nep-ara New Economics Papers
on Arab World
Issue of 2009‒01‒17
fourteen papers chosen by
Quentin Wodon
World Bank

  1. The Tunisian Pharmaceutical Sector in Transformation: Inventory of Fixtures and Innovation Prospects By Nejla Yacoub
  2. Aid Volatility and Macro Risks in Low-Income Countries By Eduardo Borensztein; Julia Cagé; Daniel Cohen; Cécile Valadier
  3. La crise financière et ses retombées (5) : L’opinion publique contre l’aide au développement ? By Robert Zimmerman
  4. La crise financière et ses retombées (1) : Les marchés émergents à l’épreuve By Helmut Reisen
  5. The Fallout from the Financial Crisis (5): The End of Public Support for Development Aid? By Robert Zimmerman
  6. The Fallout from the Financial Crisis (3): Will Aid Budgets Fall Victim to the Credit Crisis? By Andrew Mold; Dilan Olcer; Annalisa Prizon
  7. The Fallout from the Financial Crisis (2): External Debt Sustainability Should More Be Done for the Poor? By Annalisa Prizon
  8. La crise financière et ses retombées (2) : Soutenabilité de la dette extérieure - Faut-il faire plus en faveur des pauvres ? By Annalisa Prizon
  9. La crise financière et ses retombées (3) : Les budgets d’aide seront-ils victimes de la crise du crédit ? By Andrew Mold; Dilan Olcer; Annalisa Prizon
  10. La crise financière et ses retombées (4) : Les conséquences sur les IDE à destination des pays en développement By Andrew Mold
  11. The Fallout from the Financial Crisis (4): Implications for FDI to Developing Countries By Andrew Mold
  12. The Fallout from the Financial Crisis (1): Emerging Markets under Stress By Helmut Reisen
  13. Modelling stock returns in Africa’s emerging equity markets. By Paul Alagidede; Theodore Panagiotidis
  14. The Islamic Inter bank Money Market and a Dual Banking System ; The Malaysian Experience. By Bacha, Obiyathulla/I

  1. By: Nejla Yacoub (labrii, ULCO)
    Abstract: Since the entrance of Tunisia to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995, the Tunisian pharmaceutical industry has recorded considerable changes. Notably, with the extension of patentability to pharmaceuticals, the sector is now at a dynamic stage of transformation, translated by a notable development of the industry of generics. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mutations that have marked the Tunisian pharmaceutical industry over the last decade and study its potential of developing future innovation. In this purpose, the paper is divided into two main parts. In the first one, we are going to present the legal and economic changes in the Tunisian pharmaceutical sector and highlight the emphasis of the government on the production of generics. In the second part, the paper aims at studying the perspectives for innovation in Tunisia through the study of the innovation capabilities in the Tunisian pharmaceutical sector. The results show that in spite of some strengths of the Tunisian economy, the perspectives for pharmaceutical innovation remain handicapped by several financial and structural deficiencies of the national and pharmaceutical innovation systems. Depuis l’adhésion de la Tunisie à l’Organisation Mondiale du Commerce (OMC) en 1995, le secteur pharmaceutique tunisien enregistre des changements considérables. Il se situe aujourd’hui à un stade dynamique de transformations, traduites particulièrement par le développement notable de l’industrie des génériques. L’objectif de cet article consiste donc à analyser les mutations ayant marqué le secteur pharmaceutique tunisien durant la dernière décennie et d’étudier son potentiel d’innovation. Dans cette perspective, l’article s’articule autour de deux grandes parties. Dans la première, nous allons exposer les changements réglementaires et économiques du secteur pharmaceutique tunisien et mettre l’accent surtout sur l’incitation du gouvernement pour la production des génériques. Dans la seconde partie, nous nous proposons d’étudier les perspectives d’innovation en Tunisie à travers l’étude des capacités d’innovation locales dans le secteur pharmaceutique. Les résultats montrent qu’en dépit de certaines forces qui caractérisent l’économie tunisienne par comparaison à d’autres Pays En Développement (PED) similaires, les perspectives d’innovation pharmaceutique demeurent handicapées par nombreuses défaillances financières et structurelles liées aux systèmes national et pharmaceutique d’innovation.
