Finance
Taka policy in a changing world
It is still widely believed that depreciation of taka vis-à-vis foreign currencies—especially US dollar—will boost Bangladesh’s export earnings. This is true only if our exports are priced or invoiced in Bangladeshi taka. For example, if a shirt made in Bangladesh is invoiced at Tk 1,000, at an exchange rate of USD 1 = Tk 85, the shirt will cost USD 11.76 in the international market.
Privatisation increases corruption
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 PM’s China visit
It is undeniable that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has, quite deftly, made the most of the fast-changing regional and global geopolitics, eventually emerging as a strong leader in South Asia.
2019 SUMMER DAVOS FORUM / An open world economy in a new era of globalisation
The 2019 Summer Davos Forum, also known as the “World Economic Forum’s 13th Annual Meeting of the New Champions,” was held during July 1-3, 2019 in the coastal city of Dalian in northeast China’s Liaoning province.
Consumer Rights Violations / Why filing complaints is absolutely necessary
I assume there is hardly anyone amongst us who has never felt cheated after buying a product or taking a service in exchange for money.
What does Bangladesh gain from the US-China trade war?
As the US-China trade war intensifies, pundits on both sides of the Pacific and elsewhere are wondering: who is the real winner?
The emerging cracks in our external sector
The robust external sector performance has been a strong pillar on which Bangladesh’s impressive macroeconomic stability and growth of recent years was founded. The strong performance was underwritten by several factors.
Smart priorities for the new government’s first budget
Since 2015, Copenhagen Consensus and BRAC have collaborated on Bangladesh Priorities to create a bridge between policy and research. This is driven by the belief that, with limited resources and time, it is crucial that decisions are informed by what will do the most good for each taka spent.
WTO Ministerial Conference - Rejuvenating free trade
The Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) of the World Trade Organization will be held on December 10-13 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The meeting of this highest decision-making body of the WTO, which meets at least once every two years, is taking place at a critical moment of the free trade movement.
JS committee forms body to probe Agrani Bank ‘loan scam'
A parliamentary body is formed a three-member sub-committee to give recommendations on a Bangladesh Bank report that got huge irregularities in giving loans from the state-run Agrani Bank.
To cut or not to cut?
To cut or not to cut yield on national savings schemes (NSS)—that's one headache our finance minister is unable to get rid of. Will reducing rates on national savings schemes (NSS) have a strictly positive impact on our economy?
What to expect from the upcoming budget
The upcoming budget for 2017-18 will cover the last full financial year before the general elections.
Spend more on the scholars
In the 2016 budget, the Bangladesh government made the highest ever allocation to the education and science sector.
Illiberal stagnation
Today, a quarter-century after the Cold War's end, the West and Russia are again at odds. This time, though, at least on one side, the
Monetary policy brandishing double-edged swords
Detractors can fret about instability and balance of payment difficulties, but make no mistake, such risks will remain contained if capital controls are relaxed gradually (following a medium-term plan) and political conditions remain, by and large, stable. In fact, some of the foundations that merit a more liberal foreign exchange regime are already in place.
Flaws of demonetisation: Lessons from India's experience
The saying goes “a wise man learns by the mistakes of others”. Many countries may go for demonetisation in near future looking at the success of India in curbing fake notes circulation and curtailing black money.
Open new banks or go for merger?
At present, the banking sector is suffering from an acute shortage of skilled professionals. Except for a few foreign and local banks, the quality of staff drops drastically. Depth and breadth of knowledge is poor. This is an ominous sign for the industry since professional human resource is essential for its growth and development.
Will remittances remain low for long?
If studies by Columbia University's Jagdish Bhagwatiand and IMF's Pierre-Richard Agenorare are to be believed, restrictions on foreign trade and capital flows gave birth to generations of these illegal markets across the world.