Showing 51 - 60 of 1,313
China, India: 2 faces of liquidity
News, Andy Mukherjee, Published on 31/01/2024
» Lenders in the world's two most populous nations are having very different problems with monetary and fiscal taps. In China, creditors are drowning in cheap central bank cash, but loan demand is muted. In India, banks are in the middle of their fastest expansion in a decade, but they're parched for liquidity.
Build strong foundations for all
Oped, Published on 26/01/2024
» As educators and students celebrate World Education Day this week, this moment provides an opportunity to reflect on the transformative power of education. And East Asian countries have a particularly relevant historical experience.
Sri Lanka debt overhaul harms older women
Oped, Published on 26/01/2024
» The World Bank's Women, Business, and the Law Index has documented a persistent gender pension gap in rich and poor countries. This is partly because of gender-based legal disparities, such as lower mandatory retirement age for women and the lack of pension credit for periods of childcare. Because women have shorter working lives, earn less, and have a longer life expectancy than men, they often receive lower benefits, which must last longer. But the problem is most acute in low- and middle-income countries. Around two-thirds of the world's population aged 60 and older live in the developing world, and that share is projected to rise to 80% by 2050. And, as Sri Lanka's recent restructuring has shown, the mounting sovereign debt crisis threatens to erode retirement savings further, pushing even more older women into poverty.
Financial crisis looms over Thailand
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 25/01/2024
» The definition of an "economic crisis" is much debated in Thailand. This is because one of the requirements for enacting the emergency fiscal borrowing decree is that the economy must be in crisis.
India's great employment challenge
News, Published on 22/01/2024
» India seems to be a favourite growth story nowadays. Despite valid concerns about the accuracy of official statistics, the economy is projected to expand by 6.3% in 2024 -- an undeniably remarkable feat given that its GDP exceeds $4.1 trillion. While it remains a lower-middle-income country with a per capita income under US$3,000 (106,500 baht), its rapid growth suggests that its economic potential may be greater than expected. But any optimism about economic prospects must be tempered by its inability to address two challenges. The first is the unequal distribution of the benefits of rapid economic growth, which have accrued predominantly to the top 10–20% of income earners.
Why the oil market refuses to catastrophise
News, Published on 20/01/2024
» Psychologists sometimes warn anxious and depressed clients about the danger of catastrophising -- fixating on the worst possible outcome, exaggerating serious but unlikely risks rather than evaluating all outcomes rationally.
Global rate-cut debate unfolding
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 19/01/2024
» From villains to heroes. If there's one theme that has dominated markets in the opening days of the year, it's been breathless speculation about which central bank will cut interest rates first and by how much: It's no longer if but when. There's little doubt that borrowing costs will be lower in many key economies well before the end of 2024. Even the notoriously hawkish Bundesbank is on board.
Poor states will struggle to get rich
News, Tyler Cowen, Published on 18/01/2024
» For the billions of people around the world who live in countries that are not yet fully economically developed, I have some disturbing news: The very last chance for their nations to reach developed status might come in this generation.
Don't rely on last year's trends for global economy
Oped, Published on 16/01/2024
» Behavioural economists have popularised the term "recency bias" to describe our tendency to be disproportionately influenced by the latest events compared to earlier ones. Could this cognitive phenomenon explain why numerous analysts have a rather optimistic tilt for the world economy in 2024? Or are there really positive trends counterbalancing the obvious and mounting challenges to global growth?
Retailers can manage Red Sea shipping delays
News, Published on 13/01/2024
» Just when it looked like inflation's grip on consumers was easing, another obstacle has emerged for both retailers and central bankers: difficulty accessing the Suez Canal.