Page 51 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES January 2020
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                                                                                                                                                                                  like the onion price hike, that kind   medium scale. Then we have                     who are maybe mothers. Since we                                                                                                 for Bangladesh is low. Debt    social protection payments,     beyond industry standards, then
                                                                                                                                                                                  of a bubble, then it is a different   some of the service sector, e.g.                don’t have proper daycare                                                                                                       distress means you are not able to   transfer payments – the recurring   they raise their fees.  The
                                                                                                                                                                                  story. So far so good.          banking, telecommunication.                           facilities, child rearing becomes a                                                                                             service your debt. That becomes a   budget has risen. That is why the   deficit in confidenceThe ele
                                                                                                                                                                                  The one concern on the inflation   Even wholesale and retail trade,                   full time responsibility.                                                                                                       major worry if governments start   deficit is rising now. Our deficit   in the room are the NPLs, an
                                                                                                                                                                                  front from the demand side is that   apart from the departmental                      We don’t have employment growth                                                                                                 defaulting then the whole financial   target has always been 5% of GDP.   we don’t address this now
                                                                                                                                                                                  public borrowing is growing very   stores and supermarkets, is                        in the formal sector. The main                                                                                                  market will collapse. We don’t have   Typically what happens is you   the weakness in the banking se
                                                                                                                                                                                  rapidly and if that leads to    largely an informal sector, where                     problem is private investment, it is                                                                                            that problem yet. But recently, the   have shortfalls in both revenue   will continue. Private credi
                                                                                                                                                                                  monetary growth beyond the      some of them aren’t even                              almost stagnant as a percentage of                                                                                              revenue mobilization has been   relative to the budget and also   is at a historic low at around 10%
                                                                                                                                                                                  monetary policy target, then there   registered. In the formal sector,                the GDP. If existing employers are                                                                                              poor, fiscal deficit have gone up   shortfall in expenditure relative to   with most of it going to
                                                                                                                                                                                  could be some demand pull factors   the employment picture does not                   not expanding their operations or                                                                                               and government borrowing from   the budget. But the shortfall in   financing. That’s where the macro
                                                                                                                                                                                  coming in. There is also a demand   look that good. The biggest                       new firms are not coming into                                                                                                   domestic sources have also been   expenditures used to exceed the   stability concerns are in bankin
                                                                                                                                                                                  pull from the remittances which   employer is garments, in recent                     business then where will the jobs                                                                                               increasing. This is a concern from   revenue shortfall. This is getting
                                                                                                                                                                                  are doing really well, which is the   news from BGMEA, 200-250                        come from? It’s not like                                                                                                        a financial point of view, because   reversed now. The revenue   What is your assessment of
                                                                                                                                                                                  only indicator that is strongly   factories have been closed down                     investment is not happening at all,                                                                                             the government is taking money   shortfall will go up, and the   the outlook?
                                                                                                                                                                                  positive, while the remaining are   laying off 20,000-30,000 workers.                 but investment proportion of GDP                                                                                                away from the savers and there   expenditure shortfall will shrink,   Global outlook has improved
                                                                                                                                                                                  strongly negative.              The 2017 labor force survey                           is not moving. We have like                                                                                                     isn’t much left for the private   so that buffer is disappearing.   significantly in the last one mo
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  shows an absolute decline.                            22-23% private investment rate,                                                                                                 sector to borrow. This puts    There is no crisis, but there are   Two things have happened. One is
                                                                                                                                                                                  What’s your take on the         Exports have been doing poorly                        and for a country like Bangladesh                                                                                               pressure on the interest rates   some red flags we need to pay   the uncertainty relating to Brexit.
