You are at: Home > News/Analysis, Page 5 ('08) | Previous | Next Posted: 11-15 Aug 08 Pakistan's capacity to tackle critical infrastructure needs strengthen- ing: The nation suffers from a dearth of infrastructure in the water, irrigation, power, and transport sectors. A recent report calls for ur- gent measures to strengthen the nation's capacity to undertake major infrastructure projects, World Bank, 8 Feb 08 (Pak. at a glance [pdf] | Poverty alleviation) Horizons: Forecasters lower estimates for US growth--The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia released its 3rd quarter 'Survey of Professional Forecasters', which reports 47 economists' expectations for economic growth, inflation, and employment. In this survey, forecasters lowered estimates for growth and increased projections for job losses, 12 Aug 08 Steve Hanke: Hyperinflation-Mugabe vs Milosevic--Under Milose- vic's rule, Yugoslavia recorded the 2nd-highest monthly inflation rate in history, a whopping 313 million % in Jan 1994. This century's 1st hyperinflation is in Mugabe's Zimbabwe. The source of its hyperin- flation is its Reserve Bank's money machine. The govt spends, and the RBZ finances the spending by printing money, says Johns Hop- kins U economist, GlobeAsia/Indonesia(courtesy Cato Inst), Aug '08 The next several billion--Today, more than a billion users access the Internet. Yet that is only a fifth of the world's population which cur- rently has access. We need to grapple with the question of how to connect the next several billion users with the aim of increasing their economic and social development, OECD Observer, Jun '08 The offshoring of engineering--Facts, unknowns & potential implica- tions: The engineering enterprise is a pillar of US natl & homeland security, economic vitality & innovation. But many engineering tasks can now be performed anywhere in the world. For the US, attracting and retaining world-class engineering activities will require that core US strengths be sustained, Natl Acad Sciences, Feb '08 (Exec sum in pdf at 'download free' box) Intellectual property regime stifles science & innovation, say Nobel laureates: The basic framework of the intellectual property regime aims to 'close down access to knowledge' rather than allowing its dissemination. Sulston & Stiglitz are highly critical of the patent sys- tem, but add that it should not be entirely abandoned. The question is whether other tools, such as prizes or govt funding, could be used to spur innovation, IP Watch/Switz., 7 Jul 08 (Intl Chamber Comm-IP explained); and J Sulston & J Stiglitz: Who owns science? -- Science is being held back by outdated laws. We are launching a debate on intellectual property to address rising concerns over commercialization of sci- ence today, write Nobel laureates in medicine & economics, London Times, 5 Jul 08 (U Manchester news) Anders Aslund: Will freer markets lead to a more democratic govt in Russia?--During the past 3 decades, democracy has expanded rapid- ly in the world. Yet in the past few years, a few prominent nations, incl Russia, have turned their backs on democracy. But the faster Russia grows, the greater the contradiction becomes bet. an increas- ingly obsolete pol. system and a swiftly modernizing economy, says Inst senior fellow, eJournalUSA (courtesy Peterson Inst), Jun '08 Country brief on Georgia: It is a small transition economy with a population of 4.5m and an income per capita of $1,560. This year it entered the ranks of the top 25 business-friendly nations worldwide, acc to Doing Business '08, which ranks it 18th out of 178 nations. It has been among the top 10 reforming nations for the last three years, World Bank, Jan '08 (ReliefWeb--Georgia) Hire the A-team: In his memoir's new epilogue to be released next month, former Fed chairman Greenspan calls for a new way to deal with a crisis, Economist, 7 Aug 08 UN raises forecast for rice production: Barring any major setback in the next few mos., global paddy production in '08 is forecast to rise by 1.5% to 668m tons. Much of the expansion is expected in Asia, with gains foreseen in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam, while Iran, Japan, Turkey & Myanmar may face a decline, FAO Rice Market Monitor, Jul '08 Q&A--Violence in South Ossetia: "This org maintains a position