the 1990s compared with a decade earlier. The most recent period
in particular, i.e. the mid-1990s, has seen a serious recession.
Some causes of the recent economic crisis are of a short term
nature as the country's economy, particularly the manufacturing
sector, adjusts to the loss of subsidies and concessions. The
severity of the recession in manufacturing is partly due to the
failure to make orderly adjustments over a longer period. To an
extent the loss in investor confidence due to law and order
problems, and perceptions of widespread corruption are also
short-to-medium term problems. Other short term factors that
have worsened the situation in the recent years have been sporadic
crop failures due to crop infestation or bad weather.