Showing 1 - 6 of 6
Debt-inequality trap risks being sprung any moment
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 05/11/2014
» Last month, the International Monetary Fund issued its latest assessment of the global economy for 2014, lowering the growth rate from 3.7% projected in its previous assessment to 3.3%. The picture is less rosy despite better outlook for the United States - the largest engine of the world economy – that leads the Federal Reserve System to stop pumping massive amounts of money into the economy via quantitative easing, which totaled some $4.5 trillion over the past six years. Gloomier prospects for other economies have been attributed to continued feeble demand.
Cyprus was warned, but it refused to listen
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 03/04/2013
» The severity of the economic problems in Cyprus puzzles me. When my World Bank colleagues and I were working on Cyprus in the 1980s, we were favourably impressed by our Cypriot counterparts, both in the government and in the private sector.
Moderation provides key to happiness
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 02/01/2013
» On June 6 of last year, I wrote in this column that the Great Recession starting in 2008 was bad for most people except those who wrote about it. Dozens of books have been published and I mentioned three that had interested me in particular _ two by Joseph Stiglitz and one by Jeffrey Sachs. These books ask more fundamental questions than most about the causes of the current economic problems.
Pawning rice is worse than pawning Thailand
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 05/12/2012
» Since the launching of the rice-pawning scheme a few months ago ("pawning" is not only a correct translation of the Thai word jam nam but also reflects the sense of the scheme better than the "pledging" that many writers have used), two areas have been analysed most thoroughly: its potential impact on the budget and national debt, resulting from the large losses that will occur, and the corruption that is due to happen at various steps of the scheme. Some analysts go so far as to say that losses from this scheme will bankrupt the country and pawning rice is tantamount to pawning the country.
Agricultural policy fails to address land grab
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 03/10/2012
» Afew years back, foreign investors scouting for large swaths of land to plant rice and eucalyptus trees backed off after encountering strong local opposition. Anecdotal reports indicate that they have not given up altogether but may be working through Thai fronts to achieve the same end. With warm weather year round, fertile soil, and ample supplies of water, Thailand remains a target for foreigners interested not only in securing industrial raw materials and food supplies but also in obtaining a higher rate of return on their investment.
Gimmicks won't bridge wealth gap
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 04/07/2012
» Thais possess almost an unlimited supply of proverbs and sages' sayings, which they often quote to justify or rationalise what they do. One of them is this: Follow a big person, so that dogs don't bite.