This week while in Sri Lanka I met two investors who were discussing the current economic climate. The current interest rate in Sri Lanka is 14%, which makes it very attractive to leave money sitting in the bank. The older gentleman was close to retirement age, so at this point in life he is more interested in taking the action that will have a guaranteed result. The younger gentleman is more interested in building a legacy by founding new businesses. Because of the amount of capital required to start a business he recognizes that cash flow is critical for success, but is hesitant to take a loan from the bank because it would be difficult to stay afloat with such high payments. However, it can be difficult to persuade investors to take the risk on a new business, so additional incentives help.
I was glad to learn more about how interest rates affect the overall economy, as well as the cues that coincide with decisions to manipulate the interest rate. I ’m most interested in the arguments regarding government funded projects as well as a balanced government budget. On the one hand, I can see how money can trickle down from the government to the people when public projects are implemented. Construction jobs are sustained when bridges need to be built. However, it should be noted that this does not necessarily affect the job security within the industry itself. It’s great if businesses can win contracts, but what actually happens when the project is finished? How much has it actually changed the community itself, or has it just lined the pockets of a few? Also, how does the government decide which projects are most necessary? And in order to fund it, aren’t they raising taxes overall? It seems that when governments attempt to somehow increase public welfare by increasi...
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