Download or read book Impact of Political Stability on Economic Development written by Addis Ababa Othow Akongdit and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2019-10-04 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The main theme of this study is chosen in response to the general consensus on the importance of conducting a comprehensive study that may shape the economic policies and promote the business sector as well as the government and other organizations. However, the key question posed by this study is whether the theory that political stability fosters economic development is simply the wishful thinking of people who value both stability and growth or whether it is a delusion of those who believe that most developing countries may enjoy rapid growth if they are stable. The importance of this study is clear: South Sudan is confronted with enormous challenges of administrative, ethnic, political, and economic development. In light of this, the current study addresses the following issues: "What is the impact of the political system in South Sudan on economic development? What is the impact of oil resources on sustainable development? What is the impact of the oil shutdown on political and economic stability, and what is the possibility of deficit financing? Is there any possibility for cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan?" In this context, the major objective of this study is to analyze the political development of the country to verify that political stability fosters the achievement of economic and social development. It also seeks to analyse the political history of Sudan in general and South Sudan in particular, emphasising the importance of political stability, among other considerations, as a precondition for socioeconomic development. Furthermore, other objectives of the study include suggestions on how political stability could be ensured in South Sudan and how good governance may promote political and economic stability. In light of the above, this study focuses on the issues of the political transition and policies that will improve the economic, political, and social well-being of the people of South Sudan. It seeks ways of setting up policies that will raise the standard of living of people with sustained growth and move from a simple, low-income economy to a modern, high-income economy. It also attempts to develop a framework for cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan. The methodology that is adopted to address these issues is collecting, sorting, and analysing primary and secondary information relating to the history of political and economic development in South Sudan, using empirical approaches such as SWOT analysis, information sources, references, and books. However, this study is organized as follows: chapter 1 discusses political stability and economic development in a theoretical framework through which we explore the empirical analysis; it is divided into four sections. Section 1 focuses on definition, causes, and measurement of political stability with an aim to assess the effect of political stability on growth-related variables. In section 2, we define the concept of political instability and measure it by using indicators like the number of coups d'état, the number of major government crises, the number of cabinet changes, and the number of political revolutions as well as political assassinations. Section 3 discusses the concept and definition of economic development and summarizes the major theories of economic development in five fundamental elements. The last section explores the implications of financing economic development by discussing domestic resources (including deficit financing) and foreign financial resources and the role of each of them in achieving economic development. Chapter 2 presents the political and social background of South Sudan is divided into three sections. Section 1 discusses South Sudan's ability to function and successfully implement its policies and strategic vision for the year 2040. Section 2 focuses on the demographic structure of South Sudan in terms of population, education, languages, and culture. Section 3 discusses the social indicators such as infrastructure, poverty, and corruption which affect improving social welfare as well as the political stability and economic development of the Republic of South Sudan. Chapter 3 focuses on the South Sudan economy and the challenges. Here we discuss the political and development challenges facing South Sudan as well as the investment opportunities. This chapter discusses the major challenges which face South Sudan, especially issues such as border demarcation, political reform, and oil shutdown as well as investment opportunities in oil and agriculture. In chapter 4, we discuss South Sudan's oil and economic development. It focuses on oil resources and their impact on sustainable development, the impact of oil shutdown on political and economic development and the possibility of deficit financing. In chapter 5, we discuss the future of stability and prosperity in South Sudan. It discusses how good governance and cooperation can be enormously beneficial to South Sudan in the process of building sustainable political and economic stability and what South Sudan can learn from other countries. The major findings of this study are as follows: - Political stability plays an important role in determining economic growth and economic development in many economies. - The degree of political stability is high if there is a high degree of democracy or autocracy. - Strong democracies or strong autocracies are best equipped to provide political stability that may lead to economic development. It is then the level of political stability within a given country, regardless of regime type, that results in economic growth. - Long-term sustainable economic growth depends on the ability to raise the rates of accumulation of physical and human capital by securing necessary sources (domestic, foreign, or deficit finance) to use efficiently for financing economic development. - Most economists view corruption as a major obstacle to development. It is seen as one of the causes of low income and is believed to play a critical role in generating poverty traps (e.g., Blackburn et al. 2006). Thus, corruption, according to this view, "sands" the wheels of development and it makes economic and political transitions difficult. - Not only is good governance critical to development, but it is also the most important factor in determining whether a country has the capacity to use resources effectively to promote economic growth and reduce poverty.

