No big debt relief for government in 2023. Watch the video to know more.

2023 Rewind: Debt threat to countries

With the world still coming to terms with the changing landscape in a post-Covid world, a new report has highlighted the nine trends that are reshaping how governments deliver solutions to the common citizen.

With the world still coming to terms with the changing landscape in a post-Covid world, a new report has highlighted the nine trends that are reshaping how governments deliver solutions to the common citizen. Titled 'Government Trends', the report has been published by the Deloitte Center for Government Insights’ and it goes in great depth into the paradigm shifts driving these changes. The report states that COVID-19 was a major catalyst in increasing the collaboration between governments and agencies across the sectors. “The unifying theme of the 2023 Government Trends report is ‘dissolving boundaries. COVID obviously flipped a variety of orthodoxies on where and how you work, and from what we’ve seen for the most part, these trends have continued," William Eggers, the report’s lead author was quoted as saying by Nextgov. Out of the nine trends, five are cross-cutting - meaning the governments are actively working to eliminate obstacles in key areas such as data-sharing, tackling funding crises, tailoring the public services by pooling resources and using innovative back-office operations. WATCH | Gravitas Plus: Are you financially literate? × As for fluid government workforce models, the report states that there has been an attempt to get rid of the bureaucracy which often hampers the hiring of the talented workforce in governmental departments. Additionally, to compete with the private domain, they are inculcating a flexible working environment which would have been largely inconceivable prior to the pandemic. "To achieve a future-ready workforce, many agencies are embracing flexible models such as internal talent marketplaces, gig work, and on-demand talent. Leaders are replacing traditional public talent models, including detailed job descriptions and positional requirement," the report noted. More often than not, governments come under criticism for being extremely opaque with the funding of projects. However, after the pandemic, there has been a decisive change. "Today, more and more governments are moving toward shared funding to incentivise collaboration between agencies," reads the report. ALSO READ | US President Biden signs $1.7 trillion government spending bill for upcoming fiscal year The remaining four trends have been encapsulated under domain-focused trends. Regulation that enables innovation, teaming up to deliver whole health, end-to-end justice and security by the network are the major noticeable trends. "Governments are actively working toward restructuring complex, multilayered health care systems to deliver integrated patient-centered whole health," the report states. ALSO READ | Indian govt grants full Customs Duty exemption on import of medicines & food for treating rare diseases (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

What are trends reshaping governments across the world? This report shows

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and state governments to send all the migrant workers to their native places within 15 days and formulate employment schemes after conducting their skill mapping to rehabilitate them.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah also directed the Centre to provide additional trains within 24 hours of states making the demand for sending the migrant workers back to their native places.

The top court also directed authorities to consider withdrawing all cases against migrant workers for alleged violation of lockdown norms under the Disaster Management Act.

The bench also directed the authorities to identify and register migrant workers who want to go back to their native places and conclude the exercise, including their transportation, within 15 days from Tuesday.

The bench, which posted the matter for further hearing in July, said the schemes for welfare and employment of migrant workers should be publicised adequately.

The top court, which pronounced its order through video conferencing, asked the state governments to consider granting counselling to migrant workers, who have returned to their homes and provide them employment opportunities as per their skill sets.

The top court had on June 5 reserved its order on the suo motu case registered on the plights of migrant workers during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown period.

It had said that it intended to give 15 days to the Centre and the state governments for sending to native places all the migrant workers wanting to return home and they should be registered by the authorities for extending benefits of welfare measures, including employment opportunities.

The top court, which after taking suo motu note of the plight of such workers, had directed on May 28 that they should not be charged train or bus fare and should be provided food free of cost.

It had taken note of the submissions of the Centre and the state governments on steps taken so far to mitigate the miseries of the migrant workers stranded across the country during the nationwide lockdown.

The Centre has said it has done its "best" and that till June 3, over 4,200 'Shramik Special' trains have been deployed to transport migrant workers to their native places.

It had said till now, over one crore stranded migrant workers across the country have been sent to their destinations and most of the trains have ended up in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The Centre had said that the state governments can inform as to how many more migrant workers need to be shifted and how many trains are required for that purpose.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had assured the court that trains required are being made available to the concerned states and they would be provided in the future as well when demands are raised.

The law officer had said the Indian Railways has run 802 trains for transportation of workers from Maharashtra to various places in the country and if a state puts in a request for trains, then they are being provided within a day.

