/-/539444/539444/-/rdynki/-/index.html http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+++Analysis/Why+property+prices+are+slowing+down+/-/539548/1325492/-/hxgmxf/-/index.html When I wrote an article suggesting that sea piracy proceeds were fuelling escalation of property prices in some Kenyan cities, I received a lot of flak. 2012-02-12T17:27:01Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+++Analysis/New+regulations+will+protect+local++fresh+produce+sector+/-/539548/1325490/-/yk69t2z/-/index.html The government should be commended for launching a crackdown on fresh produce farms that are not conforming to safety and health regulations. 2012-02-12T17:24:37Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion+++Analysis/MPs+should+leave+banks+alone+on+shilling+/-/539548/1325486/-/115cv9kz/-/index.html House team should know that arbitrage is a natural economic activity and instead put the CBK to task 2012-02-12T17:21:20Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Tough+times+ahead+for+the+shilling+as+CBK+reserves+dip+/-/539546/1325480/-/gtp1jx/-/index.html Currency’s exposure rises after the market gobbles up IMF support funds in a month 2012-02-12T17:14:23Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/MPs+push+for++interest+rate+controls+as+House+opens+/-/539546/1325462/-/111u89nz/-/index.html The sponsor of an amendment seeking to regulate interest rates has said he will rally Parliament after it reopens on Tuesday not to pass the Finance Bill 2011, putting the government at risk of refunding money collected from taxes without MPs’ approval. 2012-02-12T17:04:31Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Change+of+land+use+threatens+food+output++/-/539546/1325456/-/kmbtwa/-/index.html Experts blame falling crop production on sub-divisions and relocations 2012-02-12T17:00:20Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Publisher+s+case+on+KenGen+tender+deals+moved+to+March+/-/539546/1325450/-/ty3wlvz/-/index.html A suit filed by a publisher seeking information on alleged multi-billion shillings contracts awarded to foreign companies by Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has been deferred to March 12. 2012-02-12T16:57:19Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/MPs+set+to+give+final+report++on+shilling+s+fall+this+week+/-/539546/1325446/-/pwssyuz/-/index.html The Parliamentary select committee on the depreciation of the shilling retreated to Mombasa mid last week where itcompleted a report on the causes of the free fall of the Kenyan currency last year. 2012-02-12T16:54:27Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Kenyan+companies+given+more+time+to+study+EAC+counterfeit++rules/-/539546/1325436/-/l033clz/-/index.html Manufacturers have been granted a one month extension to give their views on the proposed harmonised quality standards for the East Africa Community. The EAC secretariat had scheduled to have all submissions in from the five member countries by February 10 for analysis and compilation before submitting them for consideration by the bloc’s council of ministers. Kenya’s decision to give more time to manufacturers will, therefore, delay the review of regulations that would lock out fake imports from entering the region. 2012-02-12T16:47:31Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/New+scheme+gives+IDPs+option+of+buying+town+land+/-/539546/1325424/-/itctbnz/-/index.html Ministry expected to spend Sh5.5bn to put families in permanent homes 2012-02-12T16:41:11Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Poor+sales+push+Deacons+out+of+Tanzanian+market++/-/539550/1325398/-/ddca1u/-/index.html Luxury fashion brand Deacons Kenya has closed its Tanzanian subsidiary after failing to stop its five-year loss-making streak. 2012-02-12T16:35:59Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Phone+firms+win+reprieve+on+charges+/-/539550/1325388/-/nkkwwn/-/index.html Communication Service fee could see business suffer as telcos grapple with price war 2012-02-12T16:30:55Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Kenya+Power+raises+fuel+cost+charge+as+water+levels+fall+/-/539550/1325360/-/38k2th/-/index.html Kenya Power has increased the fuel cost segment on its billing, signalling that electricity prices that had fallen in November are unlikely to sink further. 2012-02-12T16:21:54Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Airlines+seek+soft+landing+after+rise+in+fees++/-/539552/1325328/-/uv5xnj/-/index.html Move by aviation regulator to raise airport charges signals higher fares as operators aim to protect profit margins 2012-02-12T16:04:22Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/CFC+tops+January+share+trade+volumes++/-/539552/1325318/-/tvbbe5z/-/index.html Intermediaries with strong foreign desks increase and maintain their market share 2012-02-12T16:00:25Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Canadian+firm+finds+more+rare+earth+mineral+deposits+in+Kwale+/-/539552/1325308/-/d4ersv/-/index.html Kenya could get a better estimate of the total deposits of rare earth minerals in Kwale County by June this year, a Canadian firm involved in their exploration at the Coast has indicated. 2012-02-12T15:57:16Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Renaissance+Capital+chief+executive+quits+after+two+years++/-/539552/1325306/-/lxycd4/-/index.html Renaissance Capital CEO for East Africa Patrick Mweheire has resigned after a two-year stint with the Russian international investment bank. 2012-02-12T15:54:20Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Rwanda+sets+stage+for+automated+share+trading+/-/539552/1325298/-/u0hwg0z/-/index.html Rwanda is set to automate trading at its securities exchange by the end of this year, taking the plan to inter-link the east African capital markets a step closer to reality. 2012-02-12T15:51:13Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Bill+on+land+caters+for+complex+transactions+/-/539444/1325288/-/ktxso6/-/index.html The Registration of Land Bill of 2011, one of the proposed laws that have been drafted after the Constitution was promulgated, is set to change and regulate land dealings. 