By Daniel Gutman Buenos Aires, Jul 29 2019 (IPS) – On the outer edges of Buenos Aires proper, where the paved streets end and the narrow alleyways of one of Argentina’s largest shantytowns begins, visitors can find the En Haccore…
Tag: economy
Social investment for future wellbeing: Rescue, not renewal
by Anton Hemerijck and Massimiliano Santini on 29th July 2019 The welfare state in Europe must become a social-investment state if the broken European social contract is to be renewed. The new European Commission, set to take office on November…
China commercial property investment slows in Q2 over supply
Hong Kong, China – Media OutReach – 28 July 2019 – According to Cushman & Wakefield Research’s latest Greater China Capital Markets Express report, Mainland China’s commercial property investment slowed 19% y-o-y to RMB40.2 billion in Q2 as investors become…
The precipitous barbarisation of our times
By Roberto Savio Rome, Jul 23 2019 (IPS) – When all is said and done, it appears that Thomas Hobbes, the 17th century English philosopher who had a dire vision of man, was not totally wrong.
Privatisation increases corruption
By Jomo Kwame Sundaram Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jul 23 2019 (IPS) – International financial institutions (IFIs) have typically imposed wide-ranging policy reforms – called ‘conditionalities’ – in exchange for country governments to secure access to financial assistance.
The danger of ‘profit-only’ motive: Prof Yunus
6th ISBD celebrated in Russia; Three Zeros’ Russian edition launched Dhaka, July 6 – Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has said the world will soon face extinction if businesses and industries continue to pursue the single-minded pursuit of only profit.…
Time for postcapitalism
by Paul Mason Paul Mason continues his sketch of a postcapitalist world by drawing out its implications for something in increasingly short supply—time. If we are lucky, the world stands on the brink of a rapid transition beyond carbon. We…
Social imbalances in the EU
by Sylvia Schmidt Despite the economic recovery of recent years, persistent social imbalances—such as those affecting women and young people—must be taken into account in the debate on Europe’s future. In the wake of the European Parliament elections, this autumn…
Bangladesh Agriculture Census – VI begins
Dhaka, June 9 – The sixth Agriculture Census of Bangldesh began in the country on Sunday to collect the latest information on crops, fisheries and livestock resources. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the census will continue till…
Redefining austerity: A lesson from Greece
by Kostas Kalloniatis What can an elected left-wing European government do when faced with imposed austerity? Redefining austerity can bring a turnaround. Austerity has become a hegemonic tool used by international organisations (the IMF) in lending funds to sovereigns facing…
Structural crisis, robotisation require more Europe, less austerity
by Enzo Valentini The Great Recession, as with the Great Depression, is proving to be a structural crisis, which only a Euro-Keynesian programme of public investment can tackle. There are good reasons to think that the more developed countries are…
Class analyst: Global income inequality
By Chris Wellisz Washington DC, May 24 2019 (IPS) – As a child growing up in Communist Yugoslavia, Branko Milanovic witnessed the protests of 1968, when students occupied the campus of the University of Belgrade and hoisted banners reading “Down…
The free market is not the answer
by Jochen Steinhilber Earlier this month, the leader of the youth section of the German SPD ruffled feathers with his call for an ‘attractive utopia’ as an alternative to capitalism. Finally, someone has pointed out the massive economic elephant loitering…
‘Gendering’ the EU budget
by Firat Cengiz There is a clear case for making gender equality a more visible part of the EU budgetary process. Budgets are not gender-neutral. Women and men have different needs and expectations from public services. These needs and expectations…
Public-private partnerships fad fails
By Jomo Kwame Sundaram After the failure and abuses of privatization became apparent, public-private partnerships have since been promoted ostensibly to mobilize private finance for the public purpose. In all too many cases, PPPs have socialized costs and losses while…
To the postcapitalist city … via Amsterdam circa 1619
What makes the 21st century city the harbinger of a postcapitalist world is that for the first time in modern history the network can transcend the market. Imagine yourself in Amsterdam exactly 400 years ago. What word would you use…
The trilemma of Big Tech
by Karin Pettersson Karin Pettersson says we can have Big Tech’s market domination, business models and democracy—just not all at the same time. Last week Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage in San Jose, California, and presented his vision…
Inequality: From redistribution to predistribution & beyond?
by Liam Kennedy Soaring income inequality inevitably raises discussion of more progressive taxation. But a more fundamental focus on the ownership of capital is needed. ‘Taxes, taxes, taxes … All the rest is bullsh*t in my opinion.’ The now much-travelled…
Austerity is hurting women’s health
by Fran Darlington-Pollock A close look at how the austerity practiced in the UK since 2010 has affected women’s health shows a gender lens must always be applied to see the full picture. Where you live can kill you—and, in…
Why Brexit won’t cure Britain’s broken economic model
Simon Deakin explains in this audio podcast that Britain’s low-wage, low productivity economy is the result of 40 years of neoliberal economic policies. While some on the Left think that Brexit will allow a reset of British economic policy, this…
Bringing informal workers to the forefront of our economy
The image of the ‘struggling’ daily wage labourer in India is one that stakeholders from across the development sector aspire to transform. Financial security, quality living conditions, and opportunity to thrive are the buzzwords in a conversation about the needs…
Banks and FIs more than needed in number: Muhith
Dhaka, Oct 24 – Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday admitted that the number of banks and financial institutions has been much higher than the need.
Global FDI flows fell sharply in first half of this year
Geneva, 18 Oct (Kanaga Raja) – Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows fell by 41%, from US$794 billion in the first half of 2017 to an estimated US$470 billion in the first half of 2018, the UN Conference on Trade…
780 mn people in Asia-Pacific out of extreme poverty by 2013
Asia and the Pacific accounted for 42.6% of global GDP at purchasing power parity in 2017, up from 30.1% in 2000. Around 780 million people from the region moved out of extreme poverty from 2002 to 2013.
China’s economic growth slows amid trade battle with US
China’s economic growth slowed further in the latest quarter, adding to challenges for its communist leaders as they fight a tariff battle with Washington.
The economy’s Cuban Missle Crisis
In 2008 a global financial meltdown was just barely contained. But Adam Tooze says that the crisis of confidence has had long aftershocks.
IMF-World Bank ends meetings with call to brace for risks
Global financial leaders wrapped up an annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Saturday by urging countries to brace for potential risks from trade disputes and other tensions.
Is the monetary system facing the risk of recession?
The International Monetary Fund, other economic institutions, politicians, experts, and a good number of indicators predict a new economic downturn. The causes will be diverse but the significant one is that debt worldwide has grown at an exaggerated rate. According…
Going full circle for growth and the planet
The business case for making our economy more sustainable is clear. Globally, transitioning to a circular economy – where materials are reused, re-manufactured or recycled-could significantly reduce carbon emissions and deliver over US$1 trillion in material cost savings by 2025.(1)…
Slumping economy overhangs Saudi reform efforts
A slump in Saudi Arabia’s economy cast a shadow over ambitious plans for reform as top officials met businessmen to discuss freeing the kingdom from its dependence on oil exports. At a conference with hundreds of foreign and local bankers…