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on MENA - Middle East and North Africa |
| By: | Simplice A. Asongu (Yaoundé/Cameroon); Antonio R. Andrés (Ostrava, Czech Republic) |
| Abstract: | In the first critical assessment of knowledge economy dynamic paths in Africa and the Middle East, but for a few exceptions, we find overwhelming support for diminishing cross-country disparities in knowledge-based economy dimensions. The paper employs all the four components of the World Bank’s Knowledge Economy Index (KEI): economic incentives, innovation, education, and information infrastructure. The main finding suggests that sub-Saharan African (SSA) and the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries with low levels of KE dynamics and catching-up their counterparts of higher KE levels. We provide the speeds of integration and time necessary to achieve full (100%) integration. Policy implications are also discussed. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge economy; Principal component analysis; Panel data; Convergence; Development |
| JEL: | F42 O10 O38 O57 P00 |
| Date: | 2019–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:agd:wpaper:19/013&r=all |
| By: | Emna Omri (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis - UCA - Université Côte d'Azur - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Nouri Chtourou (RUDE - Research Unit in Development Economics - Université de Sfax - University of Sfax); Damien Bazin (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis - UCA - Université Côte d'Azur - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | Concentrating solar power (CSP) is a promising technology in Tunisia. However, its diffusion is facing many barriers which deter investments. Through the analysis of a CSP plant in Southern Tunisia by using the Global Risk Analysis (GRA) method, we try to analyze the main risks faced by investors. The main objective of this research is to identify and analyze the risks faced by CSP investors in Tunisia and develop strategies that should be adopted to accelerate the process of diffusion of this technology. This analysis allows us to conclude that the CSP project is very exposed to political, financial, physical-chemical, legal, and strategic hazards. Moreover, we show that among the four phases of the project, the preparation phase is the most vulnerable to hazards. In fact, the GRA method makes it possible to determine the list of the major risks, such as the risk of not obtaining permission to build a CSP plant, the risk of non compliance with the deadline, the risk of failure to achieve the expected performance, the risk of insufficient access to capital, and the risk of conflicts with local residents. In order to de-risk CSP technology in Tunisia, we propose some strategies, such as strengthening the public-private partnerships, using participatory approaches, creating local employment, etc. |
| Date: | 2019–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02061788&r=all |
| By: | Kamila Galeza; Amal Faltas; Lina Abdelghaffar |
| Keywords: | Health, Nutrition and Population - Health and Sanitation Social Development - Participations and Civic Engagement Social Development - Social Accountability Water Supply and Sanitation - Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Water Supply and Sanitation - Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions Water Supply and Sanitation - Water Supply and Sanitation Participation |
| Date: | 2018–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wboper:29647&r=all |
| By: | Christophe Muller (Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, EHESS, Centrale Marseille, AMSE) |
| Abstract: | Since the seminal paper of Atkinson and Bourguignon (1982), little decisive progress has been achieved in developing empirically efficient stochastic dominance criteria for multidimensional social welfare analysis. By proposing new axioms of 'Social Shock Sharing', this paper provides new intuitive justifications to imposing sign restrictions on partial derivatives of individual von Neumann-Morgenstern utility functions. These new breakthrough findings are exploited to derive necessary and sufficient stochastic dominance criteria for multidimensional social welfare comparisons, up to the sixth order, at least. Equivalent results are derived in terms of multidimensional poverty conditions. Empirically powerful discriminatory criteria are obtained by combining all social shock sharing axioms up to some high order and by deriving a dimension reduction property. An application to Egypt at the beginning of the XXIst century demonstrates the practical substantial gain in discriminating power of the approach by revealing a unambiguous continual improvement in bivariate income-education social welfare over the studied period. |
| Keywords: | multidimensional welfare, stochastic dominance, temperance, risk sharing |
| JEL: | D3 D63 I31 |
| Date: | 2019–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aim:wpaimx:1903&r=all |
| By: | Meital Graham-Rozen (Bank of Israel); Noam Michelson (Bank of Israel) |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we study credit insurance in Israel between 2010 and 2017, using a unique database provided for our use by ICIC—the Israeli Credit Insurance Company, the leading credit insurer in Israel. The research aims to determine what factors impact on the acceptance rate (the amount of insurance provided relative to the amount of insurance requested). This is the main parameter set by ICIC, and it reflects the pricing of the risks in each transaction. We find that the acceptance rate is impacted on primarily by the extent of the insurance company's exposure to the buyer's country, but also by the size of the insured company, the risk of the buyer with whom the company is transacting, and by the global real economic situation. These factors impact differently on domestic buyers and on buyers abroad, apparently due to differences in information on the two types of buyers. In addition, we examine the scope of exports insured by credit insurance and characterize them by geographical distribution and by risk levels. Finally, we examine—for the first time in Israel—suppliers' credit and find a strong link between suppliers' credit risk and real activity. |
| Date: | 2018–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:boi:wpaper:2018.03&r=all |