The counsel for states, including Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, West Bengal and Kerala, had given data about migrant workers.

"Out of 22 lakhs, 2.5 lakhs migrant workers are remaining," counsel for Gujarat had said.

The counsel for Delhi had said that now, less than 10,000 such people wanted to go back.

Counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government had said that over 100 special trains were used for transporting people back to the state from various parts of the country.

The Bihar government had said that 28 lakh migrant workers have returned to the state and the government has been taking steps for providing them employment.

The Kerala government had said that out of 4.34 lakh migrant workers, over 1 lakh have been transported so far. And 1.61 lakh wanted to remain in the state leaving 1.2 lakh such people who are yet to be sent back.

On May 28, the top court had directed that the migrant workers wanting to return to their home states will not be charged train or bus fares and those stranded across the country will be provided food free of cost by the authorities concerned.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and state governments to send all the migrant workers to their native places within 15 days and formulate employment schemes after conducting their skill mapping to rehabilitate them.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and state governments to send all the migrant workers to their native places within 15 days and formulate employment schemes after conducting their skill mapping to rehabilitate them. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah also directed the Centre to provide additional trains within 24 hours of states making the demand for sending the migrant workers back to their native places. The top court also directed authorities to consider withdrawing all cases against migrant workers for alleged violation of lockdown norms under the Disaster Management Act. The bench also directed the authorities to identify and register migrant workers who want to go back to their native places and conclude the exercise, including their transportation, within 15 days from Tuesday. The bench, which posted the matter for further hearing in July, said the schemes for welfare and employment of migrant workers should be publicised adequately. The top court, which pronounced its order through video conferencing, asked the state governments to consider granting counselling to migrant workers, who have returned to their homes and provide them employment opportunities as per their skill sets. The top court had on June 5 reserved its order on the suo motu case registered on the plights of migrant workers during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown period. It had said that it intended to give 15 days to the Centre and the state governments for sending to native places all the migrant workers wanting to return home and they should be registered by the authorities for extending benefits of welfare measures, including employment opportunities. The top court, which after taking suo motu note of the plight of such workers, had directed on May 28 that they should not be charged train or bus fare and should be provided food free of cost. It had taken note of the submissions of the Centre and the state governments on steps taken so far to mitigate the miseries of the migrant workers stranded across the country during the nationwide lockdown. The Centre has said it has done its "best" and that till June 3, over 4,200 'Shramik Special' trains have been deployed to transport migrant workers to their native places. It had said till now, over one crore stranded migrant workers across the country have been sent to their destinations and most of the trains have ended up in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Centre had said that the state governments can inform as to how many more migrant workers need to be shifted and how many trains are required for that purpose. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had assured the court that trains required are being made available to the concerned states and they would be provided in the future as well when demands are raised. The law officer had said the Indian Railways has run 802 trains for transportation of workers from Maharashtra to various places in the country and if a state puts in a request for trains, then they are being provided within a day. The counsel for states, including Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, West Bengal and Kerala, had given data about migrant workers. "Out of 22 lakhs, 2.5 lakhs migrant workers are remaining," counsel for Gujarat had said. The counsel for Delhi had said that now, less than 10,000 such people wanted to go back. Counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government had said that over 100 special trains were used for transporting people back to the state from various parts of the country. The Bihar government had said that 28 lakh migrant workers have returned to the state and the government has been taking steps for providing them employment. The Kerala government had said that out of 4.34 lakh migrant workers, over 1 lakh have been transported so far. And 1.61 lakh wanted to remain in the state leaving 1.2 lakh such people who are yet to be sent back. On May 28, the top court had directed that the migrant workers wanting to return to their home states will not be charged train or bus fares and those stranded across the country will be provided food free of cost by the authorities concerned.

Supreme Court directs Centre, state governments to transport migrant workers back to home states in 15 days

Multiple governments across the world have started evacuating their citizens from China. Around 16 countries have now reported case of the virus and pressure is mounting on the World Health Organization to declare this a global health emergency.

WHO under pressure to declare Health Emergency

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-calls-for-common-cybersecurity-standards-amidst-concerns-201312">Huawei</a> is willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including Britain, the Chinese telco company`s chairman said on Tuesday, amid the US&nbsp; 
pressure on European countries to shun the firm over espionage concerns.

