Private Equity

After the global financial crisis in 2008, which required large stimulus packages funded by taxpayers to save support and strengthen many banking operations, the public and political call for financial regulatory reform grew. By 2010, with a mild recovery, bankers were seeking to restore confidence by adjusting their strategic plans to clearly separate high risk – high returns investments from their traditional commercial operations hence, a boom in private equity business worldwide.

Gender is not the Issue

Abuse is not done by male or female it is by persons exercising Power over others. A very sensitive issue, not to belittle it in anyway, but when a young man is killed many think it is as a result of some involvement in crime and when a young woman is killed; no murdered; it is a breakdown in society. Gender is to be seen as dynamic, evolving and as roles interchange, very individualized. Right or wrong, boys are generally expected to be tough, strong and to hide emotions, girls must be seen as nice, soft spoken, patient and cries for attention and sympathy, especially from males. By puberty, the male is a big man, could put a trigger, boasting about sex, drugs and alcohol, with large bills in his hands, the female is a lady, a sex symbol, easily employable and attracting wanted or unwanted attention.

Public Debt

The general public pays attention to the ginormous (gigantic enormous) figures quoted annually for the nation’s total budgeted expenditure but as owners, taxpayers and shareholders in this country, the average person needs to better understand the current state of financial affairs. A detail examination of audited public accounts 5-10 years in the recent past and an interesting read of the revised and current estimates must guide a 5-10 years look forward.

Budget Balancing

Many intelligent minds express a view of balancing a budget; is to borrow to fill the revenue shortfall, this is wrong and comes from the cash accounting that is employed by the Auditor General office. The term budget balancing is very much about reducing expenditure to match, real income, proven revenue estimates. Hence, if revenue is predicted to fall by 10% from the last period, the plan must not be to borrow but to cut expenditure by the same 10% in the current period. Noting that, borrowing adds fees and interest charges to further increase the expenditure, so the borrowing requirements, in this example, can easily be 12 to 15% to achieve the desired balance.