|
on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Manpreet Sethi |
| Abstract: | The study examines the manner in which India is engaged in constructing a credible and stable deterrence relationship with two of its nuclear armed adversaries, Pakistan and China with an arsenal much smaller, and command and control structures far simpler than in any of the P-5 nations. Does this difference impact the nature of its nuclear deterrence? In its efforts at creating and sustaining credible nuclear deterrence should India necessarily be expected to follow the same path and rules as those of the P-5? Would it be compelled to build hundreds of warheads and a huge weapons infrastructure? Would a deterrence based on anything less not be credible or stable? |
| Keywords: | pakistan, chuna, nuclear armed, Nuclear deterrence, nuclear risk reduction, india, infrastructure, nations, USA, USSR |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2423&r=cwa |
| By: | Rama Pal |
| Abstract: | The present paper attempts to modify definition of catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditure by characterising it based on consumption of necessities. Catastrophic health expenditure is defined as one which reduces the non-health expenditure to a level where household is unable to maintain consumption of necessities. Based on this definition of catastrophic health expenditure, the paper examines determinants of catastrophic OOP health expenditure in India. |
| Keywords: | Catastrophic health expenditure; Consumption of Necessities; India, OOP health expenditure, economic wellbeing, household |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2420&r=cwa |
| By: | R Mohan; Shyjan D |
| Abstract: | The paper attempts to analyse the impact of devolution of taxes and distribution grants by the Centre to the States in India by taking fourteen major States for the time period 1980-81 to 2006-07. The study focuses on the impact of inter- State distribution of Central grants and taxes. Analysis reveals that formula based tax devolution has been more equalising than grants. Study finds that there is need to explore alternative mechanisms. [WP 419]. |
| Keywords: | India, vertical and horizontal inmalance, finance commission, Gross Domestic Product, GDP, state, GSDP, service tax, indirect taxes, direct, central excise, revenue, devolution, taxes, grants, centre, states, distribution, taxes, devolution, |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2421&r=cwa |
| By: | Sharmila, N; Dhas, Albert Christopher |
| Abstract: | Women constitute almost half of the population of the world. Education for women is the best way to improve the health, nutrition and economic status of a household that constitute a micro unit of a nation economy. In this context, it can be argued that lack of woman education can be an impediment to the country’s economic development. In India, women achieve far less education that of men. As per the Census report 2001, the literacy rate of women is 54.16 per cent and that of men is 65.38 per cent. There has been a sincere effort to improve the education attainment of women by both government and voluntary organizations. The changes in the policies and infrastructural supports on primary, secondary and higher education reflect the initiatives of the Government of India towards women education. This paper examined the trends in women education, the investments on education and infrastructural supports in India. The study revealed that there had been significant progress in the performance of women education revealed from female literacy levels and its change over time. It was also observed that the gaps between rural and urban female literacy rates are narrowing down. It was observed that rural poverty acts as a push factors for women’s education rather than as an obstacle to women’s education. The significant influence of urbanization on women’s education implied that urbanization had been playing a beneficial role in the attainment of women’s education in India. At the same time, the drop-out rate had a negative effect on women’s education. It revealed that that reduction of girl’s drop-out rates is necessary for achieving women’s education. The initiatives of the government through investment and infrastructure in developing education in India were examined. With regard to facilities in schools, it had improved significantly, but a lot more need to be done. In sum, the study revealed that there have been concerted efforts to encourage girls to attend schools, which would lead to higher literacy in future. The study also revealed that there are several infrastructural barriers to women education in India. The study calls for focused approach towards increasing women centred educational infrastructure so as to reduce the women drop-out rates and to improve female literacy levels in India. |
| Keywords: | Women Development; women education; women literacy; education infrastructure; Female literacy rate; women in India; Indian women; primary education; secondary education; higher education; India |
| JEL: | I2 A2 B54 |
| Date: | 2010–02–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20680&r=cwa |
| By: | Inoue, Takeshi; Hamori, Shigeyuki |
| Abstract: | This study empirically analyzes the sources of the exchange rate fluctuations in India by employing the structural VAR model. The VAR system consists of three variables, i.e., the nominal exchange rate, the real exchange rate, and the relative output of India and a foreign country. Consistent with most previous studies, the empirical evidence demonstrates that real shocks are the main drives of the fluctuations in real and nominal exchange rates, indicating that the central bank cannot maintain the real exchange rate at its desired level over time. |
