => array(
'id' => '1',
'name' => 'REGIONAL',
'url' => 'regional',
'parent_id' => null,
'description' => 'asdsd',
'is_active' => true,
'is_menu' => false,
'sort' => '1',
'is_main' => true,
'article_count' => '4881',
'keyword_count' => '9',
'lft' => '1',
'rght' => '4',
'custom_url' => null,
'is_category' => true
),
'Article' => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
)
)
),
(int) 1 => array(
'Category' => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'BUSINESS',
'url' => 'business',
'parent_id' => null,
'description' => 'asdasd',
'is_active' => true,
'is_menu' => false,
'sort' => '2',
'is_main' => true,
'article_count' => '303',
'keyword_count' => '12',
'lft' => '5',
'rght' => '5',
'custom_url' => null,
'is_category' => true
),
'Article' => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
)
),
(int) 2 => array(
'Category' => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'BUSINESS',
'url' => 'business',
'parent_id' => null,
'description' => 'asdasd',
'is_active' => true,
'is_menu' => false,
'sort' => '2',
'is_main' => true,
'article_count' => '303',
'keyword_count' => '12',
'lft' => '5',
'rght' => '5',
'custom_url' => null,
'is_category' => true
),
'Article' => array(
'Article' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Source' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Section' => array(
[maximum depth reached]
),
'Authors' => array([maximum depth reached])
)
)
)
$news = array(
'Category' => array(
'id' => '2',
'name' => 'BUSINESS',
'url' => 'business',
'parent_id' => null,
'description' => 'asdasd',
'is_active' => true,
'is_menu' => false,
'sort' => '2',
'is_main' => true,
'article_count' => '303',
'keyword_count' => '12',
'lft' => '5',
'rght' => '5',
'custom_url' => null,
'is_category' => true
),
'Article' => array(
'Article' => array(
'id' => '324865',
'title' => 'Casino slot manufacturer attributes success to hard work, vision, and dedication to core values',
'description_old' => 'Japanese gaming giant Konami has invested heavily in Las Vegas, setting up a huge head office in the city from where it develops and markets industry-changing products for millions of enthusiasts around the world.',
'description' => 'Japanese gaming giant Konami has invested heavily in Las Vegas, setting up a huge head office in the city from where it develops and markets industry-changing products for millions of enthusiasts around the world.',
'credit_id' => '48',
'image' => '',
'image_caption' => '',
'url' => 'casino-slot-manufacturer-attributes-success-to-hard-work-vision-and-dedication-to-core-values',
'tags' => 'United States, Nevada, Konami ',
'is_rss' => false,
'rss_url' => '',
'content_old' => '<p>For the past 20 years, the highly regulated casino industry has made a dramatic shift from a limited number of select destinations — Las Vegas representing the most famous — to a global industry powerhouse that provides casino entertainment to more customers than at any time in its history.</p>
<p>Gaming entertainment and technology, once restricted to a few select places, have over time arrived in countless international markets, U.S. tribal areas, racetracks, riverboat operations, large corporate portfolios and even online mediums.</p>
<p>As the era of extreme global growth was beginning, gaming entertainment giant <a href="https://www.konami.com/en/" target="_blank">Konami Holdings Corp. (TSE: 9766)</a> established its first casino gaming operation with the launch of <a href="http://www.konami.com.au/gm/product.html" target="_blank">Konami Australia Pty Ltd.</a> in 1996.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Southwest%20USA%202016/JT-2016-SW-USA-KONAMI-Satoshi-Sakamoto-CEO.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="400" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Konami Gaming, Inc. CEO and President Satoshi Sakamoto Credit: Konami</figcaption></figure>
<p>One year later, in 1997, Konami expanded its casino division to what became the global headquarters when Konami Gaming, Inc. was founded in Las Vegas. Since then, Konami’s casino gaming companies have demonstrated success under the leadership of <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/corporate/home/about/executiveteam.aspx" target="_blank">President and CEO Satoshi Sakamoto.</a></p>
<p>Entry into the heavily regulated casino gambling sector occurred for Konami only after it carried out extensive research and investment to realize its vision.</p>
