. . . is the topic of my latest Trade Tripper column in this Friday-Saturday issue of BusinessWorld. Excerpt:
"Somehow I have a feeling that a quick economic upturn for the country may actually be bad for us. It’s like a hospital patient who was brought good food by his family. By immediately feeling better, the patient may actually be caught up in the illusion of being better, which are two different things. Add the fact that if the presidential elections get truly underway in 2010, the streets would be flooded with campaign money (from who knows what source), deluding people into thinking that the economy is improving and making them forget that certain necessary reforms really need to be done immediately. And if my inexpert readings of history are to be relied upon, our national coffers would most likely be empty by the time the elections are over and a new administration steps in. Certainly not an ideal situation during a global recession."