| Keywords: | Exchange Rate, India, RBI, SVAR, India, Foreign Exchange |
| JEL: | E31 F31 |
| Date: | 2009–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper216&r=cwa |
| By: | Dilek Demirbas; Ajay Shah; Ila Patnaik |
| Abstract: | FDI by firms in developing countries is a recent phenomenon and demands a study of relationship between firm productivity and different modes of globalisation activities. This paper attempts to understand this relationship through ordered probit models, examining two key hypotheses using firm level panel data from India. First, it is tested whether there are characteristic differences between domestic firms, exporting firms and firms engaging with FDI. [NIPFP WP No. 2010-65]. |
| Keywords: | Outbound FDI, multinationals, Panel data, India, Ordered Probit models, firms, globalisation, developing countries, productivity, |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2422&r=cwa |
| By: | Sununtar Setboonsarng |
| Abstract: | The main issues surrounding this concern and provides a range of policy, regulatory, and institutional measures that could help strengthen the impact of transport infrastructure on poverty reduction are summarized. |
| Keywords: | institutional measures, policy, transport, infrastructure, gender dimensions, poverty reduction, investment, income, India, Thailand, rural, savings, developing countries |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2418&r=cwa |
| By: | Raghbendra Jha; Sambit Bhattacharyya; Raghav Gaiha |
| Abstract: | Using primary data collected during 2007-08 we examine the nutritional status with respect to the two macronutrients (calories and protein) as well as various micronutrients of rural households in three Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. We find that, by and large, there are serious deficiencies in regard to consumption of various nutrients in all three states. With this as a background we model the impact of two policy interventions (NREG and PDS) on nutrient intake. In addition to OLS and IV estimations for each nutrient for each state, we also conduct systems estimation for each nutrient for all states. In many cases, there are significant effects of the two policy interventions on nutrient intakes. The impact effects of a change in the policy measures are also computed and found to vary across nutrients and states. Finally, in order to assess the impact on an index of undernutrition, both the nutrient-income relation and how the proportions of undernourished vary must be taken into account. As our analysis demonstrates, a preoccupation with the former could be misleading. |
| Keywords: | Nutrition, Social Safety Nets, NREG, PDS, India |
| JEL: | D12 H53 O12 |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pas:asarcc:2010-04&r=cwa |
| By: | Dhas, Albert Christopher; Helen, Mary Jacqueline |
| Abstract: | The globalisation process, which aimed at integration of economies and global development, is basically a reflection of neo-imperialism ideas. The question addressed in this paper is: what are the social implications of the neo-imperialism (globalisation) process in India, particularly on the social security aspects of the working population? Accordingly, an attempt is made in this paper to examine changes in the social security status of the working population that have been brought about since the introduction of globalisation process in terms of employment, labour absorption and the labour market conditions in India. It is seen that the overall growth rate of the organised sector employment maintained its declining trend from the period 1977-78 to 1999-2000. The growth rate of the public sector employment declined more than the private sector employment and this trend continues up to the present. From 1997, the public sector employment grew negatively. Though there has been marginal increase in the percentage growth rate of employment in the private sector, the quality of the life of the working population may not have increased as the characteristics of these employees are similar to those in the unorganized labour with lower or no social security. In order to understand the changing dimensions of unorganized sector, the data on the growth performance and labour absorption in agricultural and non-agricultural enterprises in India from the Economic Censuses are analysed. It is also seen that the increase in employment has been much lower than that of the number of enterprises, indicating the low labour absorption capacity in both the Agricultural and the Non-Agricultural Enterprises. In addition, the number of workers per enterprise has shown a steady decline from 1980 to 1998, revealing a falling trend in labour absorption in enterprises of both sectors. The paper concluded that the trends in the labour market reveal deplorable conditions of the working population in India. This situation would affect not only the social and economic conditions of the present working population, but also the further additions to it. Therefore, it is argued that the policies towards de-linking budgetary support to the working population, reducing labour absorption in the public sector as part of the globalisation strategy and relying on the market forces to absorb labour and fix their wages, would adversely affect the employment situation in India. Hence, efforts should be initiated to improve the labour absorption capacity of the country at remunerative levels of real wages so that the problems of rise in unemployment could be solved. |