<p>“With each new market we examined, there was a great depth of strict regulatory requirements and licensing conditions unique to the individual jurisdiction’s authority. It was a monumental task to become a global supplier for a sector so strongly protected by legislative and governmental control. But today, Konami has secured gaming licenses in 392 locations worldwide, enabling us to responsibly reach the broadest scope of casino players and properties,” Sakamoto said.</p>
<p>Konami exercised measured investment and committed to organic growth as its video slot machines and mechanical steppers saw sustained success in the field in part due to the company’s heritage in gaming entertainment.</p>
<p>Creative gameplay, captivating sounds and graphics and proven slot mathematics were the core elements of Konami’s earliest casino games. These same components still contribute to the success of Konami games found at casinos today, such as the all new <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/corporate/Home/Details/TabId/473/ArtMID/1617/ArticleID/161/Konami-Debuts-its-New-Concerto-Video-Slot-Machine.aspx" target="_blank">Concerto slot machine</a>, <a href="https://www.konami.com/gaming/Games/GamesCatalog.aspx?k1=55&k2=2&K3=0%7C1&K4=0%7C1" target="_blank">the Rapid Revolver video-mechanical hybrid slot</a> and the revolutionary <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/systems/News/TabId/129/ArtMID/1306/ArticleID/83/Konami-Gaming-Inc-Unveils-Intriguing-New-Titan-360%E2%84%A2-Product-at-Harrahs-Resort-Atlantic-City-by-Leveraging-New-Jersey-First-Initiative.aspx" target="_blank">Titan 360 multistation machine.</a> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>"As we pursue emerging game development, our organization maintains a focus on creating what we call ‘valuable time’ – that players not simply spend a length of time with our games, but that they experience a premium level of entertainment and delight that goes beyond the minutes on the clock."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Just five years after the company’s casino division was created, Konami entered the casino management systems business by acquiring Paradigm Gaming Systems, Inc. and developing industry-leading systems technology.</p>
<p>Crucial operational functions such as slot and table accounting systems, player account tracking, and marketing analytics form the reliable backbone for Konami’s award-winning casino management system, <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/systems/Home.aspx" target="_blank">SYNKROS,</a> which is being used to manage successful casino operations around the world.</p>
<p>Operator partners, including <a href="http://www.starentertainmentgroup.com.au/#home" target="_blank">Star Entertainment</a>, <a href="http://www.casinosduquebec.com/" target="_blank">Casinos du Quebec</a>, New Mexico-based <a href="http://www.sandiacasino.com/" target="_blank">Sandia Resort & Casino</a> and <a href="https://www.barona.com/" target="_blank">Barona Resort & Casino</a> in southern California, are among those key companies relying on the strength and advantage of SYNKROS to compete in their markets.</p>
<p>The period from 2014 to 2015 marked unparalleled merger and acquisition activity for the casino gaming manufacturer market. Many of the top ten slot suppliers were involved in some form of ownership change. </p>
<p>Konami stands in marked contrast, relying on the steady organic growth characteristic of its culture. In terms of annual market share, Konami consistently maintains its top tier position.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Southwest%20USA%202016/JT-2016-SW-USA-KONAMI-Head-Office.jpg" alt="" width="603" height="255" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Konami Gaming, Inc.’s Las Vegas headquarters, spanning 360,000+ square feet of R&D, administrative, and manufacturing facilities. Credit: Konami</figcaption></figure>
<p>Tens of thousands of Konami machines are currently operating across the globe largely because of the success of the <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/systems/News/TabId/129/ArtMID/1306/ArticleID/127/Konami%E2%80%99s-Podium-Goliath-Video-Slot-Creates-a-Big-Impact-for-European-Casinos-.aspx" target="_blank">Podium slot cabinet</a> and the global expansion of its new <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/corporate/Home/Details/TabId/473/ArtMID/1617/ArticleID/161/Konami-Debuts-its-New-Concerto-Video-Slot-Machine.aspx" target="_blank">Concerto slot cabinet.</a></p>
