The most heavily indebted governments have always resorted to the same strategy: inflation. Suppose you owe 100 euros that you need to repay in one year at an interest rate of 3%. When the time comes, if inflation is 5%, you will repay 103 euros with a purchasing power of only 98 euros. The lender…

I had avoided commenting about terrorism on purpose. I thought it better not to add to the alarm that the media tend to create. However, the other day a friend told me that it was very strange that I hadn't said anything about the kidnapped Nigerian girls. I try to pay close attention to what my…

Growth rates in emerging countries tend to be volatile and are affected by what happens beyond their borders. A recent recent study by economists at the IMF (International Monetary Fund) decomposes deviations from trend growth of emerging economies into internal and external factors. The latter include things such as global financing conditions, growth in advanced…

Healthcare in Africa has a long way to go. Rich and poor, we all want to have quality healthcare. However, not everyone has equal access to these services. While those Africans who can afford it travel abroad to get the treatments they need, others die because they can't be diagnosed on time or receive the…