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Developing Country Debt presents a variety of views and perspectives on the topic of debt in developing countries, with emphasis on the revolutionary effects of the post-1973 OPEC oil prices on the world's economic system. The book shows how the problem of developing country debt has become inexorably intertwined with the successful functioning of the global economic system. This book is comprised of 14 chapters and opens with a historical overview of developing nations' debt before turning to LDC debt since the 1973 OPEC price increases and the developing countries' abilities to carry debt. The myths of debt are also analyzed from a banker's perspective. The next section presents case studies detailing the economic and political conditions of selected countries with substantial debt and varying degrees of economic difficulty, including the Philippines, Jamaica, Turkey, and Peru. The remaining chapters examine alternative proposals for debt relief and place the analysis of developing country debt in a broader, global context. LDC debt is considered from three perspectives: the development needs of LDCs; the safety and soundness of United States banks; and the U.S. national interest. The role of the International Monetary Fund as a lender of last resort is also considered. The final chapter assesses the implications of debt for trade and the prospects for world economic growth. This monograph will be of interest to economists, bankers, politicians, and policymakers.

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) national strategies provide countries with a framework for the development and implementation of AI technologies. Sixty countries worldwide published their AI national strategies. The majority of these countries with more than 70% are developed countries. The approach of AI national strategies differentiates between developed and developing countries in several aspects including scientific research, education, talent development, and ethics. This paper examined AI readiness assessment in a developing country (Palestine) to help develop and identify the main pillars of the AI national strategy. AI readiness assessment was applied across education, entrepreneurship, government, and research and development sectors in Palestine (case of a developing country). In addition, it examined the legal framework and whether it is coping with trending technologies. The results revealed that Palestinians have low awareness of AI. Moreover, AI is barely used across several sectors and the legal framework is not coping with trending technologies. The results helped develop and identify the following five main pillars that Palestine's AI national strategy should focus on: AI for Government, AI for Development, AI for Capacity Building in the private, public and technical and governmental sectors, AI and Legal Framework, and international Activities.

The transmission of monetary policy to credit aggregates and the real economy can be impaired by weaknessesin the contracting environment, shallow financial markets, and a concentrated banking system. We empiricallyassess the bank lending channel in Uganda during 2010-2014 using a supervisory dataset of loan applicationsand granted loans. Our analysis focuses on a short period during which the policy rate rose by 1,000 basis pointsand then came down by 1,200 basis points. We find that an increase in interest rates reduces the supply of bankcredit both on the extensive and intensive margins, and there is significant pass-through to retail lending rates.We document a strong bank balance sheet channel, as the lending behavior of banks with high capital andliquidity is different from that of banks with low capital and liquidity. Finally, we show the impact of monetarypolicy on real activity across districts depends on banking sector conditions. Overall, our results indicatesignificant real effects of the bank lending channel in developing countries.

International trade plays a definitive role in the economic growth process. The developing countries accounted for over one quarter of total world trade by value in the early eighties; this proportion declined to a fifth in 1987. The developing countries, except for a handful of them, have made serious and expansive errors in their trade policies. The primary objective of Professor Das is to clear the cobwebs of confusion and misgivings that are only too apparent in the realm of trade policy. The book is addressed to the domestic as well as the international aspects of trade policy in the developing countries. It takes the neoclassical economic philosophic lines and makes an analytical case for free trade with hard-hitting arguments.

The global financial crisis has reignited interest in counter-cyclical fiscal policy as a critical instrument to provide immediate economic stimulus. But policy makers are also increasingly interested in how fiscal policy will impact growth and poverty over a longer run horizon, knowing that any quick responses to exogenous shocks also affect income generation and distribution. Those effects are less well known, however, and their dynamics still represent a challenge for many countries. In this book the authors explore methodological advances and new practices for fiscal policy implementation with a particular focus on developing countries. They also attempt to draw preliminary lessons from the global crisis and the still persisting uncertainty about future growth prospects. The crisis has brought into question many economic concepts, policies, and implementation practices that economists supported in previous decades. Counter-cyclical fiscal policy has suddenly returned to prominence worldwide either in conjunction with or in lieu of monetary policy and exchange rate adjustments, as a possible alternative in response to the unexpected and acute shocks that the crisis has brought about. These experiences are providing valuable lessons about the design and effectiveness of fiscal policy measures in developing countries, which is the focus of this volume. Since focusing entirely on the temporary effects of the crisis would mask the bigger challenges underlying the conduct of fiscal policy, particularly in countries where longer term growth patterns remain sluggish or volatile, and poverty and inequality still persist, the authors adopt a broader perspective trying to better understand the dynamics of longer term effects. The purpose of this book is precisely to improve our understanding of the challenges and possible innovative solutions in

This report deals with urban and rural land tenure in Botswana, the state housing policy as well as traditional aspects of land tenure

The authors examine the global diffusion of international population policy, which they consider a cultural item. The process of cultural diffusion is often seen as spontaneous: items of Western culture are in demand because they are universally attractive. Yet cultural flows may also be directed, they may be unattractive to their intended recipients, and their acceptance may depend on persuasion and material incentives. The authors consider the range of responses of national elites to the new population policy adopted by the United Nations at Cairo in 1994. Strongly influenced by feminists, the Cairo Program of Action promotes gender equity and reproductive health and demotes previous concerns with population growth. The data are interviews with representatives of governmental and nongovernmental organizations involved in population and health in five developing countries. To interpret the interviews, the authors draw on two theoretical frameworks. The first emphasizes the attractiveness of new cultural items and the creation of a normative consensus about their value. The second emphasizes differentials in power and resources among global actors and argues that the diffusion of cultural items can be directed by powerful donor states. Interviews in Bangladesh, Ghana, Jordan, Malawi, and Senegal portray a mixed reception to Cairo: enthusiastic embrace of certain aspects of the Cairo policy by some members of the national elite and a realistic assessment of donor power by virtually all. Strategies of rhetoric and action appear to be aimed at maintaining and directing the flows of donor funds.