The paper assesses the changing nature of the relations between the provinces and the central government in China during the 1990s. It examines the fiscal reforms initiated in 1994 and subsequent developments. The expenditure needs of the center and the richer provinces are juxtaposed against...

Control over natural resource revenues is a contentious, politically divisive issue in most developing countries-especially for oil production. A typical policy response of the center in such cases has been to introduce revenue sharing arrangements. Such measures have generally not assuaged the...

Many low-income countries, such as Haiti, have high ambitions and socioeconomic needs to achieve substantial income growth, especially for the poorest income quintiles. This situation raises the question of policy prioritization, which is often difficult to address, since reliable...

Haiti's economic development has been held back by a history of civil conflict and violence. With donor assistance declining from its exceptional levels following the 2010 earthquake, and concessional financing growing scarce, Haiti must learn to live with tighter budget constraints. At the same...

Studies on the link between financial development and poverty have been inconclusive. Some claim that deeper financial sectors should improve the allocation of capital by allowing entrepreneurs greater access to finance, which should particularly favor the poor. Others argue that improvements in...

Natural resources offer opportunities, but also bring challenges. They have generally been linked to a series of negative outcomes like economic decline, corruption, and conflict. Oil and minerals reserves, in particular, are often very spatially concentrated, and their discovery becomes a...

This paper explores the conditions under which public spending could minimize violent conflict related to oil wealth. Previous work suggests that oil can lead to violent conflict because it increases the value of the state as a prize or because it undermines the state's bureaucratic penetration....

The African continent is one of the world richest regions in oil, gas and minerals. Proven reserves have expanded and prospects improved recently making the continent an important player on the world stage. The share of natural resources in GDP is increasing rapidly. Exports of minerals and...

In this paper, the conditions under which the spending patterns of oil resources may mitigate the risk of violent domestic conflict are studied. Some recent research suggests that more government spending either in general or specifically in welfare and military may reduce the risk of civil...

This Systematic Country Diagnostic seeks to identify the most important constraints to and opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth in Haiti, a country that is one of the poorest and least equal countries in the world. For this purpose, an extensive review of the literature (from both...