                                                                                                                                                                                  unemployment rate? How          this fiscal year; there are some                      if you want a sustained 7% growth                                                                                               which could become a problem.   attention to both on the revenue   We still don’t know whether it’ll
                                                                                                                                                                                  do we improve the               serious concerns about                                rate, then it has to be around                                                                                                  Revenue performance has been   side and the expenditure side. We   a No-Deal Brexit, or whether they
                                                                                                                                                                                  numbers?                        joblessness in the formal sector                      28-30% of GDP. It’s a rule of thumb   two years we got rid of $9 billion,   excess demand? We have to decide                    very poor and recurrent        should prioritize and try to identify   will work out an alternative
                                                                                                                                                  did okay, but later we have seen   On the unemployment front, we   employment, particularly for                       calculation. If you look at the   so if there is any big shock to the   whether we want exchange rate                           expenditures have boomed recently   areas of wasteful expenditures.  arrangement. Secondly, the trad
                                                                                                                                                  some reversal both in           don’t have recent numbers. The   females since garments labor                         countries that have done really   economy like the one we are    stability or reserve stability. If you                         because of the wage hike, rising   The monetary program that is   war between the United States and
                                                                                                                                                  food-inflation and non-food     last survey was done was in 2017.   force is largely comprised of                     well on generating jobs in      having now with exports being    want exchange rate stability then                              interest payment burden and the   announced every year is fairly   China has not gone away, but ther
                                                                                                                                                  inflation. It now stands at 6.05%.   The other numbers that you see   women workers.  A part of the                   numbers and quality, you realize   down 7.6% in the first five months,   you have to make sure you have                         subsidy budget which has       prudent. Monetary growth is     has been a ceasefire. The
                                                                                                                                                  One reason is the infamous onion   that comes from General      reason for this labor shedding is                     that our problem is not just that   trade deficit has expanded, the   adequate reserves all the time so                         expanded where we have added   almost in the single digit last fiscal   escalation of tariff war was
                                                                                                                                                  price hike, although onion in the   Economics Division are projections   automation, moving onto more                 we don’t have enough employment   current account deficit has    you can intervene in the foreign                               new subsidies. Since the       year. There we don’t see any source   biggest worry and that has
                                                                                                                                                  proportion of total expenditure is   based on growth numbers. We   4IR technologies. The amount of                    opportunities, but the jobs     declined as remittances have     exchange market. Bangladesh                                    procurement of LNG, the power   of instability from monetary policy.   stopped. Even though you won’
 What is the state of the   However, you don’t get to see   inflations were creeping up. The                                                      not that big – it is 1.6% of typical                            work previously done by four                          available are not worth much. The   boomed by 22%. That has been the   Bank is still very adamant about                         sector has been selling it below the   The issues are in financial   see it in the numbers, the glob
 economy in terms of   such strong momentum in the   rice price collapse story was the                                                            household expenditure . But the   have not gone to enterprises and   people is being handled by one                   income is not that great. You want   savior. On the financial account,   keeping the foreign exchange rate                      cost price. Rental power plants,   regulation, that’s where our main   outlook has improved, because
                                                                                                                                                                                  done a labor force survey, because
 growth?  economy. BBS is the ‘only’   result of bumper crop causing rice                                                                         price increase was so high, like   unemployment is not something   since new machineries are coming                   both employment growth and      the foreign aid disbursement has   stable and not devaluing the taka                            even if they don’t produce     source of macro instability is.  global economic prospects and
 We are the fastest growing   source of national accounts   prices to fall significantly.                                                         400-500% so even though the     that we regularly measure. For   in. However, automation is not                       wage growth. Wage growth in     slowed, but it is still good. We   too much. Our official policy is                             anything, they are paying a    Bottom line: external stability is   world economic outlook were
 economy in the world depicted   data.  So, we cannot outright   International commodity prices                                                   weight is low, but the growth is so   unemployment, we need regular   the only reason; there is also a                Bangladesh has barely kept up   have declining exports and       that it is a floating exchange rate                            capacity charge which is 60% of   comfortable, but export decline is a   published before these thin
 by the official estimate. The   reject it, but we cannot   are very stable, so inflation in                                                      high, that it has a visible impact.   surveys, a kind of system we have   competitiveness problem. The                with inflation and the growth in   depressed imports which means   system and we will allow market                              their production capacity. Even if   worry. Reserves are okay but   happened. My expectation is that
 problem with the official   unquestionably accept it either.   Bangladesh is largely determined                                                  There were other knock on effects   not developed yet. We have   unemployment rate among the                          nominal wages has been below the   the economy is not doing well   demand-supply to do the work.                                there is no output, they pay. This is   Bangladesh Bank’s intervention in   when you see the next ro
 estimate is its inconsistency   There may have been healthy   by supply side factors, the cost of                                                like other spice prices being   anecdotal evidence. Now,  most of   educated youth is the highest                     inflation rate in some sectors such   which is why people are not   Bangladesh Bank should only                                 the reason the Power Development   the foreign exchange market is a   international forecast, it wil
 with the other growth-related   growth. 6+ is a very healthy   imports, domestic production.                                                     increased, alongside rice prices   our employment is in the informal   among Bangladesh. There is also                as fisheries and construction. In   buying and investing so current   intervene when exchange rates                             Board alone, the budget subsidy   worry. We need to let go of the   upgraded not downgraded like it
 indicators. In order to explain   growth when we compare with   Fiscal year wise, FY19, inflation                                                have crept up a little bit. Then in   sector – 85% plus of our labor   a big category outside the labor               the manufacturing sector, wage   machinery imports are down. From   become extremely volatile like 85                           provision is about Tk 95 billion   exchange rate. Fiscal debt is okay,   was the last time. That’s g
 where this growth is coming   other South Asian countries.                                                                                       the non-food, the house rents and   force. The employment level in the   force. They are the NEET, people             growth has stayed ahead of the   a balance point of view it is a   today, 90 tomorrow and 80 the                                BPDB. Then you have export     but revenue is slipping and     news for us because we have a big
 from, we have to break it up   Exports and remittances were                                                                                      several other consumer prices   informal sector does not really   who are neither employed, nor                       inflation rates, so there have been   positive, because it is reducing   day after. There are certain                           subsidy, then we introduced the   expenditure is getting out of   presence in the E.U., U.S, Canada
 and look at the drivers of   good, and our agriculture                                                                                           (clothing, footwear) went up. We   change that much, what changes   educated, nor in training, but                    1%-2% real growth in wages. For a   pressure for payments, but if we   positive factors which give us a                         remittance subsidy, subsidy on   control. If the financial sector   and several other advanced
 growth - the official numbers on   production was struck with the                                                                                have the same target of 5.5% in   is the hours worked. Open     these are young people who are                        country like Bangladesh, you    want economic growth to pick up   sense of comfort and these are                                diesel, fertilizer and add to that the   becomes unstable, people lose   markets. The outlook for us
 the expenditure side. But you   good fortune of two bumper                                                                                       FY20, but now inflation is above   unemployment rate in Bangladesh   working age people. 9 out of 10                  expect a lot more, but if you don’t   and investment to be higher, then   remittance, the reserve we already                                                   confidence in banks, so they start   depend a lot on what is happenin
 see it is private consumption   crops. Public investments in                                                                                     that. Depending on the boro     is always very low. If you compare   are women between the ages of                    have investments and the formal   imports will rise creating pressure   have and the amount of committed                                                       withdrawing their deposits, but we   in the domestic economy,
 and investment. Usually the   some projects are visible, like                                                                                    production, I think it will still be   it with the developed countries, it   25-40 who are educated and               sector is not expanding then you   on BOP. The main issue on the   aid money in the pipeline. If we                                                            are not there yet. Financial    particularly on the policy front.
