World Bank urges Africa to cut poverty, create jobs
Business Standard, 29 January, 2014
The World Bank has called on sub-Saharan Africa to create more productive jobs and cut poverty to boost economic growth. Creating well-paying jobs for the continent’s youth is very crucial for the region’s economic progress, Xinhua quoted the world bank as saying in its latest report on youth employment in Africa.
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Govt ties up with global development organisation Digital Green to promote women farmers
The Economic Times, 29 January, 2014
The ministry of rural development is going hightech to empower women under its flagship programme, the National Rural Livelihood Mission. The ministry has tied up with Digital Green to document best agricultural practices and disseminate this to all rural agricultural households headed by women. This initiative will be kick-started through self-help groups working with women farmers engaged in traditional agriculture, non-timber forest produce and livestock projects.
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Emerging Markets Take Largest Share of International Investment in 2013
The Wall Street Journal, 28 January, 2014
Developing economies claimed the largest share of international investments made by businesses for the second consecutive year in 2013 and are likely to do so again in 2014 despite slower growth, political uncertainty and turbulence in their financial markets, according to figures issued Tuesday by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
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Global economy at a turning point: World Bank
CNBC, January 15, 2014
Global growth is set to accelerate in 2014 as advanced economies turn a corner five years after the global financial crisis, said the World Bank. Growth is projected to strengthen to 3.2 percent this year, 3.4 percent in 2015, and 3.6 percent in 2016 – up from 2.4 percent in 2013. “Most of the acceleration is expected to come from high-income countries, as the drag on growth from fiscal consolidation and policy uncertainty eases and private sector recoveries gain firmer footing,” the World Bank wrote in its newly-released Global Economic Prospects report on Wednesday.
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Why Big Cities Matter in the Developing World
The Atlantic Cities, January 14, 2014
Half the world’s population lives in cities today, a figure that will increase to 70 percent by 2050. In that same time period, McKinsey Global Institute projects that the economic output of the 600 largest cities and metro areas is projected to grow $30 trillion, accounting for two-thirds of all global growth. Economists and urbanists have long noted the connection between urbanization and economic development.
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How Empowering Women (or Girls) in IT Can Spur Economic Development
Huffingtonpost, 13 Januray, 2014
It’s a startling pair of statistics: When women are able to earn an income, they typically reinvest 90 percent of it back into their families and communities. And, for every year a girl stays in school, her future earnings will increase exponentially. These numbers, from the World Bank and the Council on Foreign Relations, respectively, highlight a simple, common-sense truth: The more time a girl spends in the classroom, the higher the return on investment for her time, and the beneficiaries are stronger families and communities.
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Development: Asia Wants to Abolish Hunger and Poverty
Global Perspectives, 01 January, 2014
Asia-Pacific region has bumpy roads to traverse before it achieves ‘zero hunger’ and ‘zero poverty’. But it is gearing up for ‘food security for all’ backed by ‘concerted efforts’ to achieve Zero Hunger by 2025 when global population is estimated to surpass the 8 billion mark.
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Central banks must show leadership to rejuvenate global economy
The Guardian, 01 January, 2014
Central banks must find balance between continuing to support activity without sowing seeds of another asset bubble. Their activities will be under scrutiny in 2014 as the world’s central bankers seek a way of getting the balance right in continuing to support activity without sowing the seeds of another asset bubble.
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Poverty: Hope beyond handouts
The Star, 01 January, 2014
It takes more than charity to address the issue of poverty. A recent workshop shed light on how public policies should consider and impact the urban poor.
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