How years of IMF prescriptions have hurt West African health systems

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides financial assistance to countries in economic trouble. But its policy proposals don’t always yield positive results for the countries it purports to help. For instance, critics have argued that the IMF inhibits government spending on public health and diverts resources from the health sector to repay external debt. We set out to...

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In developing countries, government energy subsidies are more beneficial than harmful (NSDA China)

General Energy Subsidy Reform Facility: Generates Knowledge to Support Governments to Design and Implement Sustainable Energy Subsidy Reforms while Safeguarding the Welfare of the Poor (2020). This article provides a general overview of energy subsidies. It doesn’t really have any evidence. Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Better Funding for Renewable (2021). This article argue...

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The benefits of the International Monetary Fund outweigh the harms

General US Participation in the IMF: A Primer *Pro General economic growth The effects of IMF programs on poverty, income inequality and social expenditure in low income countries: an empirical analysis (2020) The Effect of IMF Programmes on Economic Growth in Low Income Countries: An Empirical Analysis (2017) IMF bailouts — roads to stability or recipes for disaster? Corona...

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Eye on Africa: US and China tussle for economic influence

The US and China are increasingly rivals on the world stage, competing over resources, policy and influence. One region where China has spent years establishing a foothold is Africa. Now the US is also keen to reassert itself after years of economic neglect. The US fired the latest salvo late last year when it pledged to provide at least US$14 billion in public and private a...

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Coronavirus: Developing economies are getting crushed – here’s why their rich neighbors should help them

The entire global community is now facing the unprecedented triple crisis of a global health pandemic, economic recession and global financial meltdown – and the fates of rich and poor countries have never been so intertwined. Commodity prices are collapsing, international trade is slowing and many developing countries that were already in distress are on the edge of full-bl...

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Now more than ever: Reforming energy subsidies throughout the world

Benedict Clements, Stefania Fabrizio, Ian Parry 27 April 2013 Energy-subsidy reform is notoriously difficult. This column argues that the environmental and social payoff from a concerted worldwide effort to replace these subsidies with better targeted measures would be substantial. Subsidy reform is an especially attractive option for countries under pressure to bring publi...

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Revisiting the Effects of IMF Programs on Poverty and Inequality

Summary Investigating how lending programs of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) affect poverty and inequality, we explicitly address model uncertainty. We control for endogenous selection into IMF programs using data on 86 low- and middle income countries for the 1982–2009 period and analyze program effects on various poverty and inequality measures. The results rely on...

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U.S. Participation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF): A Primer

Gordon Gray, Thomas Wade Executive Summary The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was created in the wake of the Great Depression to promote stability in global financial markets. Nearly all countries are members of the IMF, but the United States is the largest cumulative contributor to the IMF at $155 billion and the largest voting bloc—holding effective veto power for many...

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Welfare effects of energy subsidy reform in developing countries

Abstract We analyze the potential welfare effect of energy subsidy reforms. The income distributions of eleven developing countries from different geographical regions are simulated using the assumption that income is lognormally distributed. We use the concept of the compensating variation to measure how much compensation is required to compensate consumers for a price incr...

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Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform in the Developing World: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why?

Abstract Fossil fuel subsidies are widespread in developing countries, where reform efforts are often derailed by disputes over the likely distribution of gains and losses. The impacts of subsidy reform are transmitted to households through changes in energy prices and prices of other goods and services, as well as through factor earnings. Most empirical studies focus on con...

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Energy subsidies in developing countries: Treating the disease while symptoms abate

The adverse effects of energy subsidies have been widely documented. While recent decreases in international oil prices have provided a welcome respite, past experience has highlighted the need for caution. This column argues that to make this respite a permanent gain will require the removal of government discretion in determining domestic energy prices. Adoption of an auto...

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End Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Bolster Funding for Renewable Energy Particularly in Africa, Secretary-General Tells Round Table on Clean Power Transition

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered, to the Twenty-sixth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) round table on clean power transition, today: I am very pleased to join you. The year ahead is going to be critical, not only in beating the COVID-19 pandemic, but in meet...

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Energy Subsidy Reform Facility: Generates Knowledge to Support Governments to Design and Implement Sustainable Energy Subsidy Reforms while Safeguarding the Welfare of the Poor

Energy Subsidy Reform Facility (ESRF) has been at the forefront of knowledge creation and dissemination on the topic of energy subsidies. ESRF provided over US$14 million of World Bank-executed Technical Assistance (TA) grants to support energy subsidy reforms in over 70 countries, that resulted in 120 analytical reports/TA outputs that informed 39 World Bank operations (US...