| Keywords: | Soaial Implications; Neo-imperialism; Labour market; employment; globalization; unorganized sector; labour absoption; India |
| JEL: | A1 J64 J0 |
| Date: | 2010–02–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20740&r=cwa |
| By: | Ranja Sengupta; Abhilash Gopinath |
| Abstract: | Conceptual and empirical linkages between trade liberalization and gender equality in the context of development; and the impact of the WTO and PTA/FTAs on gender are discussed. It then provides a cross section of recent results on this linkage in India. Providing an overview of the main issues from a Southern perspective with an indicative literature survey, this can be used as a reference tool for CSOs, students, researchers and policy analysts. [Paper I]. |
| Keywords: | trade liberalization, gender equality, development, WTO, Economic Growth, poverty, NAMA, Agriculture, food, Services, women, InvestmentIndia, students, researchers, policy analysts, literature, |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2417&r=cwa |
| By: | Ayla Ogus (Department of Economics, Izmir University of Economics); Niloufer Sohrabji (Department of Economics, Simmons College) |
| Abstract: | The Turkish current account has been exploding in the last few years leading to concerns of a crisis. One of the primary factors identified in the rising deficits is the appreciating lira. In addition, income elasticity of exports and imports can also shed light on continuing trade deficits. In this paper we analyze exchange rate and income elasticity of Turkish imports and exports. We find a significant gap between domestic and foreign income elasticities (for exports and imports respectively) which points to a threat of growing trade deficits. In addition we also find that the exchange rate elasticity is negative for both Turkish exports and imports. This indicates that depreciation of the Turkish lira will have a negative effect on both imports and exports. |
| Keywords: | Cointegration; current account deficits; exchange rate and income elasticity, Turkey |
| JEL: | F32 F41 |
| Date: | 2009–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:izm:wpaper:0906&r=cwa |
| By: | Bansal, Sangeeta; Gruère, Guillaume |
| Abstract: | In 2006, India proposed a draft rule requiring the labeling of all genetically modified (GM) foods and products derived thereof. In this paper, we use primary and secondary market data to assess the economic implications of introducing such a mandatory labeling policy for GM food. We focus on four products that would likely be the first affected by such a regulation in India: cottonseed oil, soybean oil, brinjal (eggplant), and rice. We find that GM food labeling would generate a specific market outcome for each of these products. With GM labeling, virtually all cottonseed oil would be labeled as GM, with limited costs for all actors involved, but also limited benefit for consumers. Labeling soybean oil derived from GM crops could affect market shares for edible oils at the benefit of domestic oils, and non-GM soybean oil could appear on the market at a very limited scale. Labeling GM brinjal would be extremely challenging. Assuming it was implemented, some non-GM brinjal would be sold at a premium in high-income retail outlets, while virtually all others would be labeled GM. A similar outcome would occur for rice, with high-quality rice used for both domestic consumption and exports markets certified non-GM and most of the remaining rice labeled as GM. In each of the cases, labeling would generate significant adjustment costs for the industry and large enforcement costs, and consumer benefit would not always be visible and would highly depend on the degree of enforcement. In fact, voluntary labeling could achieve less-distorted results with lower costs and therefore appears to be a superior regulatory solution. Still, provided enforcement is ensured, a well-designed mandatory labeling regulation with limited product coverage, a non-zero labeling threshold, and an informative labeling content would lead to a much better outcome and lower costs in India than the current draft rule, especially if it is accompanied by a large awareness campaign regarding GM food and consumer safety in India. |
| Keywords: | Genetically modified food, Labeling, market shares, domestic consumption, soybean oil, export markets, rice, cottonseed oil, enforcement costs, consumer safety, Food marketing, Genetic resources, |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:946&r=cwa |
| By: | Simrit Kaur; Vani S. Kulkarni; Raghav Gaiha; Manoj K. Pandey |