    Keywords: generics, innovation, innovation system, patents, pharmaceuticals, Tunisia
    JEL: O55 O34 O32 L65
    Date: 2008–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rii:riidoc:190&r=ara
  2. By: Eduardo Borensztein; Julia Cagé; Daniel Cohen; Cécile Valadier
    Abstract: The report argues that aid volatility is an important source of volatility for the poorest countries. Following a method already applied by the Agence Française de Développement, the report argues that loans to LICs should incorporate a floating grace period, which the country could draw upon when hit by a shock. The definition of a shock should include aid uncertainty, along with others such as commodity shocks and natural disasters. The idea is calibrated to a key IMF policy instrument towards Low-Income Countries, the Poverty-Reducing and Growth Facility (PRGF).
    Date: 2008–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaaa:273-en&r=ara
  3. By: Robert Zimmerman
    Abstract: Au cours des vingt dernières années, la population des pays de l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE) a adopté une attitude positive et cohérente vis-à-vis de l’aide, malgré les fluctuations de l’économie. Dans le même temps, les sondages montrent que les électeurs continuent de soutenir majoritairement l’aide aux pays en développement, en dépit de la crise financière.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:87-fr&r=ara
  4. By: Helmut Reisen
    Abstract: La crise mondiale du crédit qui a frappé les pays industrialisés n’a contaminé les marchés émergents que tardivement. Cependant, en octobre 2008, elle s’est rapidement étendue à tous ces pays, sans distinction ni considération pour ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler leurs « fondamentaux ». Les investisseurs adeptes du « découplage » ont d’abord été rassurés par les taux de croissance élevés, les réserves colossales de devises étrangères, l’équilibre des budgets et le consumérisme naissant. Mais il est désormais clair que l’évaluation de la performance des politiques publiques de ces États a péché par optimisme. En définitive, toutes les classes d’actifs ont été touchées : actions, obligations et monnaies.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:83-fr&r=ara
  5. By: Robert Zimmerman
    Abstract: Over the past 20 years, public attitudes towards aid in OECD countries have remained steadily positive throughout economic ups and downs. At the same time, polling data shows that voters continue to strongly support aid to developing countries, despite the financial crisis.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:87-en&r=ara
  6. By: Andrew Mold; Dilan Olcer; Annalisa Prizon
    Abstract: The financial crisis should give a new impetus to governments’ efforts to improve aid effectiveness. Over the last few months, the governments of OECD countries have pledged trillions of dollars in loans, guarantees, capital injections, and other assistance in their coordinated effort to prop up the global financial system. In comparison, annual aid flows, currently standing at around $100 billion, are just “a drop in the ocean”, in the words of Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:85-en&r=ara
  7. By: Annalisa Prizon
    Abstract: Since the credit crisis first erupted, relatively little attention has been given to the consequences of the financial crisis on low-income countries’ indebtedness. Although in recent years developing countries as a group have benefited from increasing private flows (particularly FDI and remittances), many low-income countries are still heavily dependent on external official aid and debt flows.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:84-en&r=ara
  8. By: Annalisa Prizon
    Abstract: Depuis le début de la crise du crédit, on n’a accordé qu’une attention relativement faible aux conséquences de la crise financière sur l’endettement des pays à faible niveau de revenu. Si au cours des dernières années les pays en développement ont, dans l’ensemble, bénéficié d’une augmentation des flux de capitaux privés (notamment sous la forme d’investissements directs étrangers (IDE) et de transferts de fonds des travailleurs expatriés), de nombreux pays à faible niveau de revenu dépendent encore très largement de l’aide officielle externe et des flux d’endettement.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:84-fr&r=ara
  9. By: Andrew Mold; Dilan Olcer; Annalisa Prizon