<p>“Our central locations in Las Vegas, Sydney and Japan have empowered us to support the worldwide casino market with our primary objective being the delivery of long-term product quality and service. Those enduring values are a primary contributor to the success of our company as a leading gaming equipment and technology supplier,” said Sakamoto.</p>
<p>Amid historic regulatory changes in the passage of skill-based gambling legislation in limited areas of the U.S., Konami has expressed its intent to pioneer this new gambling product sector. </p>
<p>In the past, Konami Holdings Corp. assisted in strategic projects for its casino division, including the development of the Titan 360 machine, creation of the Advantage Revolution slot, and the introduction of iconic Konami arcade brands such as Frogger to casino audiences for the first time.</p>
<p>This relationship becomes very critical as casino operators look to attract new segments of millennial consumers with alternatives to traditional slot products.</p>
<p>“As we pursue emerging game development, our organization maintains a focus on creating what we call ‘valuable time’ – that players not simply spend a length of time with our games, but that they experience a premium level of entertainment and delight that goes beyond the minutes on the clock,” said Sakamoto.</p>
<p>“Working alongside our customers and parent organization, Konami Holdings Corp., we are well-positioned to simultaneously deliver world-class products in emerging gaming sectors, while continuing to innovate across our library of proven core products,” he added. </p>',
'content' => '<p>For the past 20 years, the highly regulated casino industry has made a dramatic shift from a limited number of select destinations — Las Vegas representing the most famous — to a global industry powerhouse that provides casino entertainment to more customers than at any time in its history.</p>
<p>Gaming entertainment and technology, once restricted to a few select places, have over time arrived in countless international markets, U.S. tribal areas, racetracks, riverboat operations, large corporate portfolios and even online mediums.</p>
<p>As the era of extreme global growth was beginning, gaming entertainment giant <a href="https://www.konami.com/en/" target="_blank">Konami Holdings Corp. (TSE: 9766)</a> established its first casino gaming operation with the launch of <a href="http://www.konami.com.au/gm/product.html" target="_blank">Konami Australia Pty Ltd.</a> in 1996.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Southwest%20USA%202016/JT-2016-SW-USA-KONAMI-Satoshi-Sakamoto-CEO.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="400" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Konami Gaming, Inc. CEO and President Satoshi Sakamoto Credit: Konami</figcaption></figure>
<p>One year later, in 1997, Konami expanded its casino division to what became the global headquarters when Konami Gaming, Inc. was founded in Las Vegas. Since then, Konami’s casino gaming companies have demonstrated success under the leadership of <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/corporate/home/about/executiveteam.aspx" target="_blank">President and CEO Satoshi Sakamoto.</a></p>
<p>Entry into the heavily regulated casino gambling sector occurred for Konami only after it carried out extensive research and investment to realize its vision.</p>
<p>“With each new market we examined, there was a great depth of strict regulatory requirements and licensing conditions unique to the individual jurisdiction’s authority. It was a monumental task to become a global supplier for a sector so strongly protected by legislative and governmental control. But today, Konami has secured gaming licenses in 392 locations worldwide, enabling us to responsibly reach the broadest scope of casino players and properties,” Sakamoto said.</p>
<p>Konami exercised measured investment and committed to organic growth as its video slot machines and mechanical steppers saw sustained success in the field in part due to the company’s heritage in gaming entertainment.</p>
