the __earthinc

It begins with a good intention. Everybody deserves to consume fantastical juice. After all, everything is made out of it. It would be a grave injustice to limit its consumption only to those who can afford it. Invested with executive power, a group of individuals with only the interest of the public at heart intends [...]

Prices of the same tradable items in different places tend to converge in a perfectly efficient market. Theoretically, motivated by profits, individuals and entities act as arbitrageurs. They will continue to arbitrage until there are no more profits to be made. That is when prices equalized and that is the essence of the law of [...]

On December 7 in the Parliament, based on the Hansard, Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industry Jacob Dungau Sagan was asked whether the government intends to abolish a policy that grants exclusive permits for imports to limited entities and effectively, the granting of monopoly power to several companies over certain commodities such as sugar [...]

Ask a layperson what he or she thinks of the definition of economics. If they do not say it is the art of making money, many of them will mention that it is a study of supply and demand. In truth, economics is larger than either popular but otherwise misleading definitions. More accurately, it is [...]

Not all dilemmas are really dilemmas. Open up the lid and upon closer inspection, the dilemma unravels without much investment in effort. One such apparent dilemma concerns the production of food and biofuel. There is really no dilemma between food and fuel however. Free price is the scissor to cut the fake Gordian knot. In [...]

I praised Shahrir Samad earlier but I am having a second thought now. Shortly after that announcement, he suggested for food production to be subsidized, much to my dismay.[1] Pragmatic may be but our current government policies are confusing. If there is a liberalization in our economy, the current trend does not seem to suggest [...]

A sudden realization of a global food crisis among the public, or rather, prices increase of rice, has prompted several questions relating to supply chain and economics. One interesting economic question that I was requested to answer was why prices of fresh produce are not treading the path of rice prices? To be honest, I [...]

Tyler Cowen writes: At first glance, this seems understandable, because a country may not wish to send valuable foodstuffs abroad in a time of need. Nonetheless, the longer-run incentives are counterproductive. Export restrictions send a message to farmers that their crops are least profitable precisely when they are most needed. There is little incentive to [...]

This is just for my own future use. Following is the list of 11 price-controlled items: Petrol Diesel Liquefied petroleum gas Steel Cement Flour Sugar Condensed milk Bread Chicken Cooking oil Following is the list of 20 supply-controlled items, whereby supplies are regulated ensure demand is always met. Sugar Milk (including condensed, powdered milk, cream) [...]

Remind me again, did the Communist defeat the combined Commonwealth forces during the Malayan Emergency? PUTRAJAYA: Five kilograms – that is the maximum amount of cooking oil that each consumer can buy when a move to solve the shortage of the essential item is enforced next week. Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie [...]