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奇葩说辩题:朋友圈要不要屏蔽父母?

我的观点:我选择不要。因为我的父母根本就没有朋友圈,不用微信,^_^,这是一种情况。还有一种情况,就是父母有微信朋友圈,那么我选择不屏蔽,是因为如果你的领导在你朋友圈里面,你敢随意屏蔽吗,现在的朋友圈不是单纯的发发动态了,也要考量人际关系。更何况,那是自己的父母,你屏蔽父母,父母该多伤心。你想说什么话,不想父母看到,换个地方说不就完了吗? 你的观点呢? NSDA“SDcamps”全国英语演讲...

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2018有意思的辩论赛题目

其实有意思的辩论赛的题目有非常多,要看你侧重点和面对的群体是什么样子的。根据需求进行选择。这里有更多的辩题供你去选择,收集了一些个人认为比较有意思的辩论题目给大家,一起来看看吧! 正方:当反方比较好。反方:当正方比较好。 正方:师兄更适合做男朋友。反方:师弟更适合做男朋友。 正方:有钱人一定花心。反方:有钱人不一定花心。 正方:男性比女性更需要关怀。反方:女性比男性更需要关怀。 ...

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校辩论赛决赛辩题

①追逐诗与远方,我们应该/不该放下眼前的苟且 ②男女间存在/不存在真正友谊 ③考试模式一考/多考定终身对考生更公平 ④以德报怨/以直报怨更符合现代文明 ⑤干一行,爱一行/爱一行,干一行 ⑥人生路上应乘胜追击/见好就收 ⑦佛系标签对当今青年利大于弊/弊大于利 ⑧自我肯定重要比社会肯定更重要/社会肯定重要比自我肯定更重要 ⑨人际关系上道义比利益影响更大/人际关系上利益比道义影响更大 ⑩贫穷比富贵更容易滋生...

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大城市是否应该禁摩?

禁摩令的推出引起了网上的轩然大波,大家就大城市是否应当禁摩这个话题进行了丰富的讨论,有的网友说“禁摩以后,一部分市民出行受到严重影响,生活质量下降;而以摩托车为生的人群则生计无着。禁摩让公共资源分配显失公正,且缺乏法律依据。禁摩造成低收入群众和外来工生活不便和生计无着。禁摩不符合中国国情,也违背中央建设节约型社会的精神。并且摩托车应该是城市交通体系中不可缺少的一部分,所以大城...

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适合刚接触辩论的新生打的辩题!

下面是一个比赛的辩题库,我个人推荐新生打一些哲学题和社会热点题,不推荐新生打太专业的政策题,或者太大太空的题目(比如全球化有利于传统文化发展这种),希望可以帮助到大家。 免费午餐计划应该主要依靠政府/民间力量 打击网络谣言,是对言论自由的维护/破坏 政府应该/不应该斥巨资重建古城 最低工资保障利大于弊/弊大于利 应该取消国企在能源行业的垄断地位/不应该取消国企在能源行业的垄断地位 中国...

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2018趣味性辩题大全

1男人/女人更累 2恋爱靠缘分还是奋斗 3恋爱中男人还是女人更主动 4八戒和孙悟空那个更适合当老公 5笑比哭好还是哭比笑好 6选择名牌大学的冷门专业/选择普通大学的热门专业 7女人更烦还是男人更烦 8恋爱是婚姻的必要条件 9有钱一定/不一定花心 10选对象应该选胖的/瘦的 11女人更适合持家,还是男人更适合持家 12白天/夜晚对人类更有益 13与孙悟空同行/与沙悟净同行 14玫瑰花有助于/无助于泡妞 15爱一个人应/...

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第六届中华辩论联赛辩题库!

1.公交低票价是否可以有效缓解城市交通拥堵 2.应该/不应该在中国大陆推广“垃圾费随袋征收” 3.最低工资保障制度利大于弊/弊大于利 4.应当/不应当提倡通过人肉搜索来反腐败 5.于丹北大被哄下台,是/不是社会舆论环境恶劣的体现 6.赞成/反对高速公路节假日免费 7.应不应该禁止使用刷票工具购买火车票 8.是否应该禁止微博粉丝买卖 9.端正就业观念/提升就业能力是当下大学生顺利就业的关键 10.应不应该在新华字...

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