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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao

@ganeshahirao.bsky.social

630 followers 110 following 660 posts

He/him/ia. Economist convinced that business-as-usual is not the answer. Have data & evidence. Applied to be academic, but didn't know secret handshake. Paid my dues as consultant, then public servant. Now back in comfort zone of cricket and spreadsheets.

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · Aug 14

#nzpol

Make no mistake, this government knows full well what it is doing.

open.substack.com/pub/ganeshna...

Government on track to dismember the public sector

A plea to not believe one's own propaganda

open.substack.com

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 11h

And for threads ...

On the Substack app: Hard press on the thread and tap "Leave"

On the web: Click the three dots on the DM thread and select "Leave" from the menu

Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 11h

From Substack Help:

On the Substack app: Tap the message and select "Delete" (this removes it for both you and the person you're messaging)

On the web: Individual message deletion isn't available at this time

Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 19h

#nzpol

Sigh ... bang bang bang (sound of my head against brick wall🤕).

Yet another morning with (bank) economists talking about recovery without once mentioning fiscal policy (incl govt spending).

What *do* they teach in economics classes these days?

www.1news.co.nz/2025/10/08/t...

'The fire of recovery needs more': What OCR cut is coming today?

The decision will likely be predicated on how badly the Reserve Bank thinks New Zealand's economic recovery is going.

www.1news.co.nz

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 20h

#nzpol

Yup, add this to your reading list.

Vocal vested interests distract us from the need for economic change newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/06/v...

Vocal vested interests distract us from the need for economic change

Opinion: Targets being pursued by the Govt depress more valuable economic activity and increase social stress, argues Rob Campbell

newsroom.co.nz

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 1d

Data and evidence always outweighs "reckons" ...

Cristina Deukett 🇧🇧+🇷🇴=🇳🇿 @artyfarty87.bsky.social · 1d

Earthlings!
@ganeshahirao.bsky.social & @bernardchickey.bsky.social cogently discusses topical economic issues. #nzpol #economics #unemployment #youth
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpXx...

Mini Hoons for Tuesday, October 7

YouTube video by The Hoon

www.youtube.com

Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 1d

Don't understand ... infln rising to over 3pct, but still expect 2 more interest rate cuts from RB?

"Business expectations" incredulously inconsistent ... or are they just sending signal to RB to ignore inflation🤔.

Are they same "businesses" that roasted prev RB Gov for being soft on infln?🤔

Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 1d

Minimun wage? You sure? Thought that was just "guidance and advisory"😬.

Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 2d

Am waiting for RNZ (and others) to publish "Letter from 20 Economists"?

Or, would even settle for a precis of it.

Mind you, if they want an oped, they know where we live🤔.

But, not holding my breath😢.

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 2d

Awesome ... perfect ... in pictures ...

... precisely ... Treasury (and Govt) only see one tool in box

... has other tools, but don't want to use ...😢😠

bsky.app/profile/gane...

Guy Body @bodycartoon.bsky.social · 2d

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 2d

3/3

if people are not spending due to uncertainty, no job, fear of loss of job,

and businesses not spending as uncertain future demand,

then who is to break the circle? who needs to be circuit breaker?

... duh ...

it's called the government.

it's called *fiscal policy*

it's ECON101 ... sigh.

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 2d

2/3

"experts" need refresher ...

OCR cut won't ignite demand or spending, which is needed for business to have confidence to invest & create (good) jobs.

People need (good) jobs to have confidence to spend.

Business need confidence of future demand.

Yes there is circularity ...

... duh ...

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 2d

#nzpol 1/3

Wonder why all those "expert (bank) economists" are calling for more OCR cuts?

Remember, Reserve Bank's *sole* job is monetary policy to fight inflation.

Or, is RB allowed to change its target whenever it likes?

Presume role of fiscal policy wasn't in "expert's" economics degree. 🤔😠😡

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 3d

The G20 😬 ...

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 3d

Group of 20 economists ... "change course urgently".

Text of letter at link.

ganeshnana.substack.com/p/group-of-2...

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 3d

#nzpol

Group of 20 economists 😬..

"Not sound economics"

www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

‘Not sound economics’: 20 economists slam government’s economic strategy

The signatories – including former Productivity Commission chair Ganesh Nana and economist Susan St John – say the Government’s fiscal approach has worsened the recession, weakened public services, an...

www.thepost.co.nz

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 4d

As a student of a social science, i have collated recent obsevations and made a (qualitative) finding:

It is wet outside☹.

Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 6d

#nzpol

The least-wealthy are being punished the most by education (student) loans🤔.

The powerful keeping the powerless in "their" place.💔😠

ganeshnana.substack.com/p/wealth-div...

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 7d

#nzpol

"... it is a cliche to talk about the rich getting richer, while the poor get poorer. But, ... we - as a nation - have seemingly become so immune to this utter failure of our economy and ... the dereliction of our duty to our people & communities."

open.substack.com/pub/ganeshna...

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 7d

#nzpol

"as the least-wealthy sought further education over the years to 2024, in a perversity that I can only describe as incredulously cruel, a noticeable component of the loss of wealth of the least-wealthy was a disproportionate increase in student debt."

ganeshnana.substack.com/p/wealth-div...

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 9d

Looking forward to sharing and participating in kōrero. Come and be with us if you can, or join in on line🙂.

events.humanitix.com/democracy-an....

Democracy and Health

St Peters Social Justice Group present thought leaders: GANESH RAJARAM AHIRAO AND PETER BOSHIER and CARWYN JONES to discuss democracy and heath.

events.humanitix.com

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 9d

#nzpol

💔 ... sigh ... 😠😡

WTH (I'm being restrained), why is anybody worried about a "bespoke" legal system, given we actually are a "bespoke" country.

Or, aren't we? 🤔.

In which case, what country are we?

RNZ News (Unofficial) @radionz.nzcow.com · 9d

📢 Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith said he was worried New Zealand was developing a "bespoke" legal system that incorporated concepts of tikanga Māori.

Māori lawyers reject Goldsmith's comments over tikanga Māori court rulings

www.rnz.co.nz

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 9d

Tautoko.

There is what is called low-paid work.

Then there is fixed-term contract work (which is really an excuse to avoid employment conditions).

Then there is what is called piece-work (which is really an excuse not to pay the minimum wage).

And then there is unpaid work.

Foxy @foxylustygrover.bsky.social · 9d

There is no such thing as unskilled work #NZPol

The minimum wage of $23.50 an hour works out to just under $49,000 a year for a full-time, 40-hour a week worker.

Fuel retailing was paying a median of almost exactly the same amount.

Listen to No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds
Food retailing was paying less, at $45,030. Accommodation was slightly more, at $49,240, and food and beverage services was significantly less at $40,170.

Also within $10,000 of minimum wage were "other store-based retailing" at $53,220, sport and recreation services at $53,350 and personal and other services at $54,170.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment data last year showed that about 141,900 people would be directly affected by the minimum wage rising to $23,500, indicating they were at that point being paid less than that amount per hour.

Infometrics principal economist Nick Brunsdon said skills and experience explained a lot of the variation in incomes.

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 10d

Yup. Until "the govt" comes in to help (and they can; eg. 3-waters), the choices are:

(1) pay up, or

(2) accept limited or degraded services (eg unhealthy water, overflowing drainage, sewerage in waterways, even less public transport, ...)

Probably should have welcomed 3-waters with open arms.

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 13d

#nzpol

This is more than disappointing from Treasury.

Is not by any means "talking truth to power" through "free and frank advice" that is core role of public service officials.

Is just echoing the status quo scare-mongering that we're broke and can't afford anything.

Extremely disappointing.

Frank @fmacskasy.bsky.social · 13d

Totally out of touch with reality. This "report" from Treasury omits any form of wealth or capital gains tax. As usual, workers would be targetted and the wealthy untouched.

It should be binned.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

GST at 32 percent, pension age of 72 among Treasury solutions to financial crunch

Someone is going to have to pay to keep the country's finances in order while the population ages, but who and how need to be decided soon.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Ganesh Rajaram Ahirao @ganeshahirao.bsky.social · 13d

#nzpol

... and so ... the scaremongering continues ...

... toeing the line ... "we cant afford" nice things ....

... like feeding our children ... like saving the planet ... like our health ...

☹😡

RNZ News (Unofficial) @radionz.nzcow.com · 13d

📢 Someone is going to have to pay to keep the country's finances in order while the population ages, but who and how need to be decided soon.

GST at 32 percent, pension age of 72 among Treasury solutions to financial crunch

www.rnz.co.nz

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