scholarly journals The Macro Economic Management Challenges of Foreign Aid in Developing Countries

1970 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-170
Author(s):  
U Arabi ◽  
Nagendra

Foreign aid is one of the most powerful weapons in the war against poverty.  Many people equate aid with charity as one way act of generosity directed from high income countries to their low income counterparts. Foreign aid is indispensable for the development of less developed countries. It flows in the form of loans, assistance outright grants from various governmental and international organizations. It spreads the benefits of global integration and shared prosperity by enabling poor people and countries to overcome the health, education and economic resources barriers that keep them in poverty. There is an international consensus that human development should be the primary objective. Hence aid budgets are raising despite the several fiscal and public debt problems facing some of the donor countries.

Author(s):  
Arevik Ohanyan

The increase of international student mobility for many countries is a significant opportunity and for some it might become a weakness, if the development is not addressed wisely by policy makers. There is a trend of one way mobility flows from smaller, economically less developed to more developed countries, which might put the formers under the risk of brain drain. This is especially risky for the relatively smaller developing countries (e.g. Armenia), where on the one hand the development of human capital and global integration is vital and on the other hand the drain of skilled human resources hinders the economic development. Concrete policy actions are vital for restructuring the mobility flow and ensuring the reality of brain circulation. By clarifying the major pushing and pulling factors influencing the decision of Armenian students to seek overseas education (which is the primary objective of this research paper), this study will be valuable for further policy, strategy and marketing instrument development on institutional, national and international levels. The study employed quantitative research methods using an online survey distributed among the target audience. The findings include number of pushing and pulling factors influencing on the decision of Armenian students to pursue education abroad, as well as the major obstacles hindering the mobility flow.


Author(s):  
Morten Jerven

The study of economic development in African countries is facing a basic problem of lack of reliable data and statistics. These problems of economic data are best addressed under three main categories: design, capacity, and politics. The focus is on gross domestic product (GDP), but the relevance goes beyond GDP statistics because the aggregate of GDP requires economic data on all sectors of the economy, including expenditures and consumption, which gives the basis for discussing levels and trends in monetary poverty as well as having a correct count of the total population. The problem of design refers to the fact that many, if not most, of the statistical categories that are in use in international organizations disseminating statistics on social and economic affairs are categories that were designed as appropriate for developed countries. Indicators such as “unemployment” work better in a formalized labor market. The problems of design translate into problems of capacity. Because most economic transactions are not recorded in informal economies, this means that they are not reported as a rule and that therefore such recordings require a lot more resources. Many statistics that are readily available from administrative sources in higher-income countries need to be collected in more expensive surveys in low-income countries. Budgets for official services may already be constrained, and thus resources for statistical offices to collect these data are less than the resources needed to do so. Finally, politics of data matter. When statistics are based on missing data, the estimates will invariably be soft, and therefore malleable. Thus, when incentives are clearly identifiable before reporting or aggregation, the final estimates may be biased.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Feras I Hawari

The use of tobacco dates back to hundreds of years and is considered highly addictive. Nicotine is the predominant substance that causes tobacco dependence. Nicotine exerts its effect via similar neurological pathways used by other recreational drugs resulting in high level of dependence. All forms of exposure to tobacco including active use of tobacco, second-hand as well as third-hand exposure to tobacco smoke are known to be harmful. Tobacco is the only risk factor that is common between all non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses, cancer and diabetes mellitus. International consensus regarding the harms of tobacco is now evident. Many international organizations are mapping the way for the end of tobacco. Until then, aggressive treatment for those subjects interested in quitting must be provided in order to prevent a significant surge in non-communicable diseases especially in low income countries. Tobacco dependence is a chronic relapsing disorder that requires a multidisciplinary approach using psychological and pharmacological techniques.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 02 No. 03 July’18. Page : 112-125


1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-490
Author(s):  
Nurul Islam

Foreign economic aid is at the cross-roads. There is an atmosphere of gloom and disenchantment surrounding international aid in both the developed and developing countries — more so in the former than in the latter. Doubts have grown in the developed countries, especially among the conservatives in these countries, as to the effectiveness of aid in promoting economic development, the wastes and inefficiency involved in the use of aid, the adequacy of self-help on the part of the recipient countries in husbanding and mobilising their own resources for development and the dangers of getting involved, through ex¬tensive foreign-aid operations, in military or diplomatic conflicts. The waning of confidence on the part of the donors in the rationale of foreign aid has been accentuated by an increasing concern with their domestic problems as well as by the occurrence of armed conflicts among the poor, aid-recipient countries strengthened by substantial defence expenditure that diverts resources away from development. The disenchantment on the part of the recipient countries is, on the other hand, associated with the inadequacy of aid, the stop-go nature of its flow in many cases, and the intrusion of noneconomic considerations governing the allocation of aid amongst the recipient countries. There is a reaction in the developing countries against the dependence, political and eco¬nomic, which heavy reliance on foreign aid generates. The threat of the in¬creasing burden of debt-service charge haunts the developing world and brings them back to the donors for renewed assistance and/or debt rescheduling.


