Oikonomia, Revisited
October 31st, 2014
My knowledge of ancient Greek is not significantly different from zero, but every student of economics at some point runs into oikonomia, the root word from which economy and economics were later derived. For example, in describing the etymology ...
EU Value-Added Tax Reforms Closing The VAT Gap
October 27th, 2014
The European Commission has published its latest VAT Gap study, which shows that an estimated EUR177bn (USD223.9bn) in value-added tax (VAT) revenues was lost due to non-collection or non-compliance in 2012 – a figure equal to 16 percent of ...
Twenty-four European banks fail financial stress tests
October 27th, 2014
One in five European banks have failed crucial tests of their financial strength, leaving a €25bn (£19.6bn) capital hole in the continent’s banking system at a time of renewed fears that the five-year long eurozone crisis may be flaring ...
Before a Bailout, E.C.B. minutes showed doubts over keeping a Cyprus Bank afloat
October 20th, 2014
As the Cypriot economy reeled from the collapse of its second-largest bank in 2013, the European Central Bank faced a thorny question: Should it keep the institution, Cyprus Popular Bank, alive with short-term loans or pull the plug? By ...
Bloc in Europe Starts to Balk Over Austerity
October 17th, 2014
France, Italy and the European Central Bank have coalesced into a bloc against Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, and they are insisting that Berlin change course. With Europe once again rattling global markets, many of the largest European countries ...
The Age of Vulnerability
October 13th, 2014
Two new studies show, once again, the magnitude of the inequality problem plaguing the United States. The first, the US Census Bureau’s annual income and poverty report, shows that, despite the economy’s supposed recovery from the Great Recession, ordinary ...
Where Next? A peek through the Macro Lens
October 9th, 2014
Financial markets have been on a heady ride since the financial crisis began in 2008. It looks like we are now at a very critical juncture which will define how things play out over the next 18-24 months. There ...
Overview: Greek Budget, Europe’s Nominees and I.M.F. and World Bank Meetings
October 6th, 2014
Greece will unveil its 2015 draft budget, hearings for vice-presidential nominees for the European Commission will be held, and the World Bank and I.M.F. open annual meetings in Washington. Greece is set to unveil its draft budget for 2015 ...
Greg Medcraft of ASIC re-elected IOSCO Board Chair
October 3rd, 2014
The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) today re-elected Mr. Greg Medcraft as Chairman of the IOSCO Board. Mr. Medcraft was re-elected at the inaugural meeting of the newly constituted Board, during the IOSCO Annual Conference in Rio de ...
Dr. James Leontiades
October 3rd, 2014
Dr. James (Jim) Leontiades is currently Academic Dean at the Cyprus Institute for International Management. His Business experience includes several years in the Planning Department of General Motors Overseas Operations as well as positions with consulting firms in London ...