Download or read book South Sudan written by International Monetary Fund. African Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2019 Article IV Consultation discusses that while the peace agreement signed in September 2018 has improved the prospects for lasting peace in South Sudan, the implementation of the agreement has become more protracted than envisaged with the recently announced six-month delay in forming a new national unity government. A relapse into war in mid-2016 spread insecurity across the country and severely affected all economic activities and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and food insecurity. The country is in a serious economic crisis. The discussions focused on the urgent need to restore macroeconomic stability and rebuild economic buffers. Addressing the macroeconomic imbalance, supported by improvements in oil management and public financial management, is an important factor to rebuild confidence in government policies. This will be necessary to regain access to external financial support from development partners. One of the key policy recommendations is to strengthen oil management and transparency by an immediate stop of contracting new oil-backed advances.

Download or read book Chad written by International Monetary Fund. African Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-09-09 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper analyzes the effect of an IMF Staff-Monitored Program for Chad to enhance economic development. Weak institutional capacity and governance concerns have limited economic development and donor support in Chad. It is highlighted that the reduction in the nonoil primary deficit envisaged in the 2013 budget appears appropriate, but expenditures linked to the regional security situation and lower than anticipated oil revenues imply large financing needs. There are significant economic and political risks to program implementation,; the regional security situation remains volatile, and the economy is highly dependent on volatile oil revenue.

Download or read book Sudan Oil and Human Rights written by Jemera Rone and published by Human Rights Watch. This book was released on 2003 with total page 772 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For twenty years, southern Sudan has been the site of a tragic and brutal civil war, pitting the northern-based Arab and Islamic government against rebels in African marginalized areas, especially the south. More than two million people have died and four million have been displaced as a result. In 1999, anew element radically changed the war: Sudanese oil, located in the south, was firs exported by the central government. The human price of this bonanza is immeasurable. The government, using oil revenues and aided by co-opted southerners, rained a scorched earth campaign of mass displacement, bombing, and terror on the agro-pastoral southern civilians living in and near the oil zones. The displaced number in the hundreds of thousands.

Download or read book Republic of South Sudan written by International Monetary Fund. African Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-12-17 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2014 Article IV Consultation highlights that South Sudan’s economic performance has been mixed in recent years. Real GDP growth has displayed high volatility, the result of changes in oil and agricultural production. Inflation rose in an initial period of economic instability in 2011–12 but was contained in 2013–14 thanks to fiscal and monetary restraint and lower food prices. Serious challenges remain, including distortions in the foreign exchange market and in budget execution, lower international oil prices, and subdued oil production. As a result, financing the budget for FY2014/15 is challenging and will likely require policy decisions given the otherwise potentially adverse impact on economic stability and inflation.