| Abstract: | Employment elasticity with respect to agriculture value added in South Asia has weakened in recent years. While crop diversification has grown and value added per hectare also grew, employment growth was sluggish. However, the linkages between farm and non-farm employment remain strong. Drawing upon the 50th and 61st rounds of the National Sample Surveys (NSS) for India in 1993 and 2004, we first review the changes in participation rates in farm and non-farm activities by gender, age, education and caste affiliations. This is followed by an econometric analysis of contribution of farm and non-farm employment towards welfare in terms of per capita expenditure. The focus is on household characteristics (size, composition, education, land holding), and community characteristics (access to roads, power and financial services). Using a measure of normalised rainfall, we assess how rainfall shocks influence welfare in farm and non-farm activities. The fact that welfare of selfemployed in non-farm activities became more sensitive to rainfall shocks in 2004, relative to 1993, suggests stronger linkages between farm and non-farm activities. Also, the welfare of self-employed in agriculture became more sensitive to rainfall shocks in 2004, presumably due to expansion of agriculture into arid and semi-arid areas. Finally, and not so surprising is the greater sensitiveness of welfare of agricultural labour households to rainfall shocks. So while education and better infrastructure will help enhance welfare in farm and non-farm activities, the policy concern for resilience against rainfall shocks is reinforced. |
| Keywords: | Rainfall Shocks, Agriculture, Non-Agriculture, Employment, Income, Consumption, Infrastructure, Education, South Asia, India |
| JEL: | H53 I32 Q15 R23 |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pas:asarcc:2010-05&r=cwa |
| By: | Saba, Irum; Alsayyed, Nidal |
| Abstract: | The Islamic banking industry has been trying for the last two decades to extend its outreach to expand its operation business and services in a comparable zone to conventional banking. This paper discusses one of the important hurdles in the growth of Islamic banking which is the use of KIBOR as benchmark for pricing the Islamic banking products. Muskun home financing product of BankIslami Pakistan Limited is used in this paper to elaborate the pricing and benchmarking of product, spread between the conventional interest rate and Islamic profit rate as well as the alternative product pricing mechanism to be used by Islamic banks for this product. Details of Muskun home financing product are discussed in this paper in addition to the marketing strategy, market approach, product development, and all other relevant processes. |
| Keywords: | Islamic Economics; KIBOR; Benchmarking; Pricing; Riba based system; Confidence |
| JEL: | C51 Z12 E31 A10 C01 |
| Date: | 2010–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20683&r=cwa |
| By: | Evangelos Liaras |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to explore the question of small and incremental reform in Turkish minority policies over the last two decades, contrasting with the dramatic economic, social, and political changes that the country has experienced over the same period. The main focus will be on two partly overlapping groups living in Turkey (Alevis and Kurds); comparison with other Southern European countries will be made as background reference. The reason for this focus is analytical: these two groups are structurally different from minorities found in Italy or Greece in that they are both large enough to carry great electoral weight and politically salient enough to affect Turkey's EU accession prospects. Minority policy is an often overlooked realm of public policy, either because it is considered too sensitive or too case-specific, as opposed to fiscal, labor, family, and immigration policy, which, at least in the European context, are now typically examined and compared by scholars on a more transnational framework. However, minority policy broadly defined (as the recognition and treatment of sections of the population identified as belonging to a special cultural heritage) touches upon a number of diverse policy areas including civil rights, education, regional development, relations between religion and state, language, culture, and national security. In Turkey minority policy in official discourse has historically been linked to the non-Muslim minorities protected by the Treaty of Lausanne, whereas Alevis and Kurds were traditionally accorded no special recognition under the Kemalist Republic. The first part of the paper attempts to theoretically situate minority policy in the context of competitive party politics. What is puzzling about Turkey is why given a climate of increased democratization and confidence after the suppression of the PKK insurgency, the Turkish party system has not been more responsive to the long-standing grievances of Kurds and Alevis. Partly based on existing literature, the author posits that a constellation of factors is necessary for policy reform on minority issues to proceed in a democratic system: the mobilization of the minority group(s) in question and either high external pressure on the state to satisfy minority demands or significant electoral competition for the minority's votes or participation in government of a party that monopolizes the minority vote and is ideologically committed to its agenda. The second part of the paper briefly discusses the history of state attitudes towards Kurds and Alevis in Turkey, as well as more recent developments including the reforms on Kurdish language rights, the abortive Çamuroglu recommendations regarding Alevi pious foundations, DTP's entry in parliament, and the constitutional amendment process launched by AKP. The third and final part of the paper explains why Turkey's party system for a long time lacked the necessary preconditions for more groundbreaking policy changes, underlining the importance of external pressure from the EU as an engine for reform. |
| Keywords: | Europeanization |
| Date: | 2009–11–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:erp:euirsc:p0224&r=cwa |
| By: | Saba, Irum; Alsayyed, Nidal |
