...Advantages of a successful buffer-stock scheme: Stable prices help maintain farmers’ incomes and improve the incentive to grow legal crops Stability enables capital investment in agriculture needed to lift agricultural productivity Farming has positive externalities it helps to sustain rural communitiesStable prices prevent excess prices for consumers – helping consumer welfare Problems with buffer stock schemes In theory buffer stock schemes should be profit making, since they buy up stocks of the product when the price is low and sell them onto the market when the price is high. However, they do not often work well in practice. Clearly, perishable items cannot be stored for long periods of time and can therefore be immediately ruled out of buffer stock schemes. Other problems are: Cost of buying excess supply can cause a buffer stock scheme to run out of cash A guaranteed minimum price might cause over-production and rising surpluses which has economic and environmental costs Setting up a buffer stock scheme also requires a significant amount of start up capital, since money is needed to buy up the product when prices are low. There are also high administrative and storage costs to be considered. The success of a buffer stock scheme however ultimately depends on the ability of those managing a scheme to correctly estimate the average price of the product over a period of time. This estimate is the scheme’s target price and obviously determines the maximum and...
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...level of wheat procurement during 2008-09 and 2009-10 at a higher minimum support price was necessitated by the difficult circumstances that the government faced, characterised by a precarious buffer stock position from 2005 to 2008. Hence, blaming larger procurement and a higher msp alone for the soaring wheat prices between 2008 and 2010 is an oversimplification of the problem. The experience with wheat procurement in the recent past suggests that foodgrain procurement at a lower msp may not always be feasible. Finally, it is shown that the inability of the government to utilise the abundant wheat stocks for the benefit of the consumers during the recent phase of high foodgrain prices was due to the poor offtake of the grain allotted to the states, not to the operations of private trade via the government’s open market sales window. 1 Introduction The issue of high inflation in food prices has been at the forefront of the economic policy debate in India for quite some time now. For the government and policymakers, in terms of identifying appropriate solutions no other domestic economic problem has proved to be as challenging as food inflation. Perhaps for the first time in recent history a sense of helplessness has settled over the government administration in resolving a key economic challenge facing the country. Blunt assessments like “solutions to tackle inflation are not easy” and “there is no magic formula for bringing down inflation” have become all too familiar over...
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...Using economic knowledge, evaluate different ways in which the government of a country which imports large quantities of wheat can try to stabilise wheat prices? Stabilising wheat prices can be done through a buffer stocks scheme. This is when the government tries to stabilise a market/producer which is producing too little or too much (in the case) wheat. They would do this by buying back a lot of the wheat if it rose above or by giving out some they own in their stock pile to bring production up to the right amount if it dropped below the amount needed by the consumer. This is shown in the diagram below. Wheat Wheat During a good harvest where a larger quantity is produced at Q2 with the price at P2, the government has to intervene by buying some of the stock to enable the producers to return to the equilibrium point of (Q,P) where both the demand and price increase meaning its more profitable for the business than at point (Q2,P2) which is the main objective for a firm. At point (Q1,P1) because of the bad harvest, the price set by the producer is higher than the equilibrium to try and maintain its profits. Unfortunately consumers won’t buy a lot at this price so the government will supply the producers out of its stockpile which in this case is imported in large quantities to stabilise the market. This will mean producers can lower prices to attract more sales from consumers and in turn increase profits. Another way in which the Government which imports large quantities...
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...equilibrium price. At low prices, producers supply less and consumers want to buy more than at the equilibrium price. This creates an excess demand, and causes a shortage of the product. Now consider what happens when the market price is above the equilibrium level. In this case there is an excess supply, or surplus, of the product. At high prices, producers are willing to produce more of the product, but consumers are willing to buy less than at the equilibrium price. On the other hand, when prices started to fluctuate partially in agricultural that could happen over a short period of time; these are sometimes signals to the producers what could be confusing at time. So government intervenes to change prices, to minimum and maximum prices and buffer stock scheme for the unstable fluctuation. A. Why the prices of agricultural products tend to...