Download or read book The Role of Institutions In Achieving Financial Stability and Sustainable Economic Development In South Sudan written by Addis Ababa Othow Akongdit and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2019-10-04 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Sudan is currently facing a serious economic crisis occasioned by: i. the oil shutdown which began at the beginning of 2012; ii. the civil conflict which erupted in December 2013; iii. declining international crude oil prices which went down by almost 62% (from USD 104 per barrel in 2013 to USD 40 in 2016); iv. drastic decline in the daily oil production as a result of partial closure of Upper Nile oil fields and; v. total shutdown of Unity State oil fields as a result of the war. All these factors have a significant negative impact on the South Sudan's economy. On the other hand, South Sudan has abundant and mostly untapped natural resources. It has great agricultural potential given that the country is very fertile and blessed with land, water and mineral resource which are substantial in relation to the relatively small population of 10 million plus. Effective management and development of these resources will therefore offer the prospect of sustained strong economic growth. Hence, the key research questions for this study are: Why some countries experience sustained levels of steady economic growth much faster while others stagnate? What can to improve the role of economic and political institutions in economic performance? There is extensive evidence that institutions matter a great deal in determining the level of economic development of a country. They strongly affect the economic performance of countries and act in society at all levels by determining the frameworks in which economic exchange occurs. Many Economists have shown that differences in institutions, as deep determinants of economic growth, account for much of the differences in income and productivity per head observed between countries (Acemoglu et al., 2005 ). Institutions shape the policy and governance setting in a given country, which in turn characterize the rule of law, risk of expropriation, political stability and ease of doing business. This study ends by suggesting the most importing mechanisms to strengthen the political and economic institutions that will create public trust in the government and its institutions and lead to sustainable development and prosperity. With that in mind, the institutions should support the public and private sector, capability, social infrastructure, good governance, rules of laws in order to achieve sustainable economic growth and financial stability. In this context, the main objectives of this study is to analyze the economic and political structure in South Sudan to ensure its role in achieving sustainable Economic Development and to analyze the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies in responding to economic shocks. It is also opted to examine the structural soundness of the South Sudan economy and the efficiency of its key institutions in addressing the challenges. In particular, the role of a strong and healthy financial sector in weathering shocks and sustaining growth. In light of the above, this study focuses on the greater role institutions have played in the economic development of several East Asian countries as well as Africa. Though, it is argued that the institutions can be weaker and ineffective simply because of administrative, institutional, ethnic, social and political challenges including poor enforcement of the rule of law, corruption, mismanagement, lack of strong civil society and political interference. However, the strength of an institution determines whether a country will be poor or wealthy, whether or not its people are free or oppressed and if its people will suffer from poverty or benefit from prosperity. Therefore, the main recommendations of this study can be summarized as follows: - developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels; - building a variety of healthy institutions that can accelerate and spearhead growth; - building strong political and governmental institutions that enhance the governance - reforming the institutions with an aim to move from situations of stagnation to rapid growth or a better development paths; The study embraces a multi-pronged methodology, pursuing a combination of relevant methods and approaches of data collection, including both primary and secondary information sources. This study is organized as follows: Chapter 1 discusses the institutions, financial stability and sustainable Economic Development, theoretical framework in which we explore in the empirical analysis. Chapter 2 presents the historical background of institutions in South Sudan Chapter 3 focuses on institutions and financial stability where we discuss the institutional policies and approach for financial stability as well as issues of globalization, transparency, accountability and its impact on financial stability. In chapter 4, I discuss institutions and sustainable economic growth. It focuses on fundamentals and strategies of sustainable economic development and the role of good governance and institutions in long-term economic growth. In chapter 5, we discuss the prospects of strong institutions, financial stability and sustainable Economic Development in South Sudan. It discusses how efficiency and soundness of South Sudan's key institutions can be extremely valuable in process of building a sustainable economic growth and what can South Sudan learn from others countries. The last chapter is the conclusions and recommendations of research. The major findings of this study are as follows: - Conflicts affect economic outcomes mainly through the destruction of human and physical capital, shifts in public spending and private investment, as well as the disruption of economic activities and social life. - Building effective, efficient and accountable institutions in fragile state like South Sudan can be problematic and challenging. Most importantly, good political and economic governance, based on transparency and accountability, should be the key for building a politically and economically viable state capable of articulating a common vision for national unity, and providing stability and dividends of peace to its aspiring citizens. - Strictly, from economic point of view, a political resolution of the current crisis is urgently needed in order for South Sudan to restore the confident of investors, put socio-economic development as one of its priorities and regain its place as the world's newest investment destination. - Social, political and economic stability in South Sudan will depend on core institutions performing their functions sufficiently well to manage public resources effectively and distribute them equitably

Download or read book South Sudan written by International Monetary Fund. African Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2017-03-23 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Sudan has suffered civil conflict, political instability and external shocks in the past three years. A steep decline in oil production and a sharp drop in oil prices have caused large shortfalls in foreign exchange receipts and government revenue. Continued high government spending led to massive fiscal deficits that were either monetized or financed through accumulation of arrears. The country is in a deep economic crisis with annual inflation peaking at 550 percent in September 2016 and a precipitous currency depreciation. Gross international reserves have dropped to about one week of import cover. A relapse of violence in July 2016 following the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity three months earlier compounded the already existing humanitarian crisis and derailed the peace process. The hope is that the country charts a new course toward a broad-based and inclusive political process and economic development.

Download or read book The Growth Report written by Commission on Growth and Development and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2008-07-23 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The result of two years work by 19 experienced policymakers and two Nobel prize-winning economists, 'The Growth Report' is the most complete analysis to date of the ingredients which, if used in the right country-specific recipe, can deliver growth and help lift populations out of poverty.

