Friday, May 29, 2009

Inflation in India - is WPI a faithful measure?

The media has been interpreting the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) numbers as heralding that inflation has been halted. But other indicators show a picture of inflation entirely different from that shown by the WPI. Far from reaching zero or negative levels, inflation as measured by the consumer price indices has been averaging around 10 per cent for industrial and agricultural workers over the last 6 months. Read article here

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

How to make money and prevent climate change in the process!

An intriguing headline in the metro page of HT today caught my eye - "Climate change on priority list, civic body plans fund". The article quotes the Mayor Kanwar Sen: "Currently in the MCD budget, there are hardly any funds earmarked for dealing with climate change, an issue that needs due priority. We are planning to get a separate head for funds for this purpose". What is on Sen's mind? Environment friendly projects that earn carbon credits, it seems, and restoring Yamuna to its "original healthy state" with Korean help.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Games Village to be underwritten by public finances

The "public - private partnership" defined for building the commonwealth games village has entered a new phase with the DDA forced to underwrite the cost of construction in order to get the facility completed in time (see this news item).The private builder - EMMAR MGF - could simply wring his hands and say that he did not have enough money.I had written about the partnership in Sept 2008 here