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Blog post
Should electricity be a right?
The question ‘is electricity a commodity or a public utility?’ is thought provoking. A related question is if electricity should be a right and what does it mean. Does it mean people have the right to use as much electricity as they want and at what price? Or should a basic minimum quantity of electricity be available to all irrespective of their ability to pay? The...
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Blog post
Expanding opportunities in India’s labour market: Gender, skills, and migration
India has one of the youngest populations in an ageing world. By 2020, the median age in the country will be 28 (compared to 37 in China and 45 in Western Europe). Nearly two-thirds of the Indian populace are of working age (between 15 and 64). The question is: will India be able to reap benefits of this ‘demographic dividend’ and fulfil the aspirations of its people,...
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Blog post
Mobilising local leaders to rebuild the social compact
The social compact between citizen and state, whereby a citizen pays taxes and receives public goods and services, is a critical link in political accountability and the development process. This link is especially salient in the context of local governments and a significant metric on which they are judged. In many developing countries, however, this link is broken. In...
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Blog post
Assessing sectoral linkages in the Zambian economy
The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has since 1965, endeavoured to minimise the country’s dependence on copper mining through a melange of policies and incentives in the agricultural, industrial and services sectors in its six previous national development plans. In 2018, GRZ launched its 7th National Development Plan (GRZ, 2017) that re-emphasised the need to...
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Blog post
Industrialisation through natural resources: The case of horticulture, wood and furniture in Tanzania
The horticulture, wood and furniture industries in Tanzania are still too small and inefficient. While the country lacks a concrete industrial strategy for these industries, a carefully designed policy mix with science, technology, and innovation at its core could make these industries thrive. Manufacturing has for long been considered an engine of economic growth and...
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Blog post
Environmental personhood in India: A greener democratic approach
The genesis of the idea The world has witnessed different forms of government evolve in different countries over several centuries. These forms have changed from one to another with the changing needs of a particular society. Of the varied forms, democracy is largely considered the best due to a plethora of reasons, including freedom and representation of people,...
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Blog post
Protecting the unprotected: How can social protection reduce the vulnerability of informal workers?
Many countries like Pakistan need innovative solutions to mitigate the risks faced by its labour force, especially those engaged in informal work. A comprehensive social protection system that targets this vulnerable segment - not qualified as extremely poor nor employed in the formal sector - of the workforce can be one way to approach this. Most informal workers...
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Blog post
The Chinese are here: An analysis of import penetration and firm performance in Sub-Saharan Africa
Imports from China are an opportunity for firms in Sub-Saharan Africa to boost productivity and can serve as a stimulus for skill upgrading and development. In the early 1990s, most of the imports into Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) originated mainly from Western economies such as the US, UK, France, and Germany. 25 years later, the share of imports from the UK had decreased to...
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Blog post
The costs of building exporter-buyer relationships in Myanmar
Despite Myanmar’s recent economic and political liberalisation, the country’s exports remain low. One reason could be the costly search process between foreign buyers and local exporters. Alleviating such costs should be a priority for the government of Myanmar to boost exports. Since 2010, Myanmar has implemented political and economic reforms aimed at spurring growth...
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Blog post
Incentives in support of agriculture in the East African Community
Since the East African Community (EAC) common market protocol was ratified in 2009, tremendous progress has been made in reducing transport and logistics costs as well as barriers to trade. However, that pace of regional cooperation appears to have slowed. To achieve regional objectives in the EAC, a more concerted effort could instil trust in the benefits of integration....
Blog post
Should electricity be a right?
The question ‘is electricity a commodity or a public utility?’ is thought provoking. A related question is if electricity should be a right and what does it mean. Does it mean people have the right to use as much electricity as they want and at what price? Or should a basic minimum quantity of electricity be available to all irrespective of their ability to pay? The...