of strict neutrality on issues concerning the legitimacy of using armed force, because we find it the best way to promote our primary goal of encouraging both sides to a conflict to respect intl humanitarian law. Hence, this Q&A does not address issues of Georgia's territorial integrity, S Ossetia's bid for independence, or Russia's interests in S Ossetia," Human Rights Watch, 8 Aug 08 (UNHCR seeks access, safe passage for civilians) China set for top-of-the-table tussle with the US in Olympics show- down: A new analysis by economists shows how medal perform- ance at the Olympic Games can be linked to such factors as past performance, economics and political planning, PwC, 23 Jun 08 Posted: 4-8 Aug 08 Portfolio: International investing guide--Nations from Brazil & Mex- ico to the Czech Republic and even several African nations are bene- fiting from economic reforms,rising prices for their natural resources, growing export markets & the rapid rise of local consumer markets, Forbes, 2 Jul 08 Science & tech investments strengthen Asia's economic future: Since the mid-1990s, Asia's investment in research and development as a share of total value of goods & services produced grew faster than in US or European Union, Natl Sci Found, 2 Aug 07 (Asia, EU & US | US Sci & Engr Indicators 2008) Prakash Loungani: Inside the economist's mind-A book review: This book can make you fall in love with economics all over again. A colllection of interviews with 16 eminent economists, it presents the attractive face of the field--one rediscovers it concerned with im- proving the human condition through the use of tools borrowed from disciplines as diverse as math & psych, says IMF advisor, Econ & Polit Weekly/India, 25 Jul 08 (Book site) Nook & cranny: Putting researchers & policymakers on the same page--Reports gather dust on the desks of journalists & bureaucrats - after having been opened with reluctance and closed with speed. Worse, the reports' findings are often disregarded by those who draw up policies on various social and economic issues, Inter Press Service-Res4Dev, 1 Mar 05 N Oomman & assoc: Following the funding for Hiv/Aids--We ana- lyze the policies/practices of the world's largest Aids donors - the US Pres.'s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), Global Fund to Fight Aids/TB/Malaria, and WBank's Multi-Country Hiv/Aids Prog. for Africa (MAP) - as they are applied in Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia, Ctr Global Dev, 10 Oct 07 (Aids money--Missed opportun- ities?) Portfolio: Venturing into the world's wild frontiers -- The usual emerging markets aren't exciting enough for some folks. Have you considered...Namibia?, Money Magazine, 31 Jul 08 Paul Gregory: Learning from Russia's mistakes in Afghanistan--The war in Afghanistan was the USSR's "Vietnam". Viewing the world through the prism of Marxist thought, there was no room in their vi- sion for a Taliban, a Mullah Omar, or an Osama bin Laden, says U Houston economist, Globalist, 7 May 08 Nook & cranny: Promoting judicial independence & impartiality--If a judiciary cannot be relied upon to decide cases impartially, acc to the law and not based on external pressures/influences, its role is dis- torted & public confidence in govt is undermined, USAID (via Gov- ernance & Soc Dev Res Ctr), Dec '02 (Rule of law's core | World Bank--Rule of law and dev.| Justice Sector Assessment Handbook) Posted: 28 Jul-1 Aug 08 M Goldstein & N Lardy: China's currency needs to rise further--The currency regime China adopted 3 years ago this week is faltering. A step revaluation of the renminbi would be helpful. But unless China also hikes interest rates significantly, it will continue to face strong headwinds in rebalancing the sources of its growth, say Inst senior fellows, FT (courtesy Peterson Inst), 22 Jul 08 Joseph Stiglitz: Deficit, schmeficit--Deficits by themselves do not determine a nation's wealth or health.If a country borrows to finance a consumption binge - or a failed war - it will be worse off. But bor- rowing to finance high-return research & development or infrastruc- ture improvements will raise incomes by more than enough to offset the increased interest payments, says Nobel laureate, Conde Nast Portfolio, May '08 Nook & cranny: C Reinhart & M Savastano--The realities of