The paper develops the view that the perspective on the HIPC initiative is distorted by the fact that -contrary to the Brady deal itself- it lacks all perspective on the “market value” of the debt which is written down. The appropriate “market value” is one that takes account of the risk...

Ce travail fait le point sur la dette extérieure du Burkina Faso, de la Côte d’Ivoire, du Ghana, du Mali, de l’Ouganda et de la Tanzanie. La première partie présente la situation de chaque pays en termes d’endettement au travers de différents indicateurs, notamment l’importance de...

This study analyses the impact of democratic decentralisation on the chances of socially excluded groups to participate in newly created local governance institutions – Panchayati Raj Institutions – in three Indian states. This institutional reform included a quota for the disadvantaged –...

The reform of public pension systems has become a key policy issue in many countries. Because conventional approaches to reform largely unfunded retirement income schemes prove politically and economically difficult, attention has focused on the option of a partial shift towards funded...

This paper examines how the different forms of development finance for low-income countries are likely to be affected by the global financial crisis, principally through reductions in remittances, aid flows and FDI. It argues that the channels of transmission of the crisis for particular...

Cette étude concerne six pays d’Afrique subsaharienne : le Burkina Faso, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Ghana, le Mali, l’Ouganda et la Tanzanie, dont elle décrit les politiques de répression financière appliquées jusqu’au milieu ou la fin des années 80 : politique monétaire...

This paper presents stylised facts about development aid and capital flows to developing countries. It compares their volumes and volatilities and finds that foreign aid is not the major source of finance for these countries any more, though not for all regions. The expansion of private flows...

This paper presents the results of a survey of micro-enterprises undertaken in Ecuador and Jamaica. The purpose was to understand the relationships between these countries' institutional and legal regulations, the degree of compliance by firms and the impact of compliance on their performance...

The Brazilian electronics industry operates within a policy regime which has promoted excessive diversification rather than concentrating on developing strong technological capabilities in appropriate areas. The international competitiveness of most segments of the electronics industry declined...

The Doha Declaration stresses the “important role” of “well targeted, sustainably financed technical assistance and capacity-building programmes”. It dedicates a whole section to them, and reiterates the commitment of its membership to help the weakest among them participate effectively...