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Dr Omer Javed

A looming debt crisis
Opinion

A looming debt crisis

In his article in the New York Times on April 30, 2020, Prime Minister of Ethiopia and the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed highlighted the fact that the temporary debt relief provided by G20 group of countries, however a welcome step, it was not
Published 22 May, 2020 12:03am
A post-Covid-19 world
Opinion

A post-Covid-19 world

Major wars and pandemics, are the sort of happenings that change the world as we know it before they have happened. The Black Death lead to massive deaths in the Middle Ages, also it broke the back of feudalism and created a working class. On the positive
Published 15 May, 2020 12:05am
Covid-19 and 'Green New Deal' - II
Opinion

Covid-19 and 'Green New Deal' - II

The developing countries are not doing much different from the rest. There is no discussion to plan even reform and support packages that bail workers out on a large scale, and not the big businesses; a reform plan that revisits the economic model towards
Published 08 May, 2020 12:05am
Covid-19 and 'Green New Deal' - I
Opinion

Covid-19 and 'Green New Deal' - I

The multiple failings of neoliberal agenda since its beginnings in the late 1970s - manifested in economic policies, including those of structural adjustment programmes by multilateral institutions like International Monetary Fund (IMF) and backed by mani
Published 01 May, 2020 12:54am
Unprecedented global oil market turmoil and Pakistan
Opinion

Unprecedented global oil market turmoil and Pakistan

Global lockdowns have resulted in a drastic reduction in oil demand. A long and painful deliberative process to cut the global supply of oil by OPEC+ group of major oil exporting countries, each vying for greater oil revenues and lesser proportion of cutt
Published 24 Apr, 2020 02:52am
Global economic prospects under Covid-19 crisis
Opinion

Global economic prospects under Covid-19 crisis

Covid-19 has badly exposed the lack of interdisciplinary approach of mainstream economics - the theoretical basis for widely practiced economic policy, both at the level of most countries and multilateral institutions - whereby, as a result, the economic
Published 17 Apr, 2020 12:00am
Economic crisis in developing countries: some solutions
Opinion

Economic crisis in developing countries: some solutions

While the developed countries are feeling the heat in terms of meeting public-health needs with regard to COVID-19, the developing countries were a lot less prepared for the pandemic. With narrow social safety net programmes, both in terms of coverage and
Published 10 Apr, 2020 12:00am
Coronavirus and economic policy
Opinion

Coronavirus and economic policy

First of all it makes sense to realize that the COVID-19 just did not hit the world from out of the blue. In fact, according to a research article 'Coronavirus: a paradigm of new emerging zoonotic diseases' which was recently published in February 2020, i
Updated 03 Apr, 2020 09:22am
Coronavirus and debt relief
Opinion

Coronavirus and debt relief

The Managing Director (MD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, recently made a statement in the meeting G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, in which she highlighted the severe impact of the virus in terms of human
Published 27 Mar, 2020 12:00am
Public service reforms - IV
Opinion

Public service reforms - IV

In the spirit of e-governance, and interconnectedness through the use of IT, public service officers should have a 'standardized online account.' The account should be maintained by Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority), and levels of acces
Published 20 Mar, 2020 12:00am
Public service reforms - III
Opinion

Public service reforms - III

In order to allow for the transition to a unified single public service, those who are currently working as civil servants will be automatically admitted into the fast stream. The proposed federal recruitment commission holds consultation with each civil
Published 13 Mar, 2020 12:00am
Public service reforms - II
Opinion

Public service reforms - II

Parliaments at the federal and provincial levels should make laws pertaining to the formulation of respective recruitment commissions (indicated in part-I of this series of articles by this writer) so that the needed shape and legitimacy could be obtained
Published 06 Mar, 2020 12:00am
Public service reforms - I
Opinion

Public service reforms - I

In 1871, President Ulysses S. Grant of the US appointed Dorman B. Eaton as the chair of the first Civil Service Commission, who later went to England in 1875 to study the civil service system of Britain. Upon conclusion of his studies, Eaton produced a re
Published 28 Feb, 2020 12:00am
The cost of confused macroeconomic policy
Opinion

The cost of confused macroeconomic policy

It seems to be a chicken and egg situation: inflation will fall first; only then will State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) lower its policy rate, or the policy rate will drop before inflation rate falls. In other words, it is impossible to decide which of two thi
Published 21 Feb, 2020 12:00am
Policy imperatives for equitable growth and human well-being
Opinion

Policy imperatives for equitable growth and human well-being

No doubt, the current account deficit has tremendously narrowed down on the back of drastic decline in imports. That allows build-up of reserves and so does the increase in portfolio investment that is witnessing an upward trend over the last few months l
Published 14 Feb, 2020 12:00am
Global economic prospects and Pakistan
Opinion

Global economic prospects and Pakistan

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), along with some other related departments of the United Nations (UN) recently launched their flagship report 'World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020'. According to the Secretary-
Published 07 Feb, 2020 12:00am
Price rationalization - II
Opinion

Price rationalization - II

The proposed Price Commission for Agricultural Sector (PCAS) should also try to ensure minimization of price shocks related with commodity supply chain disruptions - both voluntary (hoarding practices) and involuntary (climate change).
Published 24 Jan, 2020 12:00am
Price rationalization - I
Opinion

Price rationalization - I

Prices determine the level of affordability for consumers, and work as an incentive for producers. Market imperfections deter goods, commodities and services from reaching true price signals. Given these imperfections, governments need to intervene in mar
Published 17 Jan, 2020 12:00am
Commercializing Pakistan Railways - II
Opinion

Commercializing Pakistan Railways - II

A 'line-of-business' structure is generally adopted by commercial railways to align markets in the rail industry towards achieving utmost customer- both passenger and freight related- satisfaction. Under this structure, while there may be one organization
Published 10 Jan, 2020 12:00am
Commercializing Pakistan Railways - I
Opinion

Commercializing Pakistan Railways - I

Pakistan Railways (PR), a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) under the Ministry of Railways (MoR), which has been working as a natural monopoly has not been able to pay adequate attention to improving its service for consumers - passengers and freight - for the
Published 03 Jan, 2020 12:00am