Showing 1 - 10 of 27
Japanese PM Takaichi comes out on top
Oped, Taniguchi Tomohiko, Published on 11/02/2026
» Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country's general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives (the Diet's lower house), up sharply from 198. The combined strength of two parties that had merged hastily -- despite their fundamentally opposing platforms -- in an effort to bring Ms Takaichi down fell from 167 seats to just 49. The LDP, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, has never looked more robust.
America's new age of empire dawns
Oped, Joseph E Stiglitz, Published on 13/01/2026
» US President Donald Trump has drawn a wave of criticism for his actions in Venezuela, violations of international law, disdain for longstanding norms, and threats against other countries -- not least allies like Denmark and Canada. Around the world, there is a palpable sense of uncertainty and foreboding. But it should already be obvious that things will not end well, neither for the United States nor the rest of the world.
VAT hikes alone won't narrow deficit
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 27/11/2025
» This article is not meant to attack Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) for the fiscal years from 2026 to 2030. It is meant to emphasise the fragility of a Thai fiscal position that requires multiple revenue enhancement measures.
Grasping the VAT nettle
Oped, Editorial, Published on 24/11/2025
» The proposal to raise value-added tax from 7% to 8.5% in 2028, and to 10% in 2030, by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas is a display of political courage rarely seen in a political landscape where politicians are quick to spend money in the name of "economic stimulus" but stay mum when asked how to finance the schemes.
Brazil, Asean prospering together
Oped, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Published on 24/10/2025
» The partnership between Brazil and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) exemplifies how a future of peace, stability and sustainable growth can be built. With complementary and dynamic economies and a shared vision of a fair and inclusive international order, we demonstrate how dialogue and cooperation within the Global South can bridge distances and generate mutual benefits.
Breaking barriers for Thai innovations
Oped, Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu and Pichakorn Khowasinth, Published on 27/08/2025
» Thailand is abundant with talent in medical technology. Why aren't our homegrown innovations reaching patients? The answer is simple: a broken system.
India's power sector needs reform
Oped, Arvind Subramanian, Navneeraj Sharma, Abhishek Anand & Praveen Ravi, Published on 06/08/2025
» As the use of energy-guzzling AI grows, the countries that embrace renewables will gain an obvious competitive advantage. And on this front, China has established a substantial lead. According to the Financial Times, the country is on track to source 50% of its power from renewables (mainly solar and wind, but also nuclear, hydro, and battery-storage systems) by 2028.
A new agenda for climate-resilient development
Oped, Saliem Fakir, Published on 01/08/2025
» Mitigating the worst effects of climate change requires reconciling ambition and justice. But achieving both a just energy transition and ambitious global climate action depends on trade rules that foster equitable development. To facilitate the shift to low-carbon economies, developing countries must have reliable access to green technologies, investments, and international markets.
Beware the false promise of tariffs
Oped, Dambisa Moyo, Published on 19/04/2025
» In this era of growing protectionism, defending globalisation can feel like a losing proposition. But rather than retreat from the debate, it is more urgent than ever to spell out the costs of a trade war, which threatens to accelerate the fragmentation of the global economy because it is really a war on trade itself. To challenge the logic behind the US administration's protectionist agenda effectively, we must first understand it in clear and concrete terms.
Unpunished crimes, except Duterte's maybe
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 18/03/2025
» Everybody has heard the saying: "The mills of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceeding fine". The saying is a promise that all crimes will eventually be punished -- but it is a lie.