Showing 1 - 10 of 455
Europe's carbon border tax fights climate change
Oped, Jeffrey Frankel, Published on 29/05/2024
» The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), officially launched in October, now requires importers to report on the direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embedded in the goods they import. Beginning in January 2026, the EU will start imposing tariffs on imports from countries that do not price carbon at the bloc's market rate, which could significantly affect carbon-intensive producers among its trading partners.
The popular decimation of India's democracy
Oped, Pranab Bardhan, Published on 18/05/2024
» India's ongoing parliamentary election, in which nearly a billion people casting their votes over a six-week period, should represent an extraordinary exercise of democracy. The bleak reality, however, is that the election appears poised to consolidate a decade-long process of democratic decay, which has included the decimation of liberal institutions and practices and weakening of political competition. After all, the leader who has presided over this process -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- remains wildly popular.
For journalists, neutrality is not the goal
Oped, Published on 17/05/2024
» My ability to be neutral as a political journalist depends on the intellectual honesty of the people -- and the society -- I cover.
Who's directing behind the scenes?
News, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 13/05/2024
» The speechwriter who wrote the speech delivered by Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra at the party meeting on May 3 did a lousy job which consequently put her in hot water.
Bank of Thailand needs to communicate
News, Editorial, Published on 29/04/2024
» Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's decision to meet key figures from Thailand's major commercial banks to discuss the possibility of cutting interest rates last week raised a lot of eyebrows. It was highly unusual for a prime minister to appeal directly to commercial banks to change interest rates, as the nation's financial institutions generally follow the rates prescribed by the Bank of Thailand (BoT).
Global South's climate leadership
Oped, Published on 26/03/2024
» Last month, the International Energy Agency's ministerial gathering took place in Paris, while the African Union, which recently joined the G20, held its annual summit in Addis Ababa. Both fora recognised the urgent need to fulfil the commitments made at last December's United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, not least to triple installed renewable-energy capacity by 2030. But the challenges ahead are substantial.
Structural flaws impede our economy
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 21/03/2024
» It took Japan 17 years to learn that a macroeconomic policy is for stabilising an economy, not stimulating growth. Due to low economic growth in the "lost decade" following the financial crisis in the autumn of 1997, the Bank of Japan adopted an unthinkable monetary policy of a negative interest rate in 2007 by pushing the short-term policy rate down to -0.1%.
More affordable climate finance
Oped, Published on 14/03/2024
» Emerging-market and developing economies (EMDEs) will need an estimated US$2.4 trillion (86 trillion baht) in climate investment annually to meet climate goals, according to the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, with $1 trillion coming from external sources. Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require even more financing: an increase of $3.5 trillion in new investments annually by 2030. These are daunting figures. But they are also non-negotiable.
Time to ease Thai bond market rules
Oped, Published on 14/02/2024
» The Thai bond market, with massive valuations surpassing 16.7 trillion baht as of the end of the third quarter of 2023 and continuous prospective growth, is a crucial mechanism in the capital market and the Thai economy. Net market value could rise by over 386 million baht per year if legal restrictions on bond trading are unlocked.
Soft or hard landing for Thai economy?
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 08/02/2024
» Personally, I am sure the Thai economy will crash this year. I can even estimate the time when the crash will start. It is likely to be the month of May as several big economic bombs will explode that month. Confirmation of this belief came in December 2023's economic data. The most disturbing part is industry's capacity utilisation rate of 56.2% (seasonally adjusted), which is the second lowest in the world. The world's lowest is Nigeria!