    Abstract: Au cours des derniers mois, dans un effort coordonné visant à redresser le système financier mondial, les gouvernements des pays membres de l’OCDE se sont engagés à hauteur de plusieurs milliers de milliards de dollars sous la forme d’emprunts, de garanties, d’injections de capital et d’autres types d’assistance. En comparaison, les flux annuels de l’aide, qui s’élèvent actuellement à près de 100 milliards de dollars, ne sont « qu’une goutte dans l’océan », comme l’a déclaré Robert Zoellick, président de la Banque mondiale. Pourtant, nombreux sont ceux qui s’inquiètent de l’impact.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:85-fr&r=ara
  10. By: Andrew Mold
    Abstract: Au cours des dernières décennies, les IDE ont figuré parmi les principaux bénéficiaires de la libéralisation des mouvements de capitaux, tant et si bien qu’ils constituent aujourd’hui la forme principale des entrées de capitaux dans de nombreux pays en développement, y compris des pays à faible niveau de revenu comme le Tchad, le Soudan ou la Zambie. Si l’on peut à juste titre se réjouir d’un tel succès, les dérèglements financiers actuels ne sont cependant pas de bon augure pour la pérennité de ces flux en 2009.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:86-fr&r=ara
  11. By: Andrew Mold
    Abstract: Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been one of the principal beneficiaries of the liberalisation of capital flows over recent decades, and now constitutes the major form of capital inflow for many developing countries, including low-income ones like Chad, Mauritania, Sudan and Zambia. But while there are reasons to celebrate this success, the current financial turmoil does not bode well for the sustainability these flows in 2009.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:86-en&r=ara
  12. By: Helmut Reisen
    Abstract: The contagion of the global credit crisis from the industrialised countries to the emerging markets has taken some time to develop. Then, in October 2008, it spread rapidly, afflicting all emerging markets, without any distinction or regard to their so-called “fundamentals”. For believers in “decoupling”, the high growth rates, massive foreign exchange (FX) reserves, balanced budgets and rising consumerism in the emerging markets at first reassured investors. It is now clear that the diagnosis of emerging-market policy performance suffered from hyperbole. In the end, all emerging market asset classes were hit: stocks, bonds and currencies.
    Date: 2008–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:devaac:83-en&r=ara
  13. By: Paul Alagidede (Department of Economics, University of Stirling); Theodore Panagiotidis (Department of Economics, University of Macedonia)
    Abstract: We investigate the behaviour of stock returns in Africa’s largest markets namely, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. The validity of the random walk hypothesis is examined and rejected by employing a battery of tests. Secondly we employ smooth transition and conditional volatility models to uncover the dynamics of the first two moments and examine weak from efficiency. The empirical stylized facts of volatility clustering, leptokurtosis and leverage effect are present in the African data. .
    Keywords: Stock Returns, Weak Form Efficiency, Asymmetric Volatility and African Stock Markets.
    JEL: C22 C52 G10
    Date: 2009–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mcd:mcddps:2009_01&r=ara
  14. By: Bacha, Obiyathulla/I
    Abstract: This paper examines the operation of an Islamic Interbank Money market (IIMM), within a dual banking system. The paper argues that even though an Islamic Money market operates in an interest free environment and trades shariah compliant instruments, many of the risks associated with conventional money markets, including interest rate risk is relevant to an Islamic Money Market operating within a dual banking system. The empirical evidence based on Malaysian data, points to Islamic money market profit rates/yields that are highly correlated and move in sync with conventional money market rates. Given the dynamics of fund flows and cross linkages, an IIMM operating within a dual banking system cannot sterilize itself from interest rate risk. In fact, the paper argues that such an IIMM may actually enhance interest rate risk transmission to the Islamic banking sector, by providing additional channels of transmission. Ironical as it may be, the operations of an IIMM in a dual banking system may serve to bring the Islamic banking sector into closer orbit with the conventional sector.
    Keywords: Islamic Interbank Money Market; Dual Banking; Malaysia
    JEL: D53 D02 E44
    Date: 2008
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:12699&r=ara

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