President Jokowi’s presidency leaves behind very narrow fiscal space
About 120 million people, 40 percent of the total population, still live near the poverty line, meaning that they are prone to falling into poverty at the slightest decline in…
Re-profiling Chinese debt
Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb landed in China one week ago, and on the day he arrived Reuters ran a report saying he was there to seek debt relief. The writer hopes…
Are we at the mercy of oil companies?
Oil prices are not solely determined by the usual expenses associated with oil production. A major factor is “market speculation” since crude is traded in the global market,…
Decentralising development in the Philippines
Due largely to better employment opportunities and access to services, a quarter of the population has migrated from other regions to the wealthier GCR. Infrastructure is the most…
Whitening black money: ‘Unethical, unjust and unacceptable’
The government hopes the initiative will increase the flow of money into the economy despite such measures failing to yield any fruitful benefits in the past.
Indonesia’s threat to ban X for allowing porn may hurt digital economy and be ineffective: Experts
In an age of virtual private networks (VPNs) and other workarounds, simply disallowing access to parts of the internet might not be effective in getting Indonesians to stay away…
Diplomacy enriches ties with Malaysia
The trajectory of the 50-year-old Malaysia-China diplomatic relations has never been bump-free along its course. But it is the challenges that have kept bilateral ties resilient.
Budget 2024-25: Pakistan’s public debt quagmire
Pakistan’s public debt — both domestic and foreign — has soared like anything in recent years to Rs67.5 trillion on government borrowing needs to finance its surging budget…
Weak household income despite solid labour market
Policymakers need to think ahead of the curve and make bold decisions when needed because the cost will only increase as time passes for the economy to regain momentum, and the…
A new approach to legislation in Nepal
It is inappropriate to issue ordinances when Parliament is not in session and to delay bill proceedings during parliamentary sessions. It is the government's responsibility to…