negative externalities | The Curious Economist

Alcohol Prices Surge as Trinidad and Tobago Doubles Excise Duty

October 22, 2025 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off

Beer lovers in Trinidad and Tobago are feeling the sting of a new government policy — a doubling of the excise duty on alcoholic drinks. The 2025–2026 National Budget has raised the tax from TT$5.14 […]

UK Aiming to Snub Out Smoking For Good

April 17, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off

In a bold stride towards public health, the UK Parliament has recently advanced legislation aimed at banning cigarette sales to individuals 15 years old and younger, effectively setting a path towards a smoke-free future generation. […]

Balance of Payments

Kenya and the US look set to sign a free-trade deal despite Trump’s attacks on global trade

February 7, 2020 Comments Off

Under President Trump, the US stance towards global trade has become increasingly protectionist, with billions of dollars of tariffs placed on goods from countries all over the world, engagement in a devastating trade war with […]

Aggregate Demand and Supply

UK government to step in and pay people’s wages

March 21, 2020 Comments Off

In yet another unbelievable day of economic policy in action, the chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced yesterday the latest measures to protect people’s income, keep businesses alive, and encourage spending in the economy. […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

VAT to be tripled in Saudi Arabia to 15%

May 11, 2020 Comments Off

Saudi Arabia, the second largest oil producing nation in the world, has for the last few years been trying desperately to diversify its economy and reduce their dependence on the export of oil. Despite being […]

Economic News

China makes pledge to be ‘carbon neutral’ by 2060

October 20, 2020 Comments Off

In what some commentators are calling a bold and audacious pledge, President Xi announced to the UN that China will be carbon neutral by the year 2060. That gives the world’s second largest economy, and […]

Aggregate Demand and Supply

Dark days for the UK economy…

September 29, 2022 Comments Off

The UK economy has been plunged into economic turmoil since the announcement of the mini-budget last week. Since the new chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, announced the largest tax cuts in 50 years the economy seems to […]

Curious?

How Premier League Football Clubs Make a Profit: The Case of Brighton & Hove Albion

September 4, 2024 Comments Off

Premier League football clubs have become multi-million-pound businesses, generating revenue from various streams beyond matchday ticket sales. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Brighton & Hove Albion, a mid-tier club, set a club record by posting […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

America’s housing market: increased demand but no response from supply

May 7, 2020 Comments Off

The housing market in the US has had a strong rebound since the financial crisis of 2008. After house prices plummeted just over 10 years ago, the last decade has seen a strong and steady […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Is taxing robots the best way to protect human jobs?

September 4, 2020 Comments Off

According to research from Oxford Economics in 2019, up to 20 million manufacturing jobs could be replaced by robots by 2030. If we then add in those jobs from other sectors which could be easily automated, […]

Economic News

Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability

January 19, 2026 Comments Off

Luxembourg has introduced a new solar subsidy scheme designed to accelerate the transition to renewable energy by reducing the upfront costs faced by households. Under the new pre-financing system, which came into force on January […]

Economic News

BP’s Brazil Oil Find Tests the Trade-Offs Between Growth and Sustainability

August 13, 2025 Comments Off

BP has announced its largest oil and gas discovery in a quarter of a century, this time in deep waters off Brazil. The “Bumerangue” field could become a major new production hub and marks BP’s […]

Economic News

Nigeria’s economy on a rapid rise but so are prices

May 13, 2025 Comments Off

Nigeria’s economy grew 4.6% year-on-year in Q4 2024, marking its fastest expansion in a decade. According to the World Bank, the full-year growth rate reached 3.6% and is expected to continue in 2025. This is […]

Economic News

Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability

January 19, 2026 Comments Off

Economic News

Freeze the Rent: Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Bet on Price Controls — An Economist’s Dream or Nightmare?

November 11, 2025 Comments Off

New York City has a new mayor, and his signature promise fits on a protest sign: Freeze the Rent. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and former state assembly member from Queens, swept into office by […]

Economic News

Philippines Introduces Rice Import Quota to Balance Farmer Protection and Food Security

November 10, 2025 Comments Off

The Philippines has announced that it will reopen rice imports in January 2026, allowing 300,000 tonnes of rice to enter the country after several months of import restrictions. The move comes as local rice stocks […]