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...Briefing Note Introduction In 2007 to mid-2009, the world has suffered the worst financial crisis since the Great Depressions in 1920s. This followed by a wave of economic downturn. Learnt from the crisis, it is suggested that a forceful response by regulators, may help prevent deteriorating further. The objective of this note is to identify the crisis effects on both the financial system and the economy and to provide implications on further financial regulations. Effects Financial System: Many institutions collapsed in the USA and Europe within the period. Figure 1 directly shows a considerable rise of the number of bank failure particularly from 2008 to 2010 in the U.S. This deteriorated the macro-structure of many developed countries. Firms called for ‘bailouts’ or recapitalization from governments to help stabilize the financial system. Or, others were closed, forcibly merged with stronger counterparts, or recapitalized using taxpayer’s money. More effects are given below: 1. Banks have been hit hardly by deteriorating capital & liquidity problems and worsening market confidence. * Global banking sector lost almost half of the capital base at the beginning of the crisis in 2007 (Lybeck, 2011). * Low central-bank interest rate: concerns over deflation by monetary policy makers resulted in long-term low interest rates. Figure 2 presents that in the U.S., a slump of 4% in Federal Funds Rate to nearly zero in 2010 while Bank of England has held rates...
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...with time. In terms of materials acquired for inclusion in the total inventory, this means understanding how long it takes for a supplier to process an order and execute a delivery. Inventory management also demands that a solid understanding of how long it will take for those materials to transfer out of the inventory be established. Knowing these two important lead times makes it possible to know when to place an order and how many units must be ordered to keep production running smoothly. Calculating what is known as buffer stock is also key to effective inventory management. Essentially, buffer stock is additional units above and beyond the minimum number required to maintain production levels. For example, the manager may determine that it would be a good idea to keep one or two extra units of a given machine part on hand, just in case an emergency situation arises or one of the units proves to be defective once installed. Creating this cushion or buffer helps to minimize the chance for production to be...
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...parameters learn about various types of inventory policies appreciate the role of selective inventory management know the exchange curve concept for aggregate inventory planning get a feel of some mathematical models of inventory analysis perform sensitivity analysis on a type of model compute safety stocks understand the problems of slow moving items appreciate the role of computers in inventory control have a brief idea about recent developments in inventory management. Structures 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 17.8 17.9 17.10 17.11 17.12 17.13 17.14 Introduction to Inventory Systems Functions of Inventory Classification of Inventory Systems Selective Inventory Management Exchange Curve and Aggregate Inventory Planning Deterministic Inventory Models Probabilistic Inventory Models Inventory Control of Slow Moving Items Recent Developments in Inventory Management Concluding Remarks Summary Key Words Self-assessment Exercises Further Readings 17.1 INTRODUCTION TO INVENTORY SYSTEMS Concept of Inventory . Inventory' may be defined as usable but idle resource'. If resource is some physical and tangible object such as materials, then it is generally termed as stock. Thus stock or inventory are synonymous terms though inventory has wider implications. Broadly speaking, the problem of inventory management is one of maintaining, for a given financial investment, an adequate supply of something to meet an expected demand pattern. This could be raw materials work in progress finished...
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....................................................................................................................................3 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1 A. Strengthening the global capital framework ....................................................................2 1. 2. 3. 4. Raising the quality, consistency and transparency of the capital base ..................2 Enhancing risk coverage........................................................................................3 Supplementing the risk-based capital requirement with a leverage ratio ...............4 Reducing procyclicality and promoting countercyclical buffers ..............................5 Cyclicality of the minimum requirement .................................................................5 Forward looking provisioning .................................................................................6 Capital conservation...............................................................................................6 Excess credit growth ..............................................................................................7 5. B. 1. 2. 3. C. D. I. Addressing systemic risk and interconnectedness...
