Wealth from Waste Management

Wealth from Waste Management
It is time to have some innovative research in the area of waste management and initiate follow up action to realize the Economy’s dream of becoming the super economic power of the world.
Men, Material, Money and Time are the factors contributing to production and creation of wealth in any economy. The optimum use of these resources in an economy depend on the educational standards, quality of people, competence of management and conducive environment in the form of political stability, governance standards, physical ,financial and social infrastructure. How far the resources are utilized without allowing wastage beyond a tolerable level will reflect on the awareness of people in general and management at various organizations’ and institutions’ levels in particular about the economic value of each and every resource. Wastage of all resources does occur often knowingly and very often unknowingly in the economy particularly in production and services areas.
Non-performing Resources are like Non performing assets in the Banking system and they only help to tax the nation and the people ultimately. It is time some serious attention is paid to Waste Management and initiate appropriate measures to convert waste into productive resources of the economy and bring in wealth for the nation and welfare for its people.
Management of MEN( Human resources):
This is the richest wealth of our economy and the prospects of India’s achieving the super economic power of the world in a few decades is basically based on taking advantage of the demographic dividend the country is blessed with. It is the responsibility of the nation to introspect and find out whether these human resources are well developed or provided with opportunities for their full development. Potential of our human resources is identified but attention paid to exploit the potential seems to be inadequate.
Waste of human resources or under utilization of the resources at Macro level i.e. at national level and Micro level i.e. at various organizations both public and private is enormous and needs a separate study by itself to arrive at the loss of wealth to the economy and individual institutions. Providing employment and fully benefiting from employment are two totally different aspects and this is an area where waste management needs to concentrate in all undertakings particularly in Government and public sector.
Management of Materials : Management of Materials in the form of fixed assets and current assets used in the production of goods and services in the economy leaves a lot to be desired. Waste of electricity, water, petroleum products and all sorts of assets and inventories that go into production of wealth is a well acknowledged truth, but efforts to quantify the loss to the economy and the exchequer and remedial measures to contain the waste or convert the waste into wealth have been rare and far between. The reasons for such waste are to a great extent avoidable.(For example waste of petrol and diesel due to octroi / checks on interstate movements of goods and toll levies at various places cost a fortune to the nation and are definitely avoidable or can be minimized with some innovative plans using Information Technology).
Similarly the country has vast stretches of waste lands and unused lands which can be put to productive uses and give a boost to our sagging agriculture and agro based industries or leased out to industrialists for manufacturing activities. Both land and unemployed human resources can be employed gainfully. Examples of under utilization / non utilization of these resources are aplenty and call for specialized attention.
Management of Money : This is a crucial area requiring professional approach to ensure that every rupee that is invested fetches some return. Whether it is allocation of resources under National Rural Employment Programme or investments made for development of infrastructure or provision of utility services or whatever may be the objectives of investments they should be subjected to review to ensure that money does not go down the drain. The concept of asset liability management and risk management is not followed( except perhaps in banks) where ever investments are made and returns seldom assessed/or assessed perfunctorily. Wastage of money through different means such as corruption, delay in the execution of projects, frauds and embezzlements, keeping the funds idle, investing surplus cash without adequately assessing safety, liquidity and return go often unnoticed and the nation bears the loss directly or indirectly ultimately.
Management of time: The concept of time management does not seem to have been understood in the area of investments particularly under government and public sector. Delay in the execution of projects and cost overrun are regular features in the economy and the loss on this account alone is enormous to wipe out our deficit partially if not fully. The loss on account of delays in getting justice alone will amount to huge wastage of resources in our economy and legal reforms are long overdue. Time consciousness is generally missing all over the country and conscious efforts are needed to create the awareness that time is wealth and no one at least for those engaged in the economic activities of the nation has the right to take extra time for granted.

The economy needs monetary resources to live up to the expectations of the world to emerge as super economic power. The economy has all the resources at its command in terms of men material money and time but it requires a very conscious approach to put into these resources for optimum use without allowing any waste anywhere. The simple suggestion is to have a Research wing in all universities to study the loss of wealth on account of non utilization of the resources / under utilization of the resources/ mis-utilization of the resources. A budgetary support specifically to have a research in the area of waste management can never go waste. The results of the research should enable to initiate action towards creation of wealth through effective waste control management.
India has among other things enterprising entrepreneurs, good quality natural resources, worldly acclaimed ITreasonably sound and stable banking system and several unknown strengths to support any venture and as such it is for the Government to identify the areas of wastage and create wealth from waste. A momentum is called for in this direction which will work wonders for the economy.

Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan.

Subsidy and GDP

Subsidy and GDP

This refers to your edit Investment,not subsidy(ET Jan,26).It is shocking to observe that the subsidy under various heads had touched a staggering figure of Rs,2,19,582 crore ie from 1.4% of GDP in 1999-2000 to 4.1% of GDP in 2008-09.
The subsidy to help the poorest of poor is understandable and needs to be provided and met provided the benefit reaches the beneficiaries directly and without any leakage . Other than food subsidy,all other subsidies presently extended need a re look and deserve to be taken out of budgetary provisions and investments to that extend need to be augmented in the same areas to improve the production,reduce the cost and benefit the consumers and producers alike.
As rightly indicated reforms in the area of investment and subsidy are the only way out to improve the situation and reduce the budgetary expenditure towards subsidies. The benefits that accrue to the economy in general and the weakest sections of the society in particular should be the considerations in arriving at the subsidy and cost to the exchequer. Perhaps food subsidy and kerosene subsidy which are intended for the people below BPL can continue for some more time till the inclusive growth become a reality.Even in these areas transparency in accounting is essential and transfer of benefits directly will bring in tangible benefits.The data relating to people below BPL need to be realistically arrived at so that there is no scope for any leakage.


Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan

Bad Loans

Bad Loans.

This refers to your Edit 'Elementary Watson',Easy Money ,Bad loans (ET dt,28/01/10). The observation that easy money made available by the banks to borrowers to go in for non viable business ventures is also a reason, among other things, for the increase observed in the Gross non-performing assets of banks is hard to digest. On the contrary, Non performing loans generally arise largely on account of high interest rates when banks are tempted to lend ignoring the risks and viability of projects. The present increase in NPAs is largely on account of economic slow down.

NPA s are inevitable in banking business as banks deal in money and with human resources entangled in business and economic activities which are part of fast changing business cycles. The only permanent solution to contain formation of NPAs and minimise the damages that they can cause to all stake holders of banks including borrowers is to have a fund built up within the banks by making the borrowers to contribute based on their performance rating. The banks and if necessary the Regulator and the Government can also contribute towards this fund which will emerge as a cushion to discipline borrowers and at the same time strengthen the banks' balance sheet. The Government can avoid contributing to the capital of banks which they often do.

The problem of NPAs has been there since the evolution of banking and the solution for it has to come from bankers and the borrowers themselves.

Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan

This appeared in ET,30/01/10 (edited version)

Budget boost to growth

Budget boost to growth
The Finance Minister has to create an environment where tax
Compliance is easy, avoidance is difficult and evasion is impossible
This year’s annual budget proposed to be presented on 26th Feb, 2010 assumes greater importance than usual as the economy shows signs of recovery and requires further boost to register double digit growth.
The Finance minister faces a formidable challenge as he has to initiate measures to exit the stimulus package liberally introduced in 2007-08 to save the economy from the disaster caused due to international financial crises triggered by sub-mortgage crisis in US financial system and at the same time find new innovative measures to give a stimulus to the economy to perform better in the midst of raising inflationary pressures, ever widening fiscal deficit and expectations and aspirations of people suffering from acute poverty, illiteracy and large scale unemployment. The task is stupendous, but manageable provided he introduces some harsh and simple measures through the budget.
Pending implementation of Direct Tax code proposals, FM can consider simplifying the direct tax administration particularly income tax. The middle class and the rich in the economy have multiplied manifold over a period and it is doubtful whether all are brought under the tax net.
Traders, dealers, brokers, small business people, contractors of different categories and self employed people including professionals earn a lot and may or may not have PAN numbers ,may be filing or may not be filing returns or may be paying or may not be paying income tax or may be paying less tax than what is due.
The FM has to necessarily create an environment where tax compliance is easy, avoidance is difficult and evasion is impossible. The following measures if introduced can create such an environment gradually if not in the immediate future.
Ensure that no individual or family remains without a bank account. Financial inclusion being talked about/ attempted so far has sought to give the poor access to savings and minimum credit facilities, but the real Financial inclusion is to ensure that no one in the economy irrespective of his economic or social status remains without a bank account.
Self employed people including retailers engaged in varieties of activities such as scrap dealers, furniture merchants, contractors vendors ,etc, do not seem to have bank accounts or even if they have one they prefer to deal in cash only. Reluctance to receive cheque or draft in urban/metropolitan centre is very common and many seem to be scared to have the funds credited to bank accounts. The banking habit even among literate and well to do people is not wide- spread.

Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan

This appeared in The Hindu-Business Line Dt 26/01/10

Right Compensation
This refers to your edit "Be pragmatic, SEBI (ET,31/12/09).As rightly indicated,SEBI has to ensure that Perpetrators of Fraud do not go scot free and make money exploting the illiteracy of investors or the system and procedure for IPOs prescribed by SEBI.
It needs to be made compulsory for all companies going for IPOs to keep a minimum margin say 0.05 % out of the subscription money towards The Investor Protection Fund and in case the company does not adhere to the prescibed standards of SEBI , the investors should be compensated. The compensation should not exceed the subscrition money.

Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan
(This appeared in ET Dt,2/01/10

This refers to your edit Mittal's Frustrations (Et,Jan9,2010). The problems investors facing in India have been well brought out and solutions suggested therein .But the mindset and administrative hurdles continue to remain a major stumbling block as the reforms in vogue since 1991 in the economy have not touched the bureaucracy and the land management.
It is high time to have professionals with a pro active mindset to understand issues and arrive at solutions early to attract investments and facilitate fast economic progress. India has vast resources of land, labour and raw materials and entrepreneurs.the best and easy solution to attract huge investments in India and achieve the economic growth targetted at double digits is to have Land Bank both at central and state levels and make it avalable for investors.

Dr.T.V.Gopalakrishnan

(This appeared in ET dt,11/01/10)

Fair Request, Bad Loans and Provisions

Fair request, Bad loans and Provisions


Banks’ request to RBI for extending the application of higher provisioning norms in the present circumstances where the credit off take has not picked up, earnings other than interest are marginal, inter mediation cost is high forcing them to continue to charge higher rates of interest on existing loans, recoveries of loans proving difficult due to recessionary conditions etc appears genuine and needs favorable consideration.

However, the solution in respect of continued persistence of non-performing loans in banking books which cannot be eradicated as long as banks deal in money ,with people and the economy the growth of which itself is dependent on variable factors like fast changing political situation, volatile economic environment, social changes and technological advancements. It is high time the banks and the authorities recognize the festering nature of the problem of non performing loans and their impact on banks balance sheets, the economy in general and the financial system in particular and come out with a practical and permanent solution to contain formation of non performing loans to ensure a strong balance sheet for banks and at the same time minimize the adverse impact of such loans on other stake holders of banks. High bad loans, high interest rates,high provisions towards bad loans,high inter mediation costs, generally affect the credit expansion and banks develop a tendency to resort to lazy banking keeping the borrowers at a distance. To encourage lending liberally and attracting the borrowers in large numbers to banking fold,the problem of non performing loans has to be tackled differently and in a manner acceptable to both banks and borrowers alike. Other stake holders also should welcome the approach of banks in minimising the impact of npls in banks' books.

The only workable way to save the banks,all stake holders including the economy from this vexatious issue of non-performing loans is to bind the borrowers with an obligation to bear the burden of non performing loans. Banks also will have to share the burden to some extent basically to involve themselves and be more vigilant in the over all administration of credit portfolio. The suggested approach is creation of a fund named “Precautionary Margin Reserve” by levying a small percentage ranging between 0.10 percent and 0.75 percent on standard advances of the bank based on certain criterion of the quality of conduct of borrowers’ accounts. The Levy should be in the nature of a guarantee fee from all borrowers and should be maintained with banks themselves . Instead of compelling banks to increase the provisions , they can be asked to contribute a small amount towards this precautionary margin Reserve. The Fund over a period will be more than the bad loans formation and the coverage ratio will be much better than the present loan provisions coverage ratio. In terms quality of advances, profitability of banks, strength of balance sheets of banks, benefits derived to all stakeholders including the Government the suggested levy will prove to be a boon and win-win situation. The Fund also can be treated as tier-2 capital thus helping the banks to have better capital adequacy ratio.



Dr T.V.Gopalakrishnan