Finance

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.

5y ago

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.

5y ago

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.

5y ago

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.

5y ago

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.

5y ago

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?

5y ago

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.

5y ago

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.

5y ago

SANCHAYAPATRA - A TROJAN HORSE

Sanchayapatra – a supposed welfare instrument – is actually a Trojan horse that threatens the future of our development budget, and thus reduces growth potentials for the nation. The higher the sale of NSCs, the higher the future interest liability which will definitely eat up a bigger pie of our budget, reducing the share of the Annual Development Programme (ADP).

9y ago

Rural Women: Holding up half the sky

October 15 was the International Rural Women Day. The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on October 15, 2008.

9y ago

Weak States, Poor Countries

Unfortunately, the world's rich countries currently are making things worse. Foreign aid – transfers from rich countries to poor countries – has much to its credit, particularly in terms of health care, with many people alive today who would otherwise be dead. But foreign aid also undermines the development of local state capacity.

9y ago

What will kill RMG: TPP or Fear?

What will kill RMG in Bangladesh? Trans-Pacific Partnership or security fears? It may certainly be the second one and not the first. To begin with, the full text of the TPP is not yet available.

9y ago

Building on what has worked

By barring MNOs from starting their own MFS, BB effectively promoted interoperability. This encouraged 25 million subscribers to sign up in four short years. bKash, for example, had signed up three times as many customers (19 million) in four years as EasyPaisa operating in Pakistan for about seven years.

9y ago

Is Depreciation Warranted?

The exchange rate which Bangladesh Bank determines now has been largely market-based since May 2003, although the central bank irons out fluctuations to maintain stability in the exchange rate so that foreign investors feel confident while investing in Bangladesh.

9y ago

The land of the rising sun rises again?

In a move that saw Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's nationalist government facing the stiffest resistance from pacifists and opposition parliamentarians alike, the Japanese Diet (Parliament) last week voted into law a bill that will allow Japan to deploy its military in combat roles beyond its territorial boundaries for the first time in seven decades.

9y ago

Vibrant Bangladesh - A branding that fits

Whenever I used to pass through John F Kennedy Airport, the massive advertisement of 'Incredible India' would draw my attention.

9y ago

Making of manpower in a market economy

The reason many people do not like a market economy lies in the acid test of harsh competition. To them, the market economy is a story of losing jobs by being made redundant in the workplace.

9y ago

New pay scale, New Hopes

After another long wait,the eighth pay scale for government officials and employees has finally been approved.

9y ago