Making Blended Finance Work for the Sustainable Development Goals
Making Blended Finance Work for the Sustainable Development Goals published by OECD is a very good reference report on the role and use of blended finance in development space. Its available on OECD website.
Anthony Mancinelli,Inflation and haircut price in the US
The Twitter video of Anthony Mancinelli is very informative about Anthony’s achievements as well as how prices of services i.e. hair care services have changed over the last century in the US. Anthony Mancinelli according to the Guinness Book of World Records is the oldest barber in the world who charged 25 cents for in 1922.
First, congratulations to Anthony for his remarkable and world-beating achievement. Second, the video shares a great panorama on the inflation-adjusted return for Anthony’s services. He now charges $20 for his services, considering a lifespan of 97 years, amounting to annual (compounded) growth rate of 4.60%. Although he presently is working in a salon in New York, it’s not clear whether he worked all his life in New York. Continue reading “Anthony Mancinelli,Inflation and haircut price in the US”
Blended Finance: Please don’t blend it like Beckham
David Beckham’s iconic signature dead ball free kicks remain enshrined forever for curvy goals which flummoxed the best goalkeepers in the world but David’s was certainly not known for his innovative financial structuring skills.
Welcome Blended Finance. Blended Finance not to be confused with bending finance, is fast becoming an important and potent tool for bridging the yearly $2.5tr gap to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals target by 2030. Blended Finance is not a panacea for the global development crisis but stills works as an innovative way to pool in commercial capital to aid risk-adjusted return for development projects. OECD defines blended finance as the strategic use of development finance for the mobilization of additional finance towards sustainable development in developing countries. This is a defining change in the scope of blended finance from its work as various financial structuring instruments to its strategic use as a form of finance to eradicate social inequity. Continue reading “Blended Finance: Please don’t blend it like Beckham”
International Women’s Day, Taylor Swift Factor and Its a Fender
Jimi Hendrix’s riffs inspired millions and influenced many lead guitarists to emulate him but its Taylor Swift Factor which is inspiring millions of women to learn to play guitar. One of the most successful music artists of all time, Taylor comes from the quintessential music capital of the world “ Tennessee”. According to a recent Fender poll, half of the guitar beginners are women in the US and UK, thanks to ethereal Taylor Swift touch. Continue reading “International Women’s Day, Taylor Swift Factor and Its a Fender”
Africa: Innovation and Ethiopia
Kenya, if I am not wrong, is the development hub in Africa. Rockefeller Foundation is situated in Nairobi, Kenya and serves as the focal point for its work esp. in the sub Saharan region. Kenyan stock market is very vibrant and in 2019 Africa would be a good bet for growth in stock markets. M-Pesa, an avatar (not to be confused with James Cameroon’s movie) for mobile money transfer and micro-finance, is a riveting success in Africa and chiefly responsible for financial inclusion in the country. Continue reading “Africa: Innovation and Ethiopia”
Education Budgeting
The Indian government is targeting allocation of 6% of the GDP to education which is commendable. This is a good jump from the allocation of 3.8% of the GDP to education sector in 2014. Key drivers in education include Ed-tech and Digital Literacy for promoting education inclusiveness in India.
