Publications

Trade protectionism involves restraining imports through various policy measures including tariffs, quotas, and subsidies to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. On the other hand, cronyism refers to the practice…

Speculative bubbles are not the product of irrational behaviour, as many tend to believe. When the price increase of given sets of goods or assets (bitcoins, tulip bulbs, houses, stocks)…

In many countries, there is a demand for regulation of gambling, as gambling is considered a vice with potentially harmful consequences. However, regulating gambling and similar goods is somewhat problematic.…

The Arab world is known for its rich history and diverse culture. Yet, it faces significant hurdles on its path to economic development. In the last two decades, the Arab…

The world is warming up and now “boiling”, according to the new definition by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Yet, instead of tackling the “climate crisis”, governments are subsidising fossil fuels.…

At a dinner early in July the CEO of NatWest bank group (formerly known as RBS) Dame Allison Rose told a senior BBC journalist that the high-net-worth subsidiary of the…

WP 2023-05. Executive Summary This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of car scrappage schemes implemented in the European Union (EU) during the economic crisis of 2009. The study uses…

Although the global economic performance shows signs of improvement, growth remains fragile. Certainly, lower energy costs contribute to slowing down the rise in prices and this is good news for…

WP 2023-04. Executive Summary Among libertarians, it has been conventional to define the minimal state as a state that enforces contracts and employs coercion to prevent force and fraud only.…

Questionable business models in Fintech have been exposed, as predicted, in response to rising interest rates.  In Europe, the UK and US, rates have risen from near zero levels at…