Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Monday, April 29th, 2024

The Economic Sewage Flows Out

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The Economic Sewage  Flows Out

The Europe is really going through a bad time and its crisis has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more it searches for gleam light, the more it reaches to pitched-dark corners inside the economic tunnel. It is dipping hands to same dusty water again and again and expects miracle to save the currency Union. Instead of taking serious steps to get troubled economies out of the mess, strong economies are engaged in futile hullabaloo and blaming weaker fellows of economic and financial recklessness during past years.

The current situation is similar to an Afghan story. "A naïve boy did not know swimming but risked his life and went into a big water dam. After few desperate struggle, exhausted and was about to inundate, calls a passer by to save him. Before doing anything about his safety, the passer-by starts admonishing and advice. The boy answers: "brother, first save me then advise me".

The weak EU economies are in the similar situation. They are submerging in the mess of financial crisis and asking for a hand, yet the rest are admonishing and advising about why they did not roll back their sleeves and trousers when started submerging into economic prosperity provided within the Euro zone network.

Come on guys! Is it really suitable time for admonishing and advice? Of course not. The Euro zone is in due need of serious step to bring the rising financial sewage under the control before it flows out and downpour stronger economies.

Moreover, all troubled economies are not guilty, indeed. Greece can be reprimanded for not taking necessary steps to control its visible budget deficits which led to current mounting sovereign debt, but countries like Portugal, which is currently aligned with Greece and Spain, never ignored the Euro law in order to keep budget deficits low.

What hit this country has nothing to do with budget deficits during good years. It had a reasonable budget deficit which is potential to endanger the entire economy at any given country. It was housing bubble burst up which terribly hit the country and caused negative economic growth and development.

But the approach of stronger economies does not differ and issue the same prescription for all. They find all guilty for the remarkable sovereign debt which has become the source of severe financial crisis and economic slowdown in the Euro Zone, EU and would perhaps go far away and take victims across the cosmos unless solved.

The best way yet put ahead are tough austerity measures. All countries are applying it to some extent. But the measure differs to severity and broadness. In some countries, economic austerities are introduced in particular sectors but are light enough not to fuel general opposition or civil uprising.

While in some the measures was harsh and tough that people cannot accept and oppose them through demonstrations and protests. See, for example, Spain, Portugal, Greece and etc where protestors decorated streets by their posters and placards asking for resignation or expressing their stance towards austerity measures.

The series of protests have already cost too much. Both Greece and Italy's heads of the state resigned, and recently Romanian prime minister join them too, over mounting oppositions to economic belt-tightening steps introduced in the country in order to bring budget deficit under the control.

Those resignations have solved nothing. Rather the situation has been complicated about how to deal with rising civil unrest over high unemployment rate, austerity measures and etc.
There seems least cooperation from mass of the people as they point finger towards financial institutions, governments, and many other organization and institutions.

In Greece, the leaders of the three parties in coalition government are expected to sign off on new tough new austerity measures, including a controversial reduction in the minimum wage, in exchange for about $171 billion in new bailout loans from the Euro members and international financial institutions.

As I noticed that last year Greece Minister resigned over the same reason behind for yielding to conditions of donors over receiving loans. There is nothing to show that Greece people now accept austerity measure. Perhaps, larger parts of the people still oppose the likely measures.

So, what is the choice ahead of Greece politicians? They do not have multiple choices. There are only two choices ahead: sign deal and face protests and lose voters in coming election; do not sign and face the wrath of Euro fellows and remain unable to receive the agreed loans.

There are sign of despondence and anger among Eurozone leaders over delays of practicing economic austerity by Greece. They are in view the government is not enough tough to deal with the problem and deserve to receive the bail-out loans.

But something needs to be noticed. Austerity is supposed to bring down debt level in troubled economies into a convenient level, but it has worked yet in reverse. The debt level has not only came down rather increased due to protests and demonstrations some which of cost governments millions of dollars.

In addition, austerity weakened the consuming capacity and rising taxes have led to forced lay-offs which have brought about high unemployment rate. So, the above two factors indeed have made the economy shrink. The outcome is lesser government revenue through income tax, consumption tax and etc. with all these problems, austerity is supported to be accepted and practiced in all weaker Euro economies.

Finally, with all measures taken yet, the Euro crisis has remained unsolved. They are acting too late. Months ago, there were three giant economies in the Euro zone, now only Germany has remained on the previous status. Both France and Italy's credit rate was downgraded which has made for them to difficult to take loans as easily, for example, Germany can receive. Seemingly, the sewage flows out and downpours into many more countries.

Jawad Rahmani is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at jawad_rahmani2001@yahoo.com

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