LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

The upcoming General Election, and inevitable flurry of spending cuts this will bring, are weighing heavily on public and private sector organisations. As well as cutting costs, organisations will need to improve efficiencies. Leaders in the sector are facing a tough challenge, not only in terms of budgets but also the probable backlash to job cuts, reduction in public services and the quality of those services.

Like Brazil featured a couple of weeks ago, the sub-Saharan African economy is set for significant growth in 2010. According to experts, this continent has huge potential and, as its population becomes wealthier, the opportunities for business development will increase. African countries do, however, still have some way to go in terms of getting the infrastructure in place to support growth, the question is whether Africa's rising wealth and access to natural resources will make up for any structural shortcomings in the short-term. 

Regulation is clearly going to be a high priority for the EU in the aftermath of the economic crisis. But what form will it take and how will regulation impact the economies of member states? Leaders are rightly concerned that fear of a second downturn will force regulation, which is overly restrictive, but lessons must be learned from the financial crisis so the question will be how far should regulation go?

Brazil is now out of recession, and as experts have predicted, is set to achieve high levels of growth. A sound infrastructure and relative stable political landscape mean that Brazil's economy can now thrive on a global stage. The upcoming World Cup and now Olympic Games in Rio will reinforce Brazil's status as a world-class economy, not to mention providing a confidence boost which will help as it enters a period of rapid growth and prosperity.