Suchergebnisse

This book identifies an explanation of why the Jamaican Democratic Socialist experiment under Michael Manley in the 1970s appeared to have failed. It provides an analysis of income, revenue and public finances in Jamaica.

This paper summarizes and synthesizes some literature that picks up and extends the discussion of Dollar and Kraay (2000). While most of the theory has been known for a long time, the empirical material that has gradually become available in the past decade or so in the form of household budget surveys has made it possible to paint a more detailed and nuanced picture than the one usually available. Here, three major arguments are developed. First, the poverty reduction (PR) impact of a certain rate of growth depends crucially on the pattern of that growth, with rural growth usually being more efficient than urban growth, and agricultural growth more efficient than manufacturing growth. Second, poverty reduction in agriculture is much stronger in the medium run than in the short run. This is because the indirect PR effect – a multiplier effect – is typically much stronger than the direct one. Third, there is much that both governments and donors can do to improve the rate of PR, including appropriate targeting of public expenditure, increased provision of primary education to address growth-hampering income inequality, and better focus onb gender issues.

This essay examines some outcomes of two decades of market oriented reforms in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). In general, economic performance, measured by growth of per capita incomes, has not been encouraging, despite far reaching reforms, including privatization, liberalization, and deep regional integration. Social indicators suggest that poverty reduction has not been achieved through reforms. Several indicators on access to primary health care, and inputs and outcomes in primary education show deteriorating trends in the majority of countries. However, social indicators in the WAEMU are better than those in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, the paper attempts to test the extent to which institutional quality in WAEMU differs from that in other parts of the world. The general results from this exercise are that (i) indicators of institutional quality in sub-Saharan Africa is significantly lower than in non-African parts of the world; (ii) this explains much of the growth difference; and (iii) institutional quality in WAEMU does not differ from that in other parts of Africa, despite more centralized institutions.

While growth has increased in Tanzania during the past five or six years, it is still too low to have a visible impact on poverty. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that the amounts of both income and non-income poverty are roughly the same as they were a decade ago. Since debt relief provided under HIPC will free government resources, the initiative will potentially help reduce poverty through larger government expenditures on social sectors. However, it is unlikely that Tanzania will be able to reach the situation projected in the decision point document: projections are extremely optimistic, and deviations from these are likely to lead to a rapid accumulation of debt, so debt sustainability—as reflected in the debt-to-export ratio—will not be met. – Tanzania ; HIPC ; debt ; growth

While growth has increased in Tanzania during the past five or six years, it is still too low to have a visible impact on poverty. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that the amount of both income and non-income poverty are roughly the same as they were a decade ago. Since debt relief provided under HIPC will free government resources, the initiative will potentially help reduce poverty through larger government expenditures on social sectors. However, it is unlikely that Tanzania will be able to reach the situation projected in the Decision Point document; projections are extremely optimistic, and deviations from these are likely to lead to a rapid accumulation of debt, so debt sustainability – as reflected in the debt-to-export ratio – will not be met.

Las reformas economicas con orientacion de mercado en paises de bajos ingresos estan dirigidas usualmente a reducir los niveles de probreza a traves del crecimiento economico. En este articulo se analiza la experiencia de Jamaica con tales reformas, prestandose especial atencion al impacto de las mismas en determinados indicadores sociales. Se deduce que las devaluaciones tienden a favorecer a los pobres ya que estos, tipicamente, obtienen la mayor parte de su ingreso de la produccion de bienes y servicios comercializables. Por otro lado, se concluye que las politicas fiscales contractivas tienden a perjudicar a los pobres ya que ellos son los mas importantes consumidores de los servicios publicos. (Iberoamericana/DÜI)

AbstractThis paper briefly discusses the economic reforms that have taken place in Jamaica for the past 15 years and argues that the reforms, at least so far, are mixed, particularly with regard to the elimination of poverty. The basic problems are (1) a slow response of exports to large, frequent adjustments in the exchange rate, which prohibits low-wage labor, in the informal sector, from being absorbed into the formal sector; and (2) the large budget deficit, with the associated demands for large cuts in expenditures, which primarily affects the rural poor. It is suggested that the principal reason that reforms have been slow is because of the political price to be paid for unpopular measures in a competitive democracy

The concept of surplus is a potentially valuable tool for the study of development dynamics. This paper presents a definition of surplus which is based on the national accounts and which, therefore, may be used in empirical studies.