Washington has told allies not to use Huawei`s technology to build new 5G networks because of worries it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying, an accusation the company has denied.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-chief-stoltenberg-warns-britain-over-huawei-risk-218793">NATO chief Stoltenberg warns Britain over Huawei risk</a>

"We are willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including the UK government, to commit ourselves to make our equipment meet the no-spy, no-backdoors standard," Huawei chairman Liang Hua told reporters in London via an interpreter.

Britain is deciding the extent to which it will allow Huawei, the world`s biggest supplier of telecoms equipment, to participate in building its 5G networks.

"The security and resilience of the UK`s telecoms networks are of paramount importance, and we have strict controls for how Huawei equipment is currently deployed in the UK," a British government spokesman said on Tuesday.

He said the results of the telecoms supply chain review affecting Huawei`s case would be announced soon and all network operators would need to comply by the decision.

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LEAKS

Prime Minister Theresa May sacked her defence minister, Gavin Williamson, this month over leaked claims that Huawei would have a role in the 5G network, putting Britain at odds with its biggest intelligence ally, the United States.

Williamson has denied he leaked from the confidential talks.

Liang, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with Huawei`s British technology partners, said the company never intended to be in the eye of a political storm.

"The cybersecurity issue is not exclusive to just one single supplier or one single company, it is a common challenge facing the entire industry and the entire world," he said.

He said Huawei had long cooperated with Britain`s National Cyber Security Centre`s oversight of its technology, and it had improved its software engineering capabilities to make them the equal of competitors.

Liang said Huawei did not act on behalf of China`s government in any international market.

"Despite the fact Huawei has its headquarters in China, we are actually a globally operating company," he said. "Where we are operating globally we are committed to being compliant with the locally applicable laws and regulations in that country.

"There are no Chinese laws requiring companies to collect intelligence from a foreign government or implant back doors for the government."

British minister Jeremy Wright, who will announce the findings of the telco supply-chain review, had said the benefits of cheap kit would not trump security concerns.

Liang, however, said economic factors should be part of the decision, and politics should be taken out of it.

"I believe the decision should be based on risk assessment and supply-chain assessment, and should also reflect the requirements the UK has in terms of economic development when they choose suppliers," he said.

"Cybersecurity is indeed a very important factor to consider (...) but at the same time it should be a balanced decision between cybersecurity and economic prosperity."

Liang said he was meeting with customers rather than politicians. Huawei has signed more than 40 5G contracts, he said 25 in Europe, 10 in the Middle East and six in Asia.

The German government, however, said there was no sign that China was offering a "no-spy" agreement of the kind that would help Huawei in its bid for contracts to build Germany`s next-generation mobile networks.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Huawei is willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including Britain, the Chinese telco company`s chairman said on Tuesday, amid the US pressure on European countries to shun the firm over espionage concerns.

Huawei is willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including Britain, the Chinese telco company`s chairman said on Tuesday, amid the US pressure on European countries to shun the firm over espionage concerns. Washington has told allies not to use Huawei`s technology to build new 5G networks because of worries it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying, an accusation the company has denied. Also read: NATO chief Stoltenberg warns Britain over Huawei risk "We are willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including the UK government, to commit ourselves to make our equipment meet the no-spy, no-backdoors standard," Huawei chairman Liang Hua told reporters in London via an interpreter. Britain is deciding the extent to which it will allow Huawei, the world`s biggest supplier of telecoms equipment, to participate in building its 5G networks. "The security and resilience of the UK`s telecoms networks are of paramount importance, and we have strict controls for how Huawei equipment is currently deployed in the UK," a British government spokesman said on Tuesday. He said the results of the telecoms supply chain review affecting Huawei`s case would be announced soon and all network operators would need to comply by the decision. × LEAKS Prime Minister Theresa May sacked her defence minister, Gavin Williamson, this month over leaked claims that Huawei would have a role in the 5G network, putting Britain at odds with its biggest intelligence ally, the United States. Williamson has denied he leaked from the confidential talks. Liang, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with Huawei`s British technology partners, said the company never intended to be in the eye of a political storm. "The cybersecurity issue is not exclusive to just one single supplier or one single company, it is a common challenge facing the entire industry and the entire world," he said. He said Huawei had long cooperated with Britain`s National Cyber Security Centre`s oversight of its technology, and it had improved its software engineering capabilities to make them the equal of competitors. Liang said Huawei did not act on behalf of China`s government in any international market. "Despite the fact Huawei has its headquarters in China, we are actually a globally operating company," he said. "Where we are operating globally we are committed to being compliant with the locally applicable laws and regulations in that country. "There are no Chinese laws requiring companies to collect intelligence from a foreign government or implant back doors for the government." British minister Jeremy Wright, who will announce the findings of the telco supply-chain review, had said the benefits of cheap kit would not trump security concerns. Liang, however, said economic factors should be part of the decision, and politics should be taken out of it. "I believe the decision should be based on risk assessment and supply-chain assessment, and should also reflect the requirements the UK has in terms of economic development when they choose suppliers," he said. "Cybersecurity is indeed a very important factor to consider (...) but at the same time it should be a balanced decision between cybersecurity and economic prosperity." Liang said he was meeting with customers rather than politicians. Huawei has signed more than 40 5G contracts, he said 25 in Europe, 10 in the Middle East and six in Asia. The German government, however, said there was no sign that China was offering a "no-spy" agreement of the kind that would help Huawei in its bid for contracts to build Germany`s next-generation mobile networks. ×

