CHART OF THE WEEKPutting Public Investment to Work
For countries on the path to recovery, reviving economic activity is a major priority. And what better way to support a come-back than by creating jobs. […]
When Disaster Strikes: Preparing for Climate Change
By Seán Nolan and Krishna Srinivasan
Earlier this year, Cyclone Idai devastated Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe by leaving more than 1,000 people dead, thousands more missing, and damages in the billions. […]
The Wealth of Nations: Governments Can Better Manage What They Own and Owe
By Vitor Gaspar, Jason Harris, and Alexander Tieman
October 10, 2018
عربي,中文, Español, Français, Baˈhasa indoneˈsia, 日本語, Português, Русский
A firefighter in Auckland, New Zealand: when governments know what they own they can put their assets to better use and can earn about 3 percent of GDP more in revenues to spend on citizens’ well being (Photo: Rafael Ben-Ari/Newscom)
What is the state of your personal finances? You probably think first about your debts: your mortgage, your credit card balance, and your student loans. But you probably also think about how much cash is sitting in the bank, the value of your house, and the rest of your nest egg.
Surprisingly, most governments do not approach their finances this way. […]
The Case for Reforming the Price of Water
By David Lipton
Versions in عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese), Русский (Russian), and Español (Spanish)
One of the first things most students of economics learn is the diamond and water paradox. How can it be that water is free even though life cannot exist without it, while diamonds are expensive although no one dies for lack of diamonds?
The answer is that water can be free if its supply is abundant relative to demand. Nevertheless, it is abundantly clear that worldwide, the demand for water outpaces supply. This imbalance is the clearest sign that water is underpriced. Yet, many governments are reluctant to price water like other goods.