| Abstract: | The Islamic Economic and banking industry have been trying for the last two decades to extend its outreach to expand its operation business and services in a comparable footing to conventional banking. This paper discusses one of the important hurdles in the growth of Islamic banking which is the use of KIBOR as benchmark for pricing the Islamic banking products. Muskun home financing product of BankIslami Pakistan Limited is used in this paper to elaborate the pricing and benchmarking of product, spread between the conventional interest rate and Islamic profit rate as well as the alternative product pricing mechanism to be used by Islamic banks for this product. Details of Muskun home financing product are discussed in this paper in addition to the marketing strategy, market approach, economic product development, and all other relevant processes. |
| Keywords: | Islamic Economics; KIBOR; Benchmarking; Pricing; Riba based system; Confidence |
| JEL: | C13 Z12 A10 C01 |
| Date: | 2010–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20685&r=cwa |
| By: | Eddy Yusof, Ezry Fahmy; Kashoogie, Jhordy; Anwar Kamal, Asim |
| Abstract: | A hot topic among Islamic economists is the debt versus equity debate. Which of the two are more in line with justice and equality? Which of them is more productive in fulfilling the greater objectives of the Shariah? This paper is divided into sections. After the introduction, it is followed by problem statement as well as objective of the study. After that, section 4 briefs the research questions for answering the analysis in this paper. Section 5 deals with discussion obtained from literature review whichhighlights important issues regarding Maqasid Al-Shari’ah in term of justice and equality vis-àvis the current practice as well as ideal model of Islamic banking and finance. Finally, this paper ends up with conclusion. |
| Keywords: | productivity; justice; Equality; Islamic finance; debt financing; equity financing; maqasid shariah |
| JEL: | D20 D40 |
| Date: | 2009–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20722&r=cwa |
| By: | Aykut, Arslan |
| Abstract: | Increased environmental uncertainty and complexity along with budget constraints requires public organizations to manage strategically as never before. The environments of public organizations have become increasingly turbulent and more firmly interconnected. During the past two decades, governments have innovated new management tools such as strategic planning, outsourcing, and performance measurement to deal with complex governance and networks to provide their public services. Meanwhile, the drive to implement e-government has resulted in the formulation of many e-government visions and strategies, driven by their own sets of political, economic, and social factors and requirements. With this regard, recent developments in e-service provision of Turkish Local e-Governments deserve empirical and well-structured research. Building on the recent literature, this study draws a strategic orientation framework and tests it by analyzing the contents of strategic documents of 114 Turkish Local e-Governments. |
| Keywords: | Turkish Local e-Governments; e-Government Strategy; Strategic Orientation Model; |
| JEL: | O1 O18 H1 H7 O3 |
| Date: | 2009–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20704&r=cwa |
| By: | Virginie Allaire (CEREN, Burgundy School of Business (Groupe ESC Dijon-Bourgogne), France); Arvind Ashta (Centre Emile Bernheim, CERMi, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels and CEREN, Burgundy School of Business (Groupe ESC Dijon-Bourgogne), France); Laurence Attuel-Mendes (CEREN, Burgundy School of Business (Groupe ESC Dijon-Bourgogne), France); Karuna Krishnaswamy |
| Abstract: | This paper looks at whether Morocco meets the usual criteria of a country where MFIs can succeed and what distinguishes Morocco from its North African neighbors (Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt) where a priori the culture is similar even though institutions may be different. The paper uses the similarities and differences of these five countries to identify cultural, institutional, economic and geographic factors which explain why Microfinance in particular and development in general arrives sooner in some environments than in others. The objective of the research is to identify controllable institutional factors which can be introduced in regulation to enable Microfinance to succeed in a country. We used a case study approach combined with a little bit of correlation analysis. The case study approach is the most adapted to studying small samples in more detail. The success of Microfinance is linked to population density, smallness of a country's geographical size and its poverty as well as the amount of international donor funds it has received. The availability of oil exports as revenues may lead to a delay in developing microfinance. Establishing a specific legal framework for Microfinance, such as in Morocco, may help foster the growth of Microfinance. The existence of Apex organizations for centralizing international aid and redistributing funds may in fact lead to lower donor participation since their choices are reduced and an extra level of bureaucratic costs is imposed. The results also indicate the need for a better quality database than that currently provided by the MIX. Biases may come in from the small sample size as well as from the lack of data on Libya. Future research may focus on correlation with violence, corruption, women's rights, political risk and economic sanctions. The findings would lead microfinance institutions to lobby for specific laws, more initial direct donor funding, less government apex distribution and better information databases. This kind of comparative institutional analysis has not been performed, at least for this region. |
