There is a general perception that the ageing population of developed countries will lead to some kind of crisis or … Continue reading “How I learned to stop worrying and love the demographic time bomb”

If you are a company, you have to include pensions liabilities as a debt in your accounts. However, governments, while … Continue reading “Are Western governments heading for bankruptcy?”

One of the most noteworthy elements of the 2008 Pre-Budget Report was the planned increase in income tax rates to 45% for … Continue reading “The Pre-Budget Report: will Atlas shrug?”

Alistair Darling’s proposed spending spree on bringing forward major capital projects suggests the government is prepared to sacrifice the economy’s … Continue reading “A Keynesian spending spree won’t lead the economy out of recession”

Today, the government of Argentina will announce the annulment of the country’s private pension system introduced in 1994. The savings … Continue reading “The government of Argentina expropriates workers’ pension funds”

David Cameron and George Osborne may be shifting on “sharing the proceeds of growth” but they can’t bring themselves to … Continue reading “Taxation is a black hole”

Dr DeAnne Julius’s recent review of the UK Public Services Industry (PSI) tells us that the outsourcing of government services … Continue reading “Outsourcing public services: a good deal for taxpayers?”

The imposition of a windfall tax on energy companies is supported by a majority of the public and many politicians. … Continue reading “The economics of windfall taxes”

Commenting on the draft bank levy legislation published today, Philip Booth, Editorial and Programme Director at the Institute of Economic … Continue reading “Bank levy a tax on customers”