2012-02-12T15:36:07Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/How+to+pick+right+members+for+your+investment+club+/-/539444/1325286/-/s1uv5g/-/index.html After you have mobilised contributions and savings with some of your colleagues at work, friends or relatives to form an investment club, taking it to next level to invest the money is tricky. 2012-02-12T15:33:45Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Japanese+tech+giants+hit+by+hard+times+/-/539444/1325276/-/haonl5z/-/index.html Japan’s Panasonic Corp forecast a record annual net loss of $10.2 billion on Friday, joining beleaguered rivals Sony and Sharp in a sea of red ink as they struggle to fix their broken TV businesses and overcome criticism that they have lost their way. Panasonic said it was headed for a loss of 780 billion yen ($10.24 billion) for the year to March, dwarfing expectations for a loss of around $6.2 billion. The loss was almost entirely due to big restructuring charges and writedowns, including to its Sanyo Electric unit. Its grim outlook follows loss forecasts at Sony and Sharp Corp - almost $17 billion combined for the three Japanese electronics firms - highlighting the impact of fierce competition from foreign rivals such as South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, weak demand and a strong yen.” Reuters (February 3, 2012) ...................................... Last week brought the news that Japan’s giant Panasonic corporation is forecasting an eye-popping loss of $10 billion. Yes, you read that right. Again, I know that’s a third or so of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product. And yes, Panasonic will not be the last of the traditional giants to tumble in this way. Panasonic is not alone. Iconic Sony, stylish Sharp, reliable Toshiba — all are in different degrees of trouble, and the water they’re swimming in is becoming increasingly hot for all of them. What is ailing these respected Japanese giants? The usual suspects are trotted out with ease: it’s the competitors (the Japanese firms can’t handle the more vibrant upstarts from Korea and China); or it’s the know-how (they didn’t see the new technology coming). Market assault Both those reasons are valid, but they don’t answer the more essential questions: why CAN’T Japanese firms compete; and why CAN’T Japanese firms innovate? To me, the blame should lie not in external factors, but in internal ones. The failures of these Japanese behemoths are not caused by exogenous shocks, but a series of slowly worsening endogenous flaws. Take Panasonic, and think like a customer. What is it that makes you walk into an electronics shop anywhere in the world these days and actually ask for a Panasonic product? Are they the best quality? The best value? The most alluring brand? The most cutting-edge technology? Struggling for a reason? I thought so. It’s a long time since I felt a burning need to own a Panasonic product (and increasingly, a Sony, Sharp or Olympus), and I don’t think I’m alone. I’m old enough to remember the 1980s, when the West was made to quake in its boots by the Japanese assault on its markets. The Japanese, it seemed, could offer better quality at a lower price than anyone else in the world. And so they wiped the floor with the cheaper European and American brands. However, they laid not a glove on the differentiated high-end brands: Bosch, Bose, Miele, B&O, among others. Japanese brands all adopted a “me-too” approach, trying to relentlessly copy one another and drive prices down instead of up. Bad choices And so, when Korean and Chinese competitors appeared with markedly lower cost structures and access to the same benchmarked technology, it was game over for the Japanese. They could neither compete at the classy upper end; nor the price-sensitive mass-market. This is not bad luck. These failures are mishaps in strategy. Bad choices were made. I also blame demographics. Japan has one of the world’s most aged populations. There is a severe shortage of young people. Despite this, Japan is notoriously reluctant to allow any immigration. Those again are choices. The Japanese do not wish to have many children; and they wish to protect social cohesion. That’s all well and good, but the cost comes in the loss of creativity and innovation. A corporate sector dominated by grey-heads simply won’t come up with daring and different products. There is more corporate decline to come. www.sunwords.com 2012-02-12T15:27:08Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Canadian+firm+finds+larger+niobium++rare+earth+reserves+in+Kenya/-/539552/1324180/-/be9159z/-/index.html Canadian-based minerals and metals firm Pacific Wildcat Resources said further drilling at its Kenyan mining project near Mombasa had established larger reserves of niobium and rare earth than earlier projected. 2012-02-10T13:03:57Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Cabinet+in+race+to+beat+deadline+for+land+reforms++/-/539546/1323668/-/15da4hg/-/index.html The Cabinet was on Thursday rushing to beat the February 27 deadline with publication of three Bills that will overhaul the management of land and establish the National Land Commission. 2012-02-09T17:30:36Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Africa+loses+taxes+as+tariffs+fuel+illicit+cross+border+trade++/-/539546/1323664/-/12oys4p/-/index.html The African Union faces a setback in its plan to create a single continental market in the next five years because a growing number of traders turn to informal channels to transact. 2012-02-09T17:21:56Z http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Eldoret+the+town+that+South+African+Boers+started+/-/539444/1323654/-/6e2gbqz/-/index.html Tired of British rule, Afrikaners set out to seek alternative settlement leading them to the Uasin Gishu plains where they pitched camp 2012-02-09T17:07:04Z