| Keywords: | Institutional analysis, regulation, microfinance, North Africa |
| Date: | 2009–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sol:wpaper:09-057&r=cwa |
| By: | Nadav Halevi; Ephraim Kleiman |
| Abstract: | This paper examines trade across the Mediterranean against the background of the efforts to foster both North-South and intra-South trade flows as engines of growth. We first consider the shares of these regions (and of the countries constituting them) in the trade of each other as indicators of trade importance; and relative trade intensity indices – the ratio of these shares to the corresponding ones in the trade of the rest of the world – as measures of trade affinity and as means of identifying 'natural' trade partners. Because of the sheer size disparity, trade with the North-Med is more important to the South-Med than the other way round. But both regions display trade affinities with each other, making them natural trading partners, though there are wide disparities between individual countries within each region. Insofar as being natural trading partners forms a criterion for economic integration, there are promising prospects for some form of integration between the countries on the North and the South littorals of the Mediterranean. Contrary to the popular view of Arab South-Med trade being dominated by cultural, religious and linguistic commonalities, our findings show that geography still matters: the Arab South-Med affinity with the group of EU countries not lying on the Mediterranean littoral is much lower than with those that do. Arab commonality also seems to be more important in the trade of the Levant than in that of the Maghreb, whose trade affinities with its former colonial powers suggest the colonial heritage there to be still of importance. More generally, the differences observed here between the Maghreb and the Arab Levant have relevance to the EU's Barcelona Process policy, which encourages the formation of a South Mediterranean Free Trade Area. The findings of our study suggest that though the Arab Levant constitutes indeed a natural trading area, this is not as true for the region as a whole. |
| Date: | 2009–12–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:erp:euirsc:p0227&r=cwa |
| By: | Michele Nori; Mohamed El Mourid; Ali Nefzaoui; Pamela Giorgi |
| Abstract: | Pastoralism is a characteristic livelihood system for the whole Mediterranean basin. From Morocco to Turkey, from Sardinia to Libya, herding societies are a common feature of all countries and civilisations that have inhabited the region. Though the material and symbolic wealth of pastoral groups is an integral part to the Mediterranean livelihood as well as cultural systems (i.e. milk, lambs, transhumance, etc…), these societies have long suffered various forms of socio-political and economic marginalisation. While the lands and environments herders insisted upon have become a main target for modernization policies, from natural reserve to farming expansion, from mining exploitation to livestock market off-takes, their rights have been seldom acknowledged and their technical skills and institutional capacities hardly recognized. Recently, low population density, remoteness and political marginality have made pastoral areas the prime targets for state retrenchment under Structural Adjustment Programs and cuts to public budgets. On the other side important potentials exist for a fairer development of these communities, such as the increasing consumption demand for animal proteins, together with the recognition of pastoralism as an environmental-friendly natural resource management, and processes of enhanced autonomy and local participation in political decision-making offered by recent reforms implying decentralisation and devolution. During the last decades, access to and control of resources in pastoral areas have gone through specific transformation processes, which have reshaped to a large extent pastoralists dependence on their natural resource base and enhanced integration into state and market dynamics. Yet the outcomes of these processes are yet to prove beneficial to pastoral communities, whose sense of marginalisation, disillusionment and resentment towards state or regional institutions is an important element that helps explaining to an extent processes of political radicalisation in many pastoral regions. As a result, pastoral groups seem increasingly exposed to climatic vagaries, increasingly trapped in the vicious circle characterised by high levels of food insecurity, conflict and environmental degradation. Within the climate change framework the vulnerability of these communities to extremes climatic events, i.e. drought, is being increasingly acknowledged (WISP, 2007). This paper addresses the dynamics perceived, the problems faced and the applied coping strategies by some pastoral communities inhabiting the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. With case studies from Morocco and Tunisia and a wider regional analysis which also include cases from Jordan, Syria and Palestine, this paper addresses the shifting vulnerability of pastoral communities under changing environmental and socio-political domains. An innovative participatory tool, the historical livelihood matrix is presented and brought into discussion as an appropriate tool which enables discussing livelihood dynamics in an historical perspective, taking into account the gender as well as generational perspectives. The research work has been undertaken within the ICARDA Maghreb and Mashreq program, complemented with some other development works undertaken by the author in the region with the NGO Ucodep. |