Author(s):  
Matteo Migheli

AbstractBoth in developing and developed countries, farmers often do not protect themselves adequately, especially when applying agrochemicals that are dangerous for their health. The issue is relevant because insufficient protection is between the causes leading to intoxication of farmers and workers who handle these products. The literature suggests that both lack of training and information and low income may explain why, especially in developing countries, protective equipment is under-used. Using data from the Mekong Delta, this study addresses the issue of whether income and household wealth may help explaining the use of incomplete protections against pesticides. The results suggest that income, more than wealth, is a reason why Vietnamese farmers operating in the Mekong Delta fail in using adequate protections. In particular, the data suggest that they may prefer to divert resources to increasing the production of their fields or to buying goods that may be used both as protection and as everyday garments. This behaviour leads to underinvestment in some important protective goods. Possible public interventions to mitigate the problem are suggested; in particular, the promotion of integrated pest management techniques could be useful.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7271
Author(s):  
Uzziah Mutumbi ◽  
Gladman Thondhlana ◽  
Sheunesu Ruwanza

Households consume up to 20% of overall electricity consumption globally; hence, they are important role players in efforts towards promoting sustainable consumption. Research on electricity use behaviour is important for informing intervention strategies; however, relative to developed countries, research on this subject is lacking in developing countries where electricity access is limited. In South Africa, electricity use behaviour among poor neighbourhoods remains little studied and understood. This study was carried out among low-income households in Makhanda, South Africa, characterised by high poverty and unemployment rates, low education levels, and limited access to basic services. Using a self-reporting approach, electricity use behaviour of low-income households was assessed against a list of common household electricity use actions. A survey of 297 households was conducted. The findings show mixed results, with households reporting both good electricity use behaviour (e.g., cooling down hot food before refrigeration and using washing machines on full load) and wasteful actions (e.g., leaving appliances on standby). Our results show that electricity use behaviour was influenced by socio-psychological values including universalism, benevolence, hedonism, and power. Some of the reported electricity behavioural patterns are consistent with those previously reported among high-income households. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.


1969 ◽  
Vol 8 (I1) ◽  
pp. xi-xii

The contents of ILM for the period from 1962 to 1969 reflect several significant developments: (1) the entry on the international scene of many new countries and their establishment of relations with the developed countries, particularly in the fields of commerce and trade and of investment; (2) the prevalence of armed conflict and the use of military force in the unsettled conditions resulting from the decolonization process and from continued antagonisms between the superpowers; (3) the pervasive role of international organizations, both global and regional, general and specialized; and (4) the continued predominance of national courts in the judicial consideration of questions of international law and the shift from general to specialized tribunals in the resolution of disputes by international arbitration and adjudication.


2013 ◽  
Vol 01 (01) ◽  
pp. 1350008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mou WANG

Drawing on the idea that countries are eligible to implement differentiated emission reduction policies based on their respective capabilities, some parties of UNFCCC attempt to weaken the principle of “Common but differentiated responsibilities(CBDR)” and impose carbon tariff on international trade. This initiative is in fact another camouflage to burden developing countries with emission cut obligation, which has no doubt undermined the development rights of developing countries. This paper defines Carbon Tariff as border measures that target import goods with embodied carbon emission. It can be import tariffs or other domestic tax measures that adjust border tax, which includes plain import tariffs and export rebates, border tax adjustment, emission quota and permit etc. For some developed countries, carbon tariffs mean to sever trade protectionism and to build trade barriers. Its theoretical arguments like “loss of comparative advantage”, “carbon leakage decreases environmental effectiveness” and “theoretical model bases” are pseudo-propositions without international consensus. Carbon tariff has become an intensively debated issue due to its duality of climate change and trade, but neither UNFCCC nor WTO has clarified this issue or has indicated a clear statement in this regard. As a result, it allows some parties to take advantage of this loophole and escape its international climate change obligation. Carbon tariff is an issue arising from global climate governance. To promote the cooperation of global climate governance and safeguard the social and economic development of developing countries, a fair and justified climate change regime and international trade institution should be established, and the settlement of the carbon tariff issue should be addressed within these frameworks. This paper argues that the international governance of carbon tariff should in cooperation with other international agreements; however, principles and guidelines regarding this issue should be developed under the UNFCCC. Based on these principles and guidelines, WTO can develop related technical operation provisions.


Author(s):  
Ryan C Briggs

Abstract Foreign-aid projects typically have local effects, so they need to be placed close to the poor if they are to reduce poverty. I show that, conditional on local population levels, World Bank (WB) project aid targets richer parts of countries. This relationship holds over time and across world regions. I test five donor-side explanations for pro-rich targeting using a pre-registered conjoint experiment on WB Task Team Leaders (TTLs). TTLs perceive aid-receiving governments as most interested in targeting aid politically and controlling implementation. They also believe that aid works better in poorer or more remote areas, but that implementation in these areas is uniquely difficult. These results speak to debates in distributive politics, international bargaining over aid, and principal-agent issues in international organizations. The results also suggest that tweaks to WB incentive structures to make ease of project implementation less important may encourage aid to flow to poorer parts of countries.


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