<p>Creative gameplay, captivating sounds and graphics and proven slot mathematics were the core elements of Konami’s earliest casino games. These same components still contribute to the success of Konami games found at casinos today, such as the all new <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/corporate/Home/Details/TabId/473/ArtMID/1617/ArticleID/161/Konami-Debuts-its-New-Concerto-Video-Slot-Machine.aspx" target="_blank">Concerto slot machine</a>, <a href="https://www.konami.com/gaming/Games/GamesCatalog.aspx?k1=55&k2=2&K3=0%7C1&K4=0%7C1" target="_blank">the Rapid Revolver video-mechanical hybrid slot</a> and the revolutionary <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/systems/News/TabId/129/ArtMID/1306/ArticleID/83/Konami-Gaming-Inc-Unveils-Intriguing-New-Titan-360%E2%84%A2-Product-at-Harrahs-Resort-Atlantic-City-by-Leveraging-New-Jersey-First-Initiative.aspx" target="_blank">Titan 360 multistation machine.</a> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>"As we pursue emerging game development, our organization maintains a focus on creating what we call ‘valuable time’ – that players not simply spend a length of time with our games, but that they experience a premium level of entertainment and delight that goes beyond the minutes on the clock."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Just five years after the company’s casino division was created, Konami entered the casino management systems business by acquiring Paradigm Gaming Systems, Inc. and developing industry-leading systems technology.</p>
<p>Crucial operational functions such as slot and table accounting systems, player account tracking, and marketing analytics form the reliable backbone for Konami’s award-winning casino management system, <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/systems/Home.aspx" target="_blank">SYNKROS,</a> which is being used to manage successful casino operations around the world.</p>
<p>Operator partners, including <a href="http://www.starentertainmentgroup.com.au/#home" target="_blank">Star Entertainment</a>, <a href="http://www.casinosduquebec.com/" target="_blank">Casinos du Quebec</a>, New Mexico-based <a href="http://www.sandiacasino.com/" target="_blank">Sandia Resort & Casino</a> and <a href="https://www.barona.com/" target="_blank">Barona Resort & Casino</a> in southern California, are among those key companies relying on the strength and advantage of SYNKROS to compete in their markets.</p>
<p>The period from 2014 to 2015 marked unparalleled merger and acquisition activity for the casino gaming manufacturer market. Many of the top ten slot suppliers were involved in some form of ownership change. </p>
<p>Konami stands in marked contrast, relying on the steady organic growth characteristic of its culture. In terms of annual market share, Konami consistently maintains its top tier position.</p>
<figure class="image-container floated-right" style="float: right;"><img src="http://gmipost.com/img/uploads/Southwest%20USA%202016/JT-2016-SW-USA-KONAMI-Head-Office.jpg" alt="" width="603" height="255" /><figcaption class="image-caption">Konami Gaming, Inc.’s Las Vegas headquarters, spanning 360,000+ square feet of R&D, administrative, and manufacturing facilities. Credit: Konami</figcaption></figure>
<p>Tens of thousands of Konami machines are currently operating across the globe largely because of the success of the <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/systems/News/TabId/129/ArtMID/1306/ArticleID/127/Konami%E2%80%99s-Podium-Goliath-Video-Slot-Creates-a-Big-Impact-for-European-Casinos-.aspx" target="_blank">Podium slot cabinet</a> and the global expansion of its new <a href="https://www.gaming.konami.com/corporate/Home/Details/TabId/473/ArtMID/1617/ArticleID/161/Konami-Debuts-its-New-Concerto-Video-Slot-Machine.aspx" target="_blank">Concerto slot cabinet.</a></p>
<p>“Our central locations in Las Vegas, Sydney and Japan have empowered us to support the worldwide casino market with our primary objective being the delivery of long-term product quality and service. Those enduring values are a primary contributor to the success of our company as a leading gaming equipment and technology supplier,” said Sakamoto.</p>
<p>Amid historic regulatory changes in the passage of skill-based gambling legislation in limited areas of the U.S., Konami has expressed its intent to pioneer this new gambling product sector. </p>
<p>In the past, Konami Holdings Corp. assisted in strategic projects for its casino division, including the development of the Titan 360 machine, creation of the Advantage Revolution slot, and the introduction of iconic Konami arcade brands such as Frogger to casino audiences for the first time.</p>
<p>This relationship becomes very critical as casino operators look to attract new segments of millennial consumers with alternatives to traditional slot products.</p>
<p>“As we pursue emerging game development, our organization maintains a focus on creating what we call ‘valuable time’ – that players not simply spend a length of time with our games, but that they experience a premium level of entertainment and delight that goes beyond the minutes on the clock,” said Sakamoto.</p>