 contribution of foreign trade is   the Metrorail, Padma Bridge,                                                                                  possible to bring it back down to   would be below the natural rate,   capable, but not in the labor                  cannot have good job creation.  external balance front is what do   utilize them properly, then we will                                                        stability means the ability to   Based on the indicators related to
 negative as we have a deficit   which may have supported the                                                                                     5.5%. We still have six months left,   which doesn’t really mean much.   market. The number is around a                                               we want to stabilize? We have so   not face an external balance                                                                finance your production and trade.   growth like tax revenue, export,
 since imports are greater than   growth.                                                                                                         and the international commodity   People can’t afford to not do   staggering 4 million. When you                      How do we evaluate the          far chosen the stability of the   problem.                                                                                     Our external trade needs bank   credit, import of machinery, I
 exports. But last year imports                                                                                                                   price outlook is fairly stable. The   anything in a country like   are not finding jobs in the labor                  macroeconomic balance of        exchange rate, so when we think                                                                                                financing; the foreign supplier will   would be inclined to revise it
 were depressed and exports   Can you talk us through                                                                                             most important price for us is the   Bangladesh. They may work in a   market, then you get frustrated                 external policy?                there is an excess demand for    Can you shed some light on                                                                    look at your LC. They don’t accept   downwards, because these are all
 recovered so there was a   the state of inflation in                                                                                             oil prices. All our major imports   tea stall, or as a rickshaw puller, it   and stop looking for jobs. Once          When we talk about external     dollars in the foreign exchange   fiscal and monetary                                                                          any Bangladeshi LC anymore      in very depressed state. There are
 turnaround, but that is not   the country?                                                                                                       like the diesel, furnace oil,   doesn't mean they are working full   that happens, you are not                        policies, bottom line we are doing   market and if the Bangladesh   policies?                                                                                  without a guarantee from HSBC,   some concerns on the macro
 enough to explain 8+ growth.  On the inflation front, it was                                                                                     petroleum, fertilizers and many of   time. Even if they are working full   considered unemployed. The                 fine. The total amount of reserves   Bank doesn’t do anything then the   The other side of macroeconomics                                                      Standard Chartered or some      stability outlook, it is slipping a
 Investment to GDP ratio has   within the targeted 5.5%. The   Dr. Zahid Hussain, former lead economist, the World Bank                           the food products we import, they   time, it doesn’t mean they are   definition of unemployment is not                that we have is still comfortable;   taka will depreciate so we start   is fiscal  and  monetary policies.                                                     foreign correspondent bank. To get   little bit, but if they tighten
 been flat as evident from the   2018-2019 inflation outcome                                                                                      are all linked with oil prices. The   productive in that work.  having a job but seeking one.                         they can finance 5 and a half   selling dollars to keep taka stable.   On the fiscal front we have a very                                                      a confirmation of your LC, you   take a few actions like allowing
 credit growth and capital   was exactly 5.5%. Food inflation                                                                                     projection I have seen, oil prices   The concept of unemployment in   This is known as the discouraged                months of imports. But comfort   However, when you start doing   low debt to GDP ratio. All the                                                                need to pay a fee and cost of trade   the exchange rate to be more
 machinery import numbers,   was down which was the main                                                                                          remaining between 65-70 dollars a   the textbook applies more to the   worker hypothesis.  Most of the                and complacency are two different   that you start destabilizing the   analyses that IMF does, all the                                                         financing rises. They look at  NPL   flexible, revenue mobilization i
 which are supposed to be   reason why inflation was within                                                                                       barrel, which is fairly standard,   formal sector, where we have the   women in the NEET category are                 things. There is no reason for   reserves, because how long can   projections that we do suggest                                                               ratio, interest income, return on   they try to improve particularly
 correlated with growth.   the target, but non-food                                                                                               but of course if we have problems   manufacturing sector in a large or   perhaps young married women                  complacency from this comfort. In   you sell off dollars with persistent   that the risk of public debt distress                                               equity and when they see they are   they can reduce the evasion in VA


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