mod- ern hyperinflation: After WW1, a few European nations succumbed to hyperinflation. But modern episodes are different. Those in the 1920s sprang up swiftly & were rapidly brought to an end, but mod- ern ones have not been short & swift. We draw 7 lessons from mod- ern cases, say IMF dep dir & advisor, Finance & Dev, Jun-Aug '03 (Horrors of hyperinflation) [pdf] Nook & cranny: Hyperinflation--When hard cash goes soft: A kg of bacon cost 20 trn dinars in Serbia in '93. In '46, Hungary released a banknote with the most zeros in history(20), and in Germany, an egg cost up to 150 bln marks in '23. These are just a few examples of hyperinflation, a condition in which prices increase rapidly as a cur- rency loses its value, Credit Suisse, 23 Feb 07 (Concise Ency Econ | Damn Cool Pics--Zimbabwe) Doing business in South East Europe: A new report benchmarks 22 cities in 7 economies on the ease of doing business to help improve competitiveness, World Bank, 14 Jul 08 (Bosnia & Herzegovina | Doing Business '08) Dismayed powers plea to salvage WTO talks: World trading powers appealed on Wed for efforts to salvage WTO proposals amid regret and emotion at the collapse of 9-day marathon talks, and warnings that the poorest nations will suffer, Agence France-Presse (courtesy ChNewsAsia/Singapore), 30 Jul 08 (WTO Lamy) Editorial: The demise of Doha -- There's plenty of blame to go around. The proximate cause was a 'special safeguard mechanism' for agric imports. In any case, the blame can hardly be laid solely at India's and China's feet. To hear non-US officials tell it, the US was as much at fault as anyone else, Wall Street Journal, 30 Jul 08 Boardroom: Shane Greenstein--Innovation at the edges: IBM's 1st CEO encouraged social conformity in his firm because he thought it made his sales force more effective. But he came to a different un- derstanding with his tech talent, calling them 'wild ducks' & allowing them to be different - as long as they invented, IEEE Micro (Inst Electr/Electro Engr)[pdf, courtesy Northwestern], Nov '07 Sachs education: The economist who devised a grand plan in '05 to rid the world of poverty is now focused on an even broader ambition - saving the planet and all of us who call it home, by A Little, Grist, 8 Jul 08 Dani Rodrik: All hail the new 'consensus' from Michael Spence--If there is a new Washington consensus, it is that the rulebook must be written at home, not in Washington. And that is real progress, notes Harvard economist, Proj Syndicate (courtesy Taipei Times), 14 Jun 08 (FT discussion on The Growth Report [pdf, courtesy NYU]) William Easterly: Trust the development experts - all 7 billion: The end of the 'development expert' paradigm does not mean the end of hope for development. Development is already gradually ending poverty -not because of experts- but thanks to more freedom for more of the 6.7 bln individual development experts alive today, says NYU economist, FT (courtesy Brookings), 28 May 08 (Roundtable-Econ growth strategies) Year after subprime crash, risks remain elevated: A year after the US subprime market crisis triggered financial market turmoil around the world, fin.markets continue to be fragile & systemic risks remain elevated, acc to Global Fin. Stability Report Market Update. The resilience of emerging markets is being tested as external financing conditions tighten & policymakers face difficult trade-offs bet. infla- tion, growth & fin. stability, IMF Survey, 28 Jul 08 Is your bank safe?: The collapse of IndyMac has banks in customer-reassurance mode. But it just points to lack of consumer information about bank solvency, Business Week, 28 Jul 08 (AP courtesy Miami H--No angry lines of customers after bank takeover | CQ Pol--Hous- ing aid package key provisions) Posted: 21-25 Jul 08 Worldwide cost of living survey released: A new survey says Mos- cow is the world's most expensive city for expatriates, followed by Tokyo, London, Oslo and Seoul, while Asuncion in Paraguay is the least expensive city, Mercer, 24 Jul 08 Centers fight for Islamic finance as oil booms: Islamic law-compliant investment products are springing into existence as financial centers try to compete for a slice of the Mideast's new oil boom. Cities with substantial Muslim populations and connections as diverse as Singa- pore and Hong