<p>“Working alongside our customers and parent organization, Konami Holdings Corp., we are well-positioned to simultaneously deliver world-class products in emerging gaming sectors, while continuing to innovate across our library of proven core products,” he added. </p>',
'is_published' => true,
'publication_date' => '2016-06-07',
'date_issued' => '',
'created_date' => '2016-06-07',
'category_id' => '2',
'is_active' => true,
'source_id' => '3',
'special_feature_id' => '32',
'section_id' => '107',
'section_summary_old' => '',
'section_summary' => '',
'section_image' => '',
'three_square_image' => '',
'six_square_image' => '',
'five_small_news_image' => '',
'culture_travel_image' => '',
'company_focus_image' => 'JT-2016-SW-USA-KONAMI-Compay-Focus.jpg',
'general_image' => null,
'company_focus_logo_image' => '',
'country' => 'US',
'region_id' => '4139',
'type_id' => '2',
'company' => '',
'company_url' => '',
'executive_salutation' => '',
'executive_first_name' => '',
'executive_last_name_old' => '',
'executive_last_name' => '',
'executive_position' => '',
'is_featured' => true,
'is_lead_article' => false,
'is_blog' => true,
'created_user_id' => '1',
'is_pinned' => false,
'is_intheloop' => false,
'sort_order' => '0'
),
'Source' => array(
'id' => '3',
'name' => 'GMI Post',
'type' => '1',
'url' => 'http://www.gmipost.com',
'is_active' => true,
'urls_count' => '0',
'date_created' => null,
'date_modified' => null
),
'SpecialFeature' => array(
'id' => '32',
'title' => 'Southwest USA 2016',
'description' => 'In recent years, the U.S. states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada have reported among the fastest-growing economies in the country. With the imminent implementation of the Trans Pacific Partnership – a sweeping trade agreement that brings together the United States and 12 other Pacific Rim countries, including Japan – the world’s largest and third-largest economies are gearing up for a new era in global trade.',
'url' => 'southwest-usa-2016',
'place' => '',
'tags' => 'United States, Southwest USA, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah',
'is_published' => true,
'visible_upcoming_links' => false,
'pdf_path' => 'JT-SW USA 2016.pdf',
'pdf_preview_path' => 'JT-SW-USA-2016-Page-1.jpg',
'source_id' => '1',
'small_image' => 'JT-2016-SW-USA-LEAD-PHOTO-3.jpg',
'left_block_image' => '',
'main_image' => 'SR-Home-SouthWest-US.png',
'header_image' => 'SW-USA-Banner.jpg',
'content' => '<p> </p>
<p> </p>',
'publication_date' => '2016-06-07',
'creation_date' => '2016-02-01',
'is_active' => true,
'participant_count' => '0',
'source_custom_url' => '',
'digital_link' => null,
'pdf_path_2' => null,
'pdf_preview_path_2' => null
),
'Section' => array(
'id' => '107',
'special_feature_id' => '32',
'name' => 'Nevada',
'url' => 'nevada',
'is_active' => true
),
'Authors' => array()
)
)
$link = array(
'plugin' => '',
'controller' => 'featuresite',
'action' => 'viewsectionarticle',
'feature_id' => '32',
'feature_url' => 'southwest-usa-2016',
'section' => 'nevada',
'article_id' => '324865',
'article_url' => 'casino-slot-manufacturer-attributes-success-to-hard-work-vision-and-dedication-to-core-values'
)
$imgg = '/upload/article/company_focus/324865/JT-2016-SW-USA-KONAMI-Compay-Focus.jpg'
$att = array()
$urlParse = array(
'path' => ''
)
$author = array(
'id' => '3497',
'name' => 'Claire Felter',
'is_active' => true,
'ArticleAuthor' => array(
'id' => '246068',
'article_id' => '353130',
'author_id' => '3497'
)
)
$des = 'When gauging a country's economic prospects, analysts first study the historical performance of its financial market and activity that characterize its investment environment. For more than 50 years, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) has served as the island nation's definitive economic benchmark.'include - APP/View/Elements/_six_hover_news_block.ctp, line 63
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224
View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418
include - APP/View/Categorysite/view.ctp, line 316
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473
Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963
Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200
Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167
[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 108
" style="font-family:Myriad-pro;font-weight:normal">GMI Post Jun 07, 2016
Japanese gaming giant Konami has invested heavily in Las Vegas, setting up a huge head office in the city from where it develops and markets indust...