Huawei willing to sign 'no-spy' pacts with governments: Chairman

More than 150 countries will join a United Nations conference to adopt a global pact to better handle migrant flows, a senior UN official said on Sunday, less than the number that initially worked on the plan.

In July, all 193 UN members except the United States finalized the so-called Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to better handle migration.

Since then, the text has come under fire from European politicians who say it could increase immigration. At least six European Union members - mostly in formerly Communist Eastern Europe - have shunned the accord

UN Special Representative for International Migration Louise Arbour said more than 150 governments had registered for the event in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh set to adopt the accord on Monday, without giving details.

The pact is not legally binding but can provide very useful guidance for countries facing migration, she told a news conference.

“Many challenges will stand in the way of its implementation, not least the toxic and ill-informed narrative that too often persists when it comes to migrants,” she said.

In the latest political turmoil over the pact, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel relaunched his government on Sunday as a minority administration after the biggest party in his coalition quit in a dispute over signing the compact.

The right-wing N-VA pulled its ministers after Michel refused its demand that he does not agree to the pact.

Also on Sunday, Chile’s Interior Ministry Subsecretary Rodrigo Ubilla told El Mercurio newspaper that the country’s representatives would not attend the event, saying: “We have said that migration is not a human right. Countries have a right to determine the entry requirements for foreign citizens.”

In November, Austria’s right-wing government, which holds the EU presidency, said it would also withdraw, saying the accord would blur the line between legal and illegal migration.

Australia also said in November would not sign up to the migration agreement because it would compromise its hardline immigration policy and endanger national security.&nbsp;

Among other leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose 13-year chancellorship has been marked by her open-door migrant policy, will attend the event.

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is a framework for cooperation and aims to reduce illegal migration, help integrate migrants and return them to their home countries.&nbsp;

More than 150 countries will join a United Nations conference to adopt a global pact to better handle migrant flows, a senior UN official said on Sunday, less than the number that initially worked on the plan.

More than 150 countries will join a United Nations conference to adopt a global pact to better handle migrant flows, a senior UN official said on Sunday, less than the number that initially worked on the plan. In July, all 193 UN members except the United States finalized the so-called Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to better handle migration. Since then, the text has come under fire from European politicians who say it could increase immigration. At least six European Union members - mostly in formerly Communist Eastern Europe - have shunned the accord UN Special Representative for International Migration Louise Arbour said more than 150 governments had registered for the event in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh set to adopt the accord on Monday, without giving details. The pact is not legally binding but can provide very useful guidance for countries facing migration, she told a news conference. “Many challenges will stand in the way of its implementation, not least the toxic and ill-informed narrative that too often persists when it comes to migrants,” she said. In the latest political turmoil over the pact, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel relaunched his government on Sunday as a minority administration after the biggest party in his coalition quit in a dispute over signing the compact. The right-wing N-VA pulled its ministers after Michel refused its demand that he does not agree to the pact. Also on Sunday, Chile’s Interior Ministry Subsecretary Rodrigo Ubilla told El Mercurio newspaper that the country’s representatives would not attend the event, saying: “We have said that migration is not a human right. Countries have a right to determine the entry requirements for foreign citizens.” In November, Austria’s right-wing government, which holds the EU presidency, said it would also withdraw, saying the accord would blur the line between legal and illegal migration. Australia also said in November would not sign up to the migration agreement because it would compromise its hardline immigration policy and endanger national security. Among other leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose 13-year chancellorship has been marked by her open-door migrant policy, will attend the event. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is a framework for cooperation and aims to reduce illegal migration, help integrate migrants and return them to their home countries.

