Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

Supachai Panitchpakdi the 66 year old Thai Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published an article on IPS News titled ‘Global Rebalancing – Implications For Asia’. Panitchpakdi states “Although it remains the fastest growing region, Asia is already experiencing an economic slowdown, with gross domestic product (GDP) expected to fall… In China and other major economies in the region, however, internal rebalancing remains unfinished as private consumption should take on a greater role relative to investment. High wage growth will help to support this goal as well as helping to promote further external rebalancing. High and volatile commodity prices also present a risk to the rebalancing process for the Asian region, because they can be a drag on growth. Rising oil prices, for example, act as an immediate dampener on aggregate spending in fuel-importing countries, contracting spending more or less immediately, whereas any spending expansion from fuel-exporting countries occurs only after a lag. However the main risk continues to be concentrated in the developed economies, where the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has long been concerned that premature and excessive fiscal austerity is choking recovery and growth unnecessarily. The developing economies in Asia have played a major role stoking the engine of growth since the crisis, but this could be derailed if there continues to be a decline in consumer demand from their traditional markets in the advanced economies, and the effects of a reduction in this demand would of course have further spill-over effects if it provoked a downturn in Asian household and investment demand. … Ultimately, what is most important is that regional markets remain open, so that rising domestic demand in each country is met not only by domestic enterprises but also by those operating in other countries of the region.”

Inspired by IPS News ow.ly/fWkFo image source Roberto Barroso ow.ly/fWkAq

Has the right to end my employment (June 24th 2012)

Piyasvasti Amranand the 58 year old Thai former Energy Minister and President of Thai Airways International until his dismissal from this post by the board, has been profiled by aviation expert Tom Ballantyne in Orient Aviation. Ballantyne states “After cleaning up a carrier noted for its corruption and cronyism, and returning it to profit, THAI president, Piyasvasti Amranand, was sacked last month. Now he may take his board to court to restore his reputation. …The sacking, he said, was “politically influenced”. He didn’t stop there. It was possible his firing resulted from investigations into graft at THAI, and his punishment of corrupt staff who might have sought help from some powerful figures, he claimed. The suggestion was they could have been from within government. …“The board has the right to end my employment, but it must explain [the reasons] why clearly to the public,” he said. “It is a pity. The management will suffer setbacks from now on. …The shock sacking has angered THAI staff and prompted a stinging attack on the chairman from the airline’s union. Jamsri Sukchotirat, president of the THAI labour union, said Piyasvasti had regularly talked to workers about various issues, especially financial performance and profitability.”

Inspired by Orient Aviation ow.ly/bzK2H image source Wikipedia ow.ly/bzJBN