| Keywords: | participation; risk-sharing mechanisms; institutionalisation; gender policy; Mediterranean |
| Date: | 2009–10–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:erp:euirsc:p0223&r=cwa |
| By: | Nyarko, Yaw |
| Abstract: | Oil was discovered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) just 50 years ago. During that time, UAE has been able to transform itself into a rapidly modernizing country, which is fast becoming a major economic hub and a key player on the international economic landscape. This paper discusses a number of aspects of the development strategy of the UAE that contributed to its phenomenal development: (i) the political system, which has resulted in a perception of stability and minimal political risk, encouraging investment; (ii) oil; (iii) development strategies that have resulted in a very dynamic business environment; (iv) open importation of foreign skills and management; (v) labour policies that have enabled the immigration of vast numbers of foreign lower-skilled workers. There are, of course, also concerns for the future, and indeed each of the five positive attributes listed above has a flip side which is a potential major challenge for the future. |
| Keywords: | role models, United Arab Emirates, success |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2010-11&r=cwa |
| By: | Ahmad Nawaz (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.) |
| Abstract: | The social nature of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) is mainly financed by subsidies received from the donors. This paper investigates the relationship between the sustainability and the efficiency of microfinance. Using Yaron’s Subsidy Dependence Index (SDI) as a measure of sustainability, a panel data set has been generated from the audit reports of the 179 MFIs worldwide. This essay empirically investigates some important relationships and phenomenons in microfinance. Even after correcting for the endogeneity bias, the results lend some support to the existence of mission drift tendency in microfinance. Notwithstanding interest rate policy, evidence is found that MFIs do charge higher interest rate to women borrowers with small loan sizes. Further, the determinants of MFIs profitability and sustainability have also been identified. Furthermore the evidence does not support the trade-off between outreach and sustainability, however, the trade-off between costs and sustainability of MFIs is well supported. While the productivity and efficiency of MFIs contributes towards sustainability. |
| Keywords: | Microfinance, Sustainability, Profitability, Mission Drift |
| JEL: | G21 H2 G28 O57 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sol:wpaper:10-010&r=cwa |
| By: | Muhammad Mahboob Ali (Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology; Bangladesh); Victoria Wise (University of Houston-Downtown, USA) |
| Abstract: | The study had empirically tested the money supply function for Bangladesh using annual time series data. Authors observed that high-powered money played a very significant role in the money supply process of Bangladesh, particularly with respect to the narrow money supply M1, thus providing some support for the monetarist model. However, beyond the monetarist view, additional variables in the light of the Keynesian and structuralist analysis, such as bank rate, external resources, and financial liberalization need to be taken into account in understanding the money supply process of the country. Other aforesaid variables were also found to exert some influence on the broad money supply in Bangladesh. However, given the poor performance of the narrow money model and the existence of multicollinearity problem in both models, the estimated results, even for the broad money model, needed to be interpreted with caution. |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aiu:abewps:81&r=cwa |
| By: | Eddy Yusof, Ezry Fahmy |
| Abstract: | The legal documentation having several features tends to make legal writing formal. This formality can take the form of long sentences, complex constructions, archaic and hyper-formal vocabulary, and a focus on content to the exclusion of reader needs. Some of this formality in legal writing is necessary and desirable, given the importance of some legal documents and the seriousness of the circumstances in which some legal documents are used. Yet not all formality in legal writing is justified in the Shariah point of view. It may sometimes to the extent that formality hinders reader comprehension, and do not reflect clear communication. This paper will explore some clauses of the legal documentation and analyze it check and balance from the Shariah perspective. In the second part of this paper, we will investigate some of controversial clauses that are deemed as prohibition elements. This paper conclude by proposing some suggestion in Islamizing the currently practice legal documentation in order to incorporate with the Shariah requirement. |
| Keywords: | Legal documentation; rights and liabilities; Shariah requirement; prohibitions in legal documentation. |
| JEL: | K40 G18 |
| Date: | 2009–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20721&r=cwa |