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...AS Micro Essays These are some suggested AS Macro Economic essays. The essays are from different exam boards. In practise they ask similar questions. There are different ways to answer questions. But, all these answers contain enough material to get the top grade. Whenever the question requires evaluation, the essay contains the necessary critical distance. Note: These essays are for revision purposes giving suggestions for how to answer questions. Don’t try to pass them off as your own work. AS Micro Essays 1.Evaluate the case for and against governments intervening to try to stabilise the price of copper, for example, through setting up a buffer stock scheme. 2.Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of various methods of government intervention to correct market failure arising from aircraft emissions. 3. Discuss the likely effects on the retail market for coffee if there is a large increase in city centre rents. 4.In the UK, students face increasing tuition fees. Discuss the benefits and costs to society of abolishing all tuition fees. 5.Discuss three policies to reduce the level of cigarette smoking amongst under 21s. 6.Discuss the extent to which governments should subsidise companies who are developing cars which run on clean fuels such as hydrogen? 7.Discuss whether the government is mistaken to worry about monopoly power? 8.Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the government intervening in agricultural markets? 9.Discuss the effects...
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...the monetary system cannot experience the type of collapse and resulting economic slowdown that took place between 2007 and 2009. Even though the effects of the Basel 3 rules on an individual bank will depend on its asset/capital base and on the appropriate regulator's appliances of the rules, the publication of the standardized ratios and rules is one of the most important developments for banks ever since the disaster began. Banks can now concentrate on a future policy to meet the combined impacts of these rules (BCBS et al.). The Basel 3 rules that a bank should hold 4.5%of the common equity. This essentially consists of common shares in addition to retained earnings. The rules call for banks to have 4.5% of common equity (Kane, E.J 88). The total Tier 1 requirement rises from 4% to 6% under the rule. This implies that other forms of Tier 1 requirement will account for up to 1.5% of Tier 1 capital. The entire minimum capital requirements stand at 8%, subject to a new capital buffer. Nevertheless, 6% of capital has to be Tier 1, which denotes that Tier 2 can account for less than 2% of capital. Tier 3, which is used exclusively for market risk purposes, will be removed entirely. Under Basel III, deductions from capital have to be made from ordinary equity Tier 1. All banks will be requisite to hold enough capital to achieve the minimum capital ratios, in addition to having a capital conservation buffer over the minimum...
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...both manufacturing systems and assembly systems. In the first category we find job shops, manufacturing cells, flexible manufacturing systems and transfer lines, in the assembly category we have fixed position systems, assembly lines and assembly shops (both manual and/or automated operations) Another possible classification[12] is one based on Lead Time (manufacturing lead time vs delivery lead time): Engineer to Order, Purchase to Order, Make to Order, Assemble to Order and Make to Stock. According to this classification different kinds of systems will have different customer order decoupling points (CODP), meaning that Work in Progress cycle stock levels are practically nonexistent regarding operations located after the CODP (except for WIP due to queues). The concept of production systems can be expanded to the service sector world keeping in mind that services have some fundamental differences in respect to material goods: intangibility, client always present during transformation processes, no stocks for "finished goods". Services can be classified according to a service process matrix: degree of labor intensity (volume) vs degree of customization (variety). For high degree of labor intensity we have Mass Services (ex: commercial banking bill payments and state schools) and Professional Services (ex:Personal Physicians and Lawyers), while for low degree of labor intensity we have Service Factories (ex:Airlines and Hotels)...
