Full Coverage: Economy

29.01.2008 BangladeshÂ’s poor are increasingly finding it difficult to buy food. The increase in wages across sectors over last year is disproportionate to the overall rise in food prices, which have increased by 27% in last four months alone. Recurring floods and cyclones destroying standing crops have only added to the woes.

24.01.2008 A slowdown in economic growth could spur global unemployment by 5 million persons in 2008, with unemployment rates touching levels never seen before, predicts the International Labour OrganizationÂ’s annual Global Employment Trends (GET) report. The report also notes South Asia as having the highest share of vulnerable jobs and workers without a voice at work.

23.01.2008 International Labour OrganisationÂ’s new report says that ending poverty in South Asia will require labour market reforms coupled with economic progress. The report notes that instances of extreme poverty have impressively come down in the last decade but proportion of working poor continues to remain high in the region.

22.01.2008 The six-year long ceasefire between Sri Lankan government and Tamil tigers had seen the economy grow by an annual average of over 12% in the war-affected north-east. The Sinhala-dominated southern and western parts too had gained. It now remains to be seen where the current hostilities will lead the economy.

22.01.2008 As the world grapples with the impact of climate change, a book titled: State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy, by WorldWatch Institute highlights the shift towards innovative environmental policies. Corporate groups are investing huge capital to make the global economy environment friendly.

22.01.2008 In another effort to empower women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development in India has prepared a handbook on gender-budgeting. It provides guidelines for all central ministries to ensure a greater say for women in the planning process to remove disparities in access and control over resources.

21.01.2008 As the debate on Special Economic Zones (SEZ) continues, a novel idea has been proposed by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) to make farmers direct shareholders in an agri-based food processing venture at Nellore, in southern Andhra Pradesh. SEZs are lands earmarked for industrial growth with massive subsidies granted to capitalists.

21.01.2008 Hundreds of thousands of shrimp farmers face uncertainty as some 6,000 shrimp farms and hatcheries in Bangladesh's cyclone-hit southern districts were washed away. The countryÂ’s shrimp exports, a major foreign exchange earner, have suffered an estimated loss of US$ 36 million.

14.01.2008 As a result of food shortage, prices of essential commodities in Pakistan are skyrocketing. Amidst accusations that the government is hoarding and smuggling food items, no one seems to be enthusiastic about upcoming elections. People can be seen standing for hours in long queues to secure a bagful of wheat flour at subsidised prices.

10.01.2008 WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (OneWorld) - Business and governments are vastly increasing their investments in solutions to climate change and other environmental problems that threaten the global economy, says a new report from a leading environmental think tank.

03.01.2008 The artisans of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, known for their handicrafts of wood, terracotta, wrought-iron, etc., have remained unacknowledged due to lack of proper exposure and marketing. With the recent signing of MoUs between NGOs and local bodies, they will now get international recognition and a larger market to sell their products.

02.01.2008 In its recent judgment, the Supreme Court of India might have given a temporary respite to the people living in OrissaÂ’s Niyamgiri Hills, when it prevented Vedanta from mining. The apex court, however, fails to take into account the larger issue of biodiversity and the lives of the tribals. Kanchi Kohli, of the Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group analyses the verdict.