Download or read book Global Economic Prospects 2010 written by World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2010-02-12 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The crisis has deeply impacted virtually every economy in the world, and although growth has returned, much progress in the fight against poverty has been lost. More difficult international conditions in the years to come will mean that developing countries will have to place even more emphasis on improving domestic economic conditions to achieve the kind of growth that can durably eradicate poverty.� —Justin Yifu Lin, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President The World Bank 'Global Economic Prospects 2010: Crisis, Finance, and Growth' explores both the short- and medium-term impacts of the financial crisis on developing countries. Although global growth has resumed, the recovery is fragile, and unless business and consumer demand strengthen, the world economy could slow down again. Even if, as appears likely, a double-dip recession is avoided, the recovery is expected to be slow. High unemployment and widespread restructuring will continue to characterize the global economy for the next several years. Already, the crisis has provoked large-scale human suffering. Some 64 million more people around the world are expected to be living on less than a $1.25 per day by the end of 2010, and between 30,000 and 50,000 more infants may have died of malnutrition in 2009 in Sub-Saharan Africa, than would have been the case if the crisis had not occurred. Over the medium term, economic growth is expected to recover. But increased risk aversion, a necessary and desirable tightening of financial regulations in high-income countries, and measures to reduce the exposure of developing economies to external shocks are likely to make finance scarcer and more costly than it was during the boom period. As a result, just as the ample liquidity of the early 2000s prompted an investment boom and an acceleration in developing-country potential output, higher costs will likely yield a slowing in developing-country potential growth rates of between 0.2 and 0.7 percentage points, and as much as an 8 percent decline in potential output over the medium term. In the longer term, however, developing countries can more than offset the implications of more expensive international finance by reducing the cost of capital channeled through their domestic financial markets. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org/gep2010. To access Prospects for the Global Economy, an online companion publication, please visit www.worldbank.org/globaloutlook.

Download or read book Republic of South Sudan written by International Monetary and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-04-02 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Sudan is a very fragile post-conflict country. After five years of civil conflict, the warring parties came to an agreement for power-sharing in September 2018 and formed a unity government in February 2020. However, peace remains fragile in the face of difficult humanitarian and economic conditions. Already very high levels of poverty and food insecurity have been exacerbated by severe flooding in recent months. The floods (the worst in 60 years) have killed livestock, destroyed food stocks, and damaged crops ahead of the main harvest season. South Sudan’s economy has been hit hard by lower international oil prices following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download or read book World Development Report 1994 written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1994 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World Development Report 1994 examines the link between infrastructure and development and explores ways in which developing countries can improve both the provision and the quality of infrastructure services. In recent decades, developing countries have made substantial investments in infrastructure, achieving dramatic gains for households and producers by expanding their access to services such as safe water, sanitation, electric power, telecommunications, and transport. Even more infrastructure investment and expansion are needed in order to extend the reach of services - especially to people living in rural areas and to the poor. But as this report shows, the quantity of investment cannot be the exclusive focus of policy. Improving the quality of infrastructure service also is vital. Both quantity and quality improvements are essential to modernize and diversify production, help countries compete internationally, and accommodate rapid urbanization. The report identifies the basic cause of poor past performance as inadequate institutional incentives for improving the provision of infrastructure. To promote more efficient and responsive service delivery, incentives need to be changed through commercial management, competition, and user involvement. Several trends are helping to improve the performance of infrastructure. First, innovation in technology and in the regulatory management of markets makes more diversity possible in the supply of services. Second, an evaluation of the role of government is leading to a shift from direct government provision of services to increasing private sector provision and recent experience in many countries with public-private partnerships is highlighting new ways to increase efficiency and expand services. Third, increased concern about social and environmental sustainability has heightened public interest in infrastructure design and performance.

