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South Asia not ready for common currency
(Daily Star/ANN) South Asia is not yet ready for a common currency, said economists from countries in the region at the opening of a two-day 14th South Asia Economic Summit in Sheraton Dhaka on Saturday.
However, integration in trade and investment, increased mobility and people-to-people connectivity will provide the incentive for monetary cooperation in the region, they told a session on macroeconomic cooperation and the possibility of a common currency.
South Asia accounts for nearly one fourth of the global population and it has the market and ability to grow together, said the economists at the event being hosted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue.
Yet it is the least integrated in terms of trade, said Zahid Hussain, former lead economist at The World Bank, Bangladesh.Intra-regional trade accounts for 5 percent of South Asia’s total trade whereas the share of intra-regional trade in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region is 25 percent, he said.
South Asia is diverse in land area, gross domestic product or economic output, and population but the region’s countries have similar levels of human and economic development which calls for increased integration, he said.However, there is a lot of barriers to mobility, he said, citing non-tariff barriers, complicated visa policies and rigid bureaucracies.
“There is high sensitivity to national sovereignty. National currencies evoke strong attachment and emotion,” said Hussain at the event.
Political will to give up fiscal and monetary autonomy is also necessarily to go for a common currency, he said.
Complementarity in trade and free flow of labour and capital among the members can make cooperation over a currency more likely, he said.
Several countries have taken steps to reduce dependence on the US dollar and Bangladesh also took bilateral initiatives to settle trade in Chinese yuan and Indian rupee in 2022 and 2023, said Hussain.
However, the response with regard to trade in rupee is muted while exporters in China prefer receiving payments in dollars, euro and pound sterling, he said.There is persistent and growing trade deficit among Bangladesh, China and India, which makes trade in rupee and yuan limited here, he said.
Bangladesh’s average monthly trade deficit is $1.13 billion with China and $644 million with India.Comparability of economies is needed for a common currency, said Md Habibur Rahman, chief economist at Bangladesh Bank. “We are not right there…We can search for an appropriate time and opportunity for this,” he said.
A mechanism enabling independence is needed to avoid sanctions, said Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director at Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan.
Pakistan is relying on barter trade with countries such as Afghanistan, China and Russia, he said.
“Instead of losing hope on a common currency, we can explore so that we reduce dollar dependence,” said Suleri.
Posh Raj Pandey, senior economic advisor of the finance ministry of Nepal, proposed for establishing a regional financial market in this regard.
Use of the US dollar for international transaction settlement is declining, said Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, director general of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, India.
International transactions other than that of the US dollar accounted for 9 percent of total global trade in July 2022 and it rose to 14 percent in December the same year, he added.
“This is an indication of rising arrangement of settlement in non-dollar,” he said, adding that 38 countries have shown interest to trade with India in rupee.
However, to make trade in the rupee popular between Bangladesh and India, a large line of credit in rupee is needed, said Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh.
“Otherwise, the performance we have seen is dismal…We also should think of currency swap to protect against external shock,” he said.
Countries should start with trade facilitation for economic integration and go for common documentation for customs, encourage firms to invest regionally and foster people to people connectivity, said Mansur.
Visa issuance and border control is quite pervasive and old fashioned, he said.
The economist also suggested harmonisation of tax and trade policies among members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
“We also need monetary policy harmonisation. We need to think about bringing inflation close to each other and currency stability. Cooperation at the institutional level is critical,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
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