Tag "Tajikistan"
Islamic finance expands into post-Soviet states
Experts have calculated that Islamic Banking will be a $2.1 trillion industry by the end of 2014. Governments across the former Soviet Union are increasingly turning toward Islamic Finance as
Kazakh currency devaluation triggers fuel shortage
The devaluation in February of Kazakhstan’s currency, the tenge, could have far-reaching effects on the availability of fuel in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. On February 11, 2014, the National Bank of
Can vodka markets expose Russian influence?
The vodka market may be an indicator of economic trends in Russia and the former Soviet bloc countries. With Russia’s ongoing provocations in the country of Ukraine, questions have arisen as to
Kazakhstan to increase privatization of state-owned companies
Privatization could stimulate foreign investment and aid in the growth of the Kazakh economy, but not without major challenges. Kazakhstan has announced a wave of privatization to bolster foreign investment
Tough times ahead for Tajikistan
Tajikistan’s year ahead is fraught with political and economic risk, even as the nation hopes to join the Eurasian Union, which launches in 2015. Border disputes with the neighboring post-Soviet
10 countries most improved in “Ease of Doing Business”
The top ten list of most improved countries in the new Ease of Doing Business report from the World Bank includes some surprising members. The World Bank has just put
Ramadan shows religious freedom deficit in Central Asia
The holy month of Ramadan puts in sharp relief the challenges to religious freedom by secular governments in the former Soviet Central Asian republics. Most notably, this year in Uzbekistan,
Afghanistan’s Opium has Regional Repercussions
Attempts to rid the Afghan economy of its reliance on opium production and smuggling have largely failed due to corruption and the lack of equally profitable alternatives. However, the opium
Tajikistan vulnerable due to remittance dependence
Tajikistan is possibly the most remittance-reliant country in the world, thanks in large part to the more than one million Tajiks who have migrated from the poorest nation in the
Central Asian pipelines inhibit prosperity
Pipelines density in Central Asia create concentrated economies thus allowing autocratic government greater control and longevity. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asia experienced limited progress and relative