Download or read book Africa s Infrastructure written by World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2009-12-01 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable infrastructure development is vital for Africa s prosperity. And now is the time to begin the transformation. This volume is the culmination of an unprecedented effort to document, analyze, and interpret the full extent of the challenge in developing Sub-Saharan Africa s infrastructure sectors. As a result, it represents the most comprehensive reference currently available on infrastructure in the region. The book covers the five main economic infrastructure sectors information and communication technology, irrigation, power, transport, and water and sanitation. 'Africa s Infrastructure: A Time for Transformation' reflects the collaboration of a wide array of African regional institutions and development partners under the auspices of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa. It presents the findings of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), a project launched following a commitment in 2005 by the international community (after the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland) to scale up financial support for infrastructure development in Africa. The lack of reliable information in this area made it difficult to evaluate the success of past interventions, prioritize current allocations, and provide benchmarks for measuring future progress, hence the need for the AICD. Africa s infrastructure sectors lag well behind those of the rest of the world, and the gap is widening. Some of the main policy-relevant findings highlighted in the book include the following: infrastructure in the region is exceptionally expensive, with tariffs being many times higher than those found elsewhere. Inadequate and expensive infrastructure is retarding growth by 2 percentage points each year. Solving the problem will cost over US$90 billion per year, which is more than twice what is being spent in Africa today. However, money alone is not the answer. Prudent policies, wise management, and sound maintenance can improve efficiency, thereby stretching the infrastructure dollar. There is the potential to recover an additional US$17 billion a year from within the existing infrastructure resource envelope simply by improving efficiency. For example, improved revenue collection and utility management could generate US$3.3 billion per year. Regional power trade could reduce annual costs by US$2 billion. And deregulating the trucking industry could reduce freight costs by one-half. So, raising more funds without also tackling inefficiencies would be like pouring water into a leaking bucket. Finally, the power sector and fragile states represent particular challenges. Even if every efficiency in every infrastructure sector could be captured, a substantial funding gap of $31 billion a year would remain. Nevertheless, the African people and economies cannot wait any longer. Now is the time to begin the transformation to sustainable development.

Download or read book Global Economic Prospects June 2021 written by World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2021-08-03 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world economy is experiencing a very strong but uneven recovery, with many emerging market and developing economies facing obstacles to vaccination. The global outlook remains uncertain, with major risks around the path of the pandemic and the possibility of financial stress amid large debt loads. Policy makers face a difficult balancing act as they seek to nurture the recovery while safeguarding price stability and fiscal sustainability. A comprehensive set of policies will be required to promote a strong recovery that mitigates inequality and enhances environmental sustainability, ultimately putting economies on a path of green, resilient, and inclusive development. Prominent among the necessary policies are efforts to lower trade costs so that trade can once again become a robust engine of growth. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Global Economic Prospects. The Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group Flagship Report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.

Download or read book Oil to Cash written by Todd Moss and published by CGD Books. This book was released on 2015-06-10 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oil to Cash explores one option to help countries with new oil revenue avoid the so-called resource curse: just give the money directly to citizens. A universal, transparent, and regular cash transfer would not only provide a concrete benefit to regular people, but would also create powerful incentives for citizens to hold their government accountable. Oil to Cash details how and where this idea could work and how policymakers can learn from the experiences with cash transfers in places like Mexico, Mongolia, and Alaska.

Download or read book Commodity Price Volatility and the Sources of Growth written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper studies the impact of the level and volatility of the commodity terms of trade on economic growth, as well as on the three main growth channels: total factor productivity, physical capital accumulation, and human capital acquisition. We use the standard system GMM approach as well as a cross-sectionally augmented version of the pooled mean group (CPMG) methodology of Pesaran et al. (1999) for estimation. The latter takes account of cross-country heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence, while the former controls for biases associated with simultaneity and unobserved country-specific effects. Using both annual data for 1970-2007 and five-year non-overlapping observations, we find that while commodity terms of trade growth enhances real output per capita, volatility exerts a negative impact on economic growth operating mainly through lower accumulation of physical capital. Our results indicate that the negative growth effects of commodity terms of trade volatility offset the positive impact of commodity booms; and export diversification of primary commodity abundant countries contribute to faster growth. Therefore, we argue that volatility, rather than abundance per se, drives the "resource curse" paradox.

Download or read book The Statesman s Yearbook 2016 written by Nick Heath-Brown and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-02-07 with total page 1558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in its 152nd edition, The Statesman's Yearbook continues to be the reference work of choice for accurate and reliable information on every country in the world. Covering political, economic, social and cultural aspects, the Yearbook is also available online for subscribing institutions: www.statesmansyearbook.com .

Download or read book Water Civilisation and Power in Sudan written by Harry Verhoeven and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-05 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water, Civilisation and Power in Sudan offers an alternative account of how water policy, violence, and economic modernisation are linked.