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The energy price surge: boon or woe

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  The energy price surge: boon or woe     Electricity is one of the basic necessities of any household and a harbinger of growth for any country that seeks to achieve stability and prosperity in the post-industrialization age.   According to United Nations, 13% of global population still lacks access to modern electricity. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-7): access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy still has not reached full adoption in many developing countries.   South Asia, particularly, Pakistan has seen a surge in energy prices for consumers. While, there are macroeconomic reasons to justify the surge, however, there are huge inefficiencies within the institutions, which if attended to, could mitigate the spillover costs to end consumers.   A comparison of electricity prices across the world shows that countries in South Asia are now seeking to shift towards alternate sources of energy, however, that has not resulted in maximi
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Relevance of gender to financial inclusion and digital economy

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Relevance of gender to financial inclusion and digital economy   Analysis of Asian Development Bank’s report on “Closing the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion through Fintech,” reveals glaring data on the lack of financial inclusion of women in the economy.      Women that form a sizeable proportion in the demographics of each Asian country do not own bank accounts due to insufficient funds, lack of documentation, religious reasons and lack of trust. Philippines, Pakistan and Cambodia show highest proportions of women lacking a basic account in a financial institution.     Since the transition of Asian countries to digital economy, the issue of financial inclusion seems to have closed the gap in the past few years, especially in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, the People Republic of China and Afghanistan while India, Bangladesh, Tajikistan and Pakistan still give a stark depiction of gender gap.   The factors affecting the degree and type o
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Lack of food security and the need for a policy shift

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Lack of food security and the need for a policy shift Food security is the availability, access, utilization of food and the stability that it brings. Availability means the production and distribution of food and means of its exchange. Access to food depends on it’s availability along with adequate allocation according to age, gender etc., keeping in view the preferences that respect certain patterns of religious and cultural choices. Utilization of food refers to the way it is prepared and consumed; also it’s nutritional value and safety keeping in view the health status of the population. Stability would therefore ensure that there are no fluctuations in supply of food that might lead to inadequate utilization and malnutrition.   Food insecurity could be chronic, transitory and seasonal; each of which has a profound impact on people. Key factors affecting food insecurity are environmental challenges such as climate change, infectious diseases in humans a
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Crimes against women and children

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Crimes against women and children Violence against women and children universally has shown an upward trend, progressing each year according to UNICEF data . Crimes of this nature are prevalent globally with some countries showing dangerously high proportions and intensity in physical and emotional violence.   The victims of such violence suffer physical and mental health issues. Such vulnerability is endowed to lower economic status of women as compared to men, which has manifested in form of intimate partner violence. Laws exist in many countries that address domestic violence, however, the enforcement and conviction rate is so low that the perpetrators come out of the entire process unscathed and perpetuate the crime damaging the social fabric. Such offenders are not only a threat to the society but to all in weaker and subdued positions such as children.   Women and children under threat of violence, abuse and similar crimes are denied human rights and
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Healthcare: a fundamental right

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Healthcare: a fundamental right   Covid-19 pandemic has shown how fragile we are as humans and access to adequate heathcare without discrimination is necessary to function not only individually but collectively.   This begs the question whether heathcare is a human right and is it constitutionally protected in various countries around the world?   Article 25 of the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:   "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services."   The 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights also recognizes the right to healthcare as a “human right.”   Countries that have ratified the international human rights convention along with other international treaties have a duty to transpose the rights in their natio
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Digital Tax and its impact on Economic Welfare

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Digital Tax and its impact on Economic Welfare   Digital tax is being contemplated by various economies, globally.   A few jurisdictions where it is about to be enforced after stakeholder consultation is the EU, Asia and the Pacific and is already in place in United States of America.   Currently, permanent establishment of digital companies is largely concentrated in the US. Corporations and customers are charged for the goods and services, rendered and consumed, respectively.   Digital taxes favor the governments whereas consumers are at a comparable disadvantage due to a possibility of double taxation, that is, they have to pay taxes to their home country and also to the foreign jurisdiction where the company may have its incorporation.   The Australian Treasurer according to the Australian Financial Review 2018 stated:   “The absence and delay in arriving at a multilateral solution will only continue to invite unilateral action by individual
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Covid-19: Unemployment and Human Realities

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Covid-19: Unemployment and Human Realities   Unemployment post Covid-19 outbreak has risen phenomenally, globally. The demographics affected most by the pandemic are women and youth. According to OECD June 2020 news release, unemployment among women rose to 9.1% compared to 7.9% among men. Youth unemployment has risen to 17.6%. These estimates indicate a rise of greater than 3% among the affected category from previous years estimates. These figures are higher in rest of the world.   The International Labor Organization report post Covid-19 indicates that regionally, the Americas are worst hit by unemployment, where hourly work has fallen 18.3% followed by 13.9% in Europe, 13.5% in Asia and the Pacific, 13.2% in Arab states and 12.1% in Africa. The sectors worst hit are informal sectors such as the gig economy and service-industry staff with no social protections, migrant, agricultural, or shift workers in the developing world. These may just be numbers but
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