More than 150 governments to adopt UN migration pact in Morocco

European Union&nbsp;governments&nbsp;should not ban services like home-rental site&nbsp;Airbnb&nbsp;or ride-hailing app&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;except as a last resort, the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;says in new guidelines, seeking to rein in a crackdown on the &quot;sharing economy&quot;.

In guidelines seen by Reuters, the&nbsp;European Commission said any restrictions by&nbsp;EU&nbsp;member states on these new online services should be justified and proportionate to the public interest at stake.

&quot;Total bans of an activity constitute a measure of last resort that should be applied only if and where no less restrictive requirements to attain a public interest can be used,&quot; the draft document says.

In the case of room-renting sites like&nbsp;Airbnb, the Commission said&nbsp;banning&nbsp;short-term lets of apartments &quot;appears difficult to justify&quot; when limits on the maximum number of days apartments can be rented out would be more appropriate.

The guidelines will come as good news for the likes of&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;and&nbsp;Airbnb, which have faced outright bans or restrictions in some cities as established industry players complain of unfair competition.

Airbnb, founded in 2008, and&nbsp;Uber, launched a year later, both grew up in the hot-house San Francisco tech&nbsp;scene and almost from the start have faced regulatory battles across the United States, and&nbsp;more recently from&nbsp;around the world.

Both have become favourite targets of local officials and rival trade groups in&nbsp;Europe, with its tradition of strong social oversight.

In the &quot;sharing economy,&quot;&nbsp;customers use the internet to contract services such as ride-sharing, where amateur drivers displace professional taxi drivers, or home-sharing, which reduces hotel demand.

&quot;These services can fall within several sectors, falling under the regulatory burden of all of them,&quot; the Commission said.

A case in point is&nbsp;Uber,&nbsp;which considers itself merely a digital service connecting drivers and passengers, not&nbsp;a transport service, which would make it subject to more onerous rules on driver qualifications, road rules and insurance.

The&nbsp;EU&#39;s highest court is set to rule later this year or next on whether&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;is a transport company or a digital service.

 
LOCAL SKIRMISHES

Associations of taxi drivers have staged high-profile protests against&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;in France, Britain, Portugal, Spain and many other&nbsp;European countries since 2014.

Last year, French prosecutors staged a&nbsp;raid of&nbsp;Uber&#39;s Paris offices in a showdown over whether the company was violating a law to curtail online taxi services.

Uber&nbsp;suspended its&nbsp;UberPOP service, which relies on non-professional drivers, in Brussels last October after a court ordered it shut down.

The company reintroduced its service in Madrid in March after beating a hasty retreat from the market in 2014 following a court ruling against it.

Airbnb&nbsp;has faced loud criticism from city officials in Barcelona and Paris over its impact on local housing markets.

On May 1, Berlin officials implemented one of the world&#39;s toughest clampdowns on&nbsp;Airbnb. City officials have promised to reject 95 per cent of requests by landlords to rent out places on a short-term basis.

City officials have received more than 500 legal complaints over the murky provisions of the new law. A Berlin court on June 8 is handling the case of German&nbsp;Airbnb&nbsp;competitor Wimdu, which filed suit over the new regulation.

German hotel association IHA said in response to the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;guidelines: &ldquo;The current legal vacuum...comes at the expense of consumers, residents and taxpayers and distorts the competition to the (disadvantage) of the heavily regulated hotel industry&rdquo;.