Kong, London and Birmingham, and even Paris are vying to act as key centers of expertise, Reuters, 24 Jul 08 Informal institutions--How social norms help or hinder development: Institutions such as family/kinship structures, customs/traditions, and social norms have been overlooked in the intl development debate. A new book reflects the views & experiences of policymakers/experts in their search to make these institutions work for development, OECD, 10 Oct 07 [pdf] (More info) IMF ripe for shakeup, former Canada PM Martin says: Former PM says credit crisis shows richer nations lack moral authority to guide world economy unchallenged, Globe&Mail/Canada (courtesy CIGI), 21 Jul 08(Bringing balance to IMF reform debates | Waterloo Region Record) Simon Gray: There is no easy way to riches--Like many other na- tions in SE Europe, Serbia is a late reformer still requiring a signifi- cant reallocation of resources across sectors & firms.The exact same phenomenon occurred in all the new E European EU nations. Just as these nations turned the corner and started generating new jobs 5 to 6 years after their reforms, so too can Serbia, says WBank country mgr, Weekly NIN/Serbia, 6 Jun 08 (ReliefWeb page | East Europe's transition) Qantas 747 terror could have been caused by bomb, say aviation ex- perts: The hole blown in the side of the Boeing 747 on flight from London to Melbourne, could have been caused by an explosive de- vice or a damaged fuselage, acc to experts, London Times, 25 Jul 08 (Telegraph--Bomb ruled out in Qantas plane accident) Michael O'Hanlon: Vietnam's model for North Korea -- Today, North Korea is about where Vietnam was in the late 1970s. That is not a great place to be, but the analogy leaves room for hope, says Inst senior fellow, USA Today (courtesy Brookings), 17 Jul 08 J Bhagwati and A Panagariya: How the food crisis could solve the Doha Round--With the WTO trade talks in danger of slipping from our grasp, the temptation is to grab hold of any opportunities for op- timism. It has therefore become commonplace to assert that the food crisis, while a tragedy, is a shot in the arm for Doha, say Columbia economists, FT (courtesy CFR), 23 Jun 08 Robert Shiller: Seeing is believing -- Fear is a huge factor in the spiraling cost of living. Given the state of the planet, it's no wonder, says Yale economist, Project Syndicate (courtesy Indian Express), 17 Jul 08 A Alesina & F Giavazzi: Why the Left should learn to love liberalism --Europe is in the midst of a burning discussion about the pros and cons of market-friendly reforms. The traditional debate runs as fol- lows: These 'right wing' reforms may increase efficiency, but they also tend to increase inequality and be detrimental for the poorest. Hence the typical 'socially compassionate' argument -- be very care- ful moving in that direction, note Harvard & Bocconi economists, Vox EU, 5 Oct 07 Robert Frank: The invisible hand is shaking--Adam Smith's disciples are far more enthusiastic about his celebrated invisible-hand idea than he ever was. In their account, his assertion was that purely self- ish individuals are led by an invisible hand to produce the greatest good for all. Yet Smith himself was under no such illusion, says Cor- nell economist, NYT (free registr reqd), 25 May 08 Nook & cranny: The beginner's guide to nation-building--The first comprehensive step-by-step guide for nation-building has been is- sued, in an effort to help govts better respond to serious challenges like those US has encountered in Iraq & Afghanistan. It is organized around the constituent elements that make up any such mission: mili- tary, police, rule of law, humanitarian relief, governance, economic stabilization, democratization, and development, Rand, 12 Feb 07 With US election on cards, Doha talks could be an exercise in futil- ity: Why are WTO member states still negotiating the Doha Round, particularly in agri despite being aware that the current US admin does not have authority or power to ratify the promises it makes in any issues, esp non-agri market access & agri?, Economic Times/ India, 21 Jul 08 (Public Citizen--Bizarre WTO meet | EU Mandelson | WTO statement) << Previous Home Next >> Copyright (c) 2001-2009 Leonardo L. Sta. Romana All rights reserved. |
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