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...FORE School of Management A DISSERTATION REPORT ON Impact of Basel III norms on select Indian & European banks Submitted By: DEEPANSHU CHANDRA, 053009 FORE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, DELHI A Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement of Post Graduate Diploma Program in Management SUBMITTED TO: Faculty Guide: Prof. Sanghamitra Buddhapriya FORE School of Management 1 FORE School of Management CERTIFICATE This is to certify that Mr. Deepanshu Chandra has completed his Dissertation under my guidance and has submitted this project report entitled Impact of Basel III norms on select Indian and European banks towards partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Post Graduate Diploma Program in Management (FORE, Delhi) 2011-2013. This Report is the result of his own work and to the best of our knowledge. This project was carried out under my overall supervision. Date: Place: ---------------------------------- Prof. Sanghamitra Buddhapriya (Faculty Guide) FORE School of Management 2 FORE School of Management ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped me in the successful completion of my Dissertation. To start with, I would like to thank the organization FORE School of Management for providing me the chance to undertake this Dissertation. I wish to place on records, my deep sense of gratitude and sincere appreciation to my Mentor, Prof. Sanghamitra Buddhapriya, Faculty...
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...The Savers–Spenders Theory of Fiscal Policy By N. GREGORY MANKIW* The literature on the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy and, in particular, of government debt is founded on two canonical models. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that both models are deficient and to propose a new model to take their place. The first canonical model is the Barro-Ramsey model of infinitely-lived families (Robert Barro, 1974). According to this model, the government’s debt policy redistributes the tax burden among generations, but families, who want to smooth their consumption over time, reverse the effects of this redistribution through their bequests. Government debt is completely neutral—a proposition called Ricardian equivalence. The second canonical model of government debt is the Diamond-Samuelson model of overlapping generations (Peter Diamond, 1965). In this model, people smooth consumption over their own lifetimes, but there is no bequest motive. When the government issues debt, it enriches some generations at the expense of others, crowds out capital, and reduces steadystate living standards. In this paper, I first discuss the facts that lead me to reject these canonical models. I then propose an alternative model and develop briefly its implications for fiscal policy. consumption over time. There is much reason to be skeptical about this assumption. A large empirical literature, starting with Robert Hall’s (1978) seminal random-walk theorem, has addressed...
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...rolling transmitter (component B) by Japan, the plastic housing (component C), by Taiwan, and the key ring (component D), by India. Using standard flowchart symbols, as described by Chase, Jacobs & Aquilano (2006), a waiting area, as depicted by the inverted triangle, will be receiving all parts ordered, to be present before assembly of the keyless entry fob can begin. This can also act as a buffer zone for parts, to minimize the negative effects of poor supply by the manufacturer. Factors affecting the process design. Different factors that may affect the design process could be the supply time by different suppliers, and the on-hand quantity of each of the different components. If a specific supplier cannot deliver a component timeously, vendors need to be changed, or a larger buffer time period may need to be introduced (although this may have a negative effect on company cashflow). Quantitative measurement The success of the flowchart can be measured by measuring the time from placing the order, to successful completion of the keyless entry fob, and minimizing out-of-stock situations both to customers, and from suppliers. This is in line with Bearnon (1998), who states that measures can be used categorize cost...
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...Why Fair Trade? Mar. 21, 2012 Robert Skidelsky, Professor Emeritus of Political Economy at Warwick University and a fellow of the British Academy in history and economics, is a member of the British House of Lords. The author of a three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes, he began his political career in the Labour party, became the Conservative Party’s spokesman for Treasury affairs in the House of Lords, and was eventually forced out of the Conservative Party for his opposition to NATO’s intervention in Kosovo in 1999. LONDON – Historically, the term “fair trade” has meant many things. The Fair Trade League was founded in Britain in 1881 to restrict imports from foreign countries. In the United States, businesses and labor unions use “fair trade” laws to construct what economist Joseph Stiglitz calls “barbed-wire barriers to imports.” These so called “anti-dumping” laws allow a company that suspects a foreign rival of selling a product below cost to request that the government impose special tariffs to protect it from “unfair” competition. Such dark protectionist thoughts are far from the minds of the benevolent organizers of the United Kingdom’s annual “Fairtrade Fortnight,” during which I just bought two bars of fair-trade chocolate and a jar of fair-trade chunky peanut butter. Their worthy aim is to raise the price paid to developing-country farmers for their produce by excluding the inflated profits of the middlemen on whom they depend for getting...
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