European Union says governments should not ban services like home-rental site Airbnb or ride-hailing app Uber except as a last resort

European Union governments should not ban services like home-rental site Airbnb or ride-hailing app Uber except as a last resort, the EU says in new guidelines, seeking to rein in a crackdown on the "sharing economy". In guidelines seen by Reuters, the European Commission said any restrictions by EU member states on these new online services should be justified and proportionate to the public interest at stake. "Total bans of an activity constitute a measure of last resort that should be applied only if and where no less restrictive requirements to attain a public interest can be used," the draft document says. In the case of room-renting sites like Airbnb, the Commission said banning short-term lets of apartments "appears difficult to justify" when limits on the maximum number of days apartments can be rented out would be more appropriate. The guidelines will come as good news for the likes of Uber and Airbnb, which have faced outright bans or restrictions in some cities as established industry players complain of unfair competition. Airbnb, founded in 2008, and Uber, launched a year later, both grew up in the hot-house San Francisco tech scene and almost from the start have faced regulatory battles across the United States, and more recently from around the world. Both have become favourite targets of local officials and rival trade groups in Europe, with its tradition of strong social oversight. In the "sharing economy," customers use the internet to contract services such as ride-sharing, where amateur drivers displace professional taxi drivers, or home-sharing, which reduces hotel demand. "These services can fall within several sectors, falling under the regulatory burden of all of them," the Commission said. A case in point is Uber, which considers itself merely a digital service connecting drivers and passengers, not a transport service, which would make it subject to more onerous rules on driver qualifications, road rules and insurance. The EU's highest court is set to rule later this year or next on whether Uber is a transport company or a digital service. LOCAL SKIRMISHES Associations of taxi drivers have staged high-profile protests against Uber in France, Britain, Portugal, Spain and many other European countries since 2014. Last year, French prosecutors staged a raid of Uber's Paris offices in a showdown over whether the company was violating a law to curtail online taxi services. Uber suspended its UberPOP service, which relies on non-professional drivers, in Brussels last October after a court ordered it shut down. The company reintroduced its service in Madrid in March after beating a hasty retreat from the market in 2014 following a court ruling against it. Airbnb has faced loud criticism from city officials in Barcelona and Paris over its impact on local housing markets. On May 1, Berlin officials implemented one of the world's toughest clampdowns on Airbnb. City officials have promised to reject 95 per cent of requests by landlords to rent out places on a short-term basis. City officials have received more than 500 legal complaints over the murky provisions of the new law. A Berlin court on June 8 is handling the case of German Airbnb competitor Wimdu, which filed suit over the new regulation. German hotel association IHA said in response to the EU guidelines: “The current legal vacuum...comes at the expense of consumers, residents and taxpayers and distorts the competition to the (disadvantage) of the heavily regulated hotel industry”.

EU cautions governments against banning Uber, Airbnb

The world is at risk of getting caught in a low-growth trap, dimming the hopes of future generations, unless governments step up spending quickly, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Wednesday. 
 
Moderate recovery since the global economic crisis in 2008 &quot;has precipitated a self-fulfilling low-growth trap&quot;, said Catherine Mann, the chief economist at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Without comprehensive, coherent and collective action, disappointing and sluggish growth will persist, making it increasingly difficult to make good on promises to current and future generations,&quot; she added in an introduction to the OECD`s twice-yearly economic outlook. 
 
The OECD chopped its forecast for global growth this year to 3.0 percent, down from the 3.6 percent it forecast in October. For 2017 it now sees 3.3 percent growth. 
 
The dismal economic recovery has created forces that are now working to perpetuate slow growth, the OECD believes. 
 
In particular, businesses have little incentive to invest given moderate demand, while muted wage gains, unemployment and income inequality have held back consumption. Meanwhile, uncertainty also puts the brakes on spending. After years during which international economic instutions urged governments to practice austerity, Mann said that now &quot;fiscal policy must be deployed more extensively&quot;. 
 
&quot;almost all countries have room to reallocate spending and taxation towards items that offer more support to growth&quot; like investments in infrastucture as well as education, The OECD said. 
 
While central banks have been supporting the global recovery with ultra-low interest rates and stimulus measures, the OECD said &quot;it is clear that reliance on monetary policy alone has failed to deliver satisfactory growth and inflation.&quot; 
 
Moreover today`s low interest rates also provide an opportunity for governments to step up investment. 
 
Mann said the need for governments to shift up spending is urgent. 
 
&quot;The longer the global economy remains in the low-growth trap, the more difficult it will be to break the negative feedback loops, revive market forces, and boost economies to the high-growth path,&quot; she said. 
 
