Scaling up Aid or Scaling down : The Global Economic Crisis and Rwanda’s MDGs
Rwanda is not on track to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals at a time when hopes for scaled-up aid are mixed with concerns that, in the context of the global economic crisis, aid instead will be scaled down. This paper analyzes the e...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2012
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090608143540 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4151 |
Summary: | Rwanda is not on track to achieve most
of the Millennium Development Goals at a time when hopes for
scaled-up aid are mixed with concerns that, in the context
of the global economic crisis, aid instead will be scaled
down. This paper analyzes the effects of alternative
scenarios for grant aid, government spending allocations
(between infrastructure, agriculture, and human
development), and government efficiency. The authors use an
economy-wide model for development strategy analysis,
Maquette for Millennium Development Goal Simulations. Under
a plausible scenario for increased aid, annual growth in
gross domestic product increases by as much as 