Habib Ahmed

Bio: Habib Ahmed is an academic researcher from Durham University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Islam & Sharia. The author has an hindex of 23, co-authored 72 publications receiving 1882 citations. Previous affiliations of Habib Ahmed include Islamic Development Bank & Hazara University.

Risk Management: An Analysis of Issues in Islamic Financial Industry (Occasional Papers)

Abstract: The paper discusses a number of risk management issues of the Islamic financial industry. It outlines the risk management processes and techniques that enable financial institutions to control undesirable risks and to take benefit of the business opportunities created by the desirable ones.

Financing microenterprises: an analytical study of islamic microfinance institutions

Abstract: *While conventional microfinance institutions (MFIs) have expanded their operations in the last two decades, poverty-focused MFIs based on Islamic principles are lagging behind. This paper provides the theoretical basis, operational framework, and empirical support for the establishment of Islamic MFIs. After critically evaluating the conventional MFIs, an Islamic alternative is presented. The theoretical part of the paper shows that there is a great potentiality of Islamic MFIs that can cater for the needs of the poor. Islamic MFIs have some inherent characteristics that can mitigate some of the problems faced by conventional MFIs. Empirical evidence from three Islamic MFIs operating in Bangladesh, in general, supports some of the theoretical assertions. The case studies, however, reveal that Islamic MFIs have not yet tapped some of the sources of funds, nor have they used the variety of financial instruments in their operations. ? With the failure of experimenting in top-down (trickle down) development policies for a few decades to alleviate poverty in most developing countries, financing microenterprises is considered a “new paradigm” for bringing about development and eradicating absolute poverty.

Crowding-Out and Crowding-In Effects of the Components of Government Expenditure

Abstract: This article examines the effects of disaggregated government expenditure on investment using fixed- and random-effect methods. Using the government budget constraint, the analysis explores the effects of tax- and debt-financed expenditure for the full sample, and for subsamples of developed and developing countries. In general, tax-financed government expenditure crowds out more investment than debt-financed expenditure. Expenditure on social security and welfare reduces investment in all samples while expenditure on transport and communication induces private investment in developing countries.

Financial crisis: risks and lessons For islamic Finance

Abstract: The severity of the current financial crisis has shaken the foundations of the capitalist financial system and has led to the search for ideas and solutions. This paper identifies the failure of risk mitigation at different levels as the main cause of the crisis. While following the principles of Islamic finance would have prevented the occurrence of the crisis, the practice of Islamic finance of mimicking its conventional counterpart can make the industry vulnerable to similar crises. Lessons for the Islamic financial sector are drawn by suggesting ways in which risks can be mitigated at the levels of institutions, organisations and products. In doing so, some key risks arising in Islamic finance are identified and various ways in which the Islamic finance sector can be made stable and resilient are proposed.

Economic growth and income inequality

Abstract: We investigate whether income inequality affects subsequent growth in a cross-country sample for 1965-90, using the models of Barro (1997), Bleaney and Nishiyama (2002) and Sachs and Warner (1997), with negative results. We then investigate the evolution of income inequality over the same period and its correlation with growth. The dominating feature is inequality convergence across countries. This convergence has been significantly faster amongst developed countries. Growth does not appear to influence the evolution of inequality over time. Outline

What About Us

Abstract: Established in 2006, TATA Africa Services (Nigeria) Limited operates as the nodal point for Tata businesses in West Africa. TATA Africa Services (Nigeria) Limited has a strong presence in Nigeria with investments exceeding USD 10 million. The company was established in Lagos, Nigeria as a subsidiary of TATA Africa Holdings (SA) (Pty) Limited, South Africa and serves as the hub of Tata’s operations in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa.

Micro-credit initiatives for equitable and sustainable development : who pays?; a case study of the Grameen Bank Program in rural Bangladesh

Abstract: Abstract There is a growing acknowledgement that micro-credit programs have potential for equitable and sustainable development. However, my anthropological research on the micro-credit program of the Grameen Bank shows that bank workers are expected to increase disbursement of loans among their members and press for high recovery rates to earn profit necessary for economic viability of the institution. To ensure timely repayment in the loan centers bank workers and borrowing peers inflict an intense pressure on women clients. In the study community many borrowers maintain their regular payment schedules through a process of loan recycling that considerably increases the debt-liability on the individual households, increases tension and frustration among household members, produces new forms of dominance over women and increases violence in society.