Hindustan Times (June 23)
“India is a case in point because it imposed the earliest and strictest lockdown.” Unfortunately, the nation “eased restrictions before cases peaked.”
Bloomberg (May 19)
“Australia’s success in curbing Covid-19 infections is allowing it to slowly ease some restrictions even as it remains largely closed off from the rest of the world, taking its economy back to the pre-globalization era.” Stimulating domestic consumption prove essential “to drive any rebound,” but complicated by consumer worries. “Even before Covid-19, Australian households were among the most indebted in the developed world, with debt almost double disposable income.”
Tags: Australia, Closed off, Consumption, COVID-19, Developed world, Economy, Households, Indebted, Pre-globalization, Restrictions, Success
Washington Post (May 13)
As countries around the world “explore ways to end stay-at-home orders, countries that had already opened up are closing down again after renewed spikes in infections. Lebanon on Tuesday became the latest country to reimpose restrictions after experiencing a surge of infections, almost exactly two weeks after it appeared to contain the spread of the virus and began easing up.”
Tags: Closing down, Infections, Lebanon, Open up, Restrictions, Spikes, Spread, Stay-at-home, Surge, Virus
Wall Street Journal (May 26)
“The European Commission wants to apply local-content quotas to streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime’s video offering.” They might also impose other restrictions and taxes. This is the wrong principle. “Brussels is showing that its main concern whenever a new technology comes along will be how to hobble it with the same overregulation that afflicts old technologies.”
Tags: Amazon Prime, Brussels, European Commission, Hobble, Local content, Netflix, Overregulation, Restrictions, Streaming, Taxes, Technology
The Economist (November 23, 2013)
Impatient with European dithering, “the Federal Reserve will soon publish rules governing the operations of big foreign banks that will, in effect, throw up a wall around America’s financial markets.” This is understandable, but likely to lead badly as the Europeans retaliate with their own restrictions, fragmenting the global banking system. Instead, “America should give global banking rules—and Europe’s dilatory regulators—one last chance.”
Tags: Europe, Federal Reserve, Financial markets, Global banking rules, Regulators, Restrictions, Retaliation
New York Times (October 6)
“Tablets and other devices have been around for years. It’s time regulators issued common-sense rules for their use aboard planes.” A recent recommendation from an expert panel suggests the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A) might loosen regulations on the use of electronic devices. The panel’s “sensible recommendation would allow passengers to read e-books, listen to music or watch movies without causing interference during takeoffs and landings.” Partial restrictions against using cell phones and Wi-Fi would, however, remain in place if the F.A.A. follows the panel’s recommendation.
Tags: Cell phones, E-books, Electronic devices, F.A.A., Interference, Landings, Movies, Music, Passengers, Planes, Regulators, Restrictions, Tablets, Takeoffs, Wi-Fi
Euromoney (November issue)
“Restrictions and outright bans on short-selling shares, government bonds and credit derivatives were applied across Europe on November 1…. If it is a victory of the European Commission, it is potentially a disaster for Europe’s financial markets. Instead of a positive force for good, as was seemingly intended, negative consequences abound.”
Wall Street Journal (October 11)
“Jordan last month amended its already restrictive press-and-publications law to include Internet firms and organizations. The move risks chilling business development in what had been a promising site of economic progress in a changing region” The new restrictions are bad for Jordan. “Emerging markets have a unique opportunity to embrace the Internet as their central business platform. Singapore, South Korea and Israel did so and became world-class technology players.” By embracing “open, globally competitive access to technology,” these countries could get ahead in ways that Jordan will not be able to under the new restrictions.
Economist (April 14)
India should promote foreign direct investment (FDI). Restrictions barring or limiting foreign investment in certain industries are the main barrier. Railways, legal services, insurance and domestic airlines are areas where foreign investment is unnecessarily restricted. “Given the huge benefits that liberalisation could bring to India’s 1.2 billion people, the government should pluck up courage and fling wide the gates.”
Tags: FDI, India, Restrictions