She warned that as things stand negative shocks &quot;could tip the world back into another deep downturn&quot; while geopolitical risks to the global economy are on the rise.The OECD sees the potential exit of Britain from the European Union following a referendum vote later this month as one major risk.&nbsp; 
 
If voters chose to leave, hits to trade, investment and spending would likely see the British economy grow by 3 percentage points less in the next four years than if voters choose to stay, according to the OECD. 
 
Already, uncertainty surrounding a possible Brexit &quot;has led to a significant slowdown in economic activity&quot;, although if voters choose to stay the OECD says it expects growth to pick up in the second half of this year.&nbsp; 
 
If Britain votes to remain in the EU in the referendum, which according to polls is a close call, growth will come in at 1.75 percent this year, the OECD expects. 
 
World markets went into a panic at the beginning of this year over the prospect of a sharp slowdown in China, which has been the source of most of global growth in recent years, but the OECD now sees growth moderating gradually thanks to recent government fiscal policy measures to support the economy. 
 
It forecasts China`s growth rate will slip to 6.5 percent this year, and then 6.2 percent in 2017. 
 
China`s economy grew by 6.9 percent last year. 
 
The strong dollar is expected to slow growth in the United States to 1.8 percent this year, from 2.4 percent last year. 
Meanwhile, the eurozone is seen as marking time at 1.6 percent growth. 
 
Japan should get a marginal boost, with growth of 0.7 percent this year, but then stumble to a mere 0.4 percent expansion in 2017.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development pushes governments to spend more.

The world is at risk of getting caught in a low-growth trap, dimming the hopes of future generations, unless governments step up spending quickly, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Wednesday. Moderate recovery since the global economic crisis in 2008 "has precipitated a self-fulfilling low-growth trap", said Catherine Mann, the chief economist at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. "Without comprehensive, coherent and collective action, disappointing and sluggish growth will persist, making it increasingly difficult to make good on promises to current and future generations," she added in an introduction to the OECD`s twice-yearly economic outlook. The OECD chopped its forecast for global growth this year to 3.0 percent, down from the 3.6 percent it forecast in October. For 2017 it now sees 3.3 percent growth. The dismal economic recovery has created forces that are now working to perpetuate slow growth, the OECD believes. In particular, businesses have little incentive to invest given moderate demand, while muted wage gains, unemployment and income inequality have held back consumption. Meanwhile, uncertainty also puts the brakes on spending. After years during which international economic instutions urged governments to practice austerity, Mann said that now "fiscal policy must be deployed more extensively". "almost all countries have room to reallocate spending and taxation towards items that offer more support to growth" like investments in infrastucture as well as education, The OECD said. While central banks have been supporting the global recovery with ultra-low interest rates and stimulus measures, the OECD said "it is clear that reliance on monetary policy alone has failed to deliver satisfactory growth and inflation." Moreover today`s low interest rates also provide an opportunity for governments to step up investment. Mann said the need for governments to shift up spending is urgent. "The longer the global economy remains in the low-growth trap, the more difficult it will be to break the negative feedback loops, revive market forces, and boost economies to the high-growth path," she said. She warned that as things stand negative shocks "could tip the world back into another deep downturn" while geopolitical risks to the global economy are on the rise.The OECD sees the potential exit of Britain from the European Union following a referendum vote later this month as one major risk. If voters chose to leave, hits to trade, investment and spending would likely see the British economy grow by 3 percentage points less in the next four years than if voters choose to stay, according to the OECD. Already, uncertainty surrounding a possible Brexit "has led to a significant slowdown in economic activity", although if voters choose to stay the OECD says it expects growth to pick up in the second half of this year. If Britain votes to remain in the EU in the referendum, which according to polls is a close call, growth will come in at 1.75 percent this year, the OECD expects. World markets went into a panic at the beginning of this year over the prospect of a sharp slowdown in China, which has been the source of most of global growth in recent years, but the OECD now sees growth moderating gradually thanks to recent government fiscal policy measures to support the economy. It forecasts China`s growth rate will slip to 6.5 percent this year, and then 6.2 percent in 2017. China`s economy grew by 6.9 percent last year. The strong dollar is expected to slow growth in the United States to 1.8 percent this year, from 2.4 percent last year. Meanwhile, the eurozone is seen as marking time at 1.6 percent growth. Japan should get a marginal boost, with growth of 0.7 percent this year, but then stumble to a mere 0.4 percent expansion in 2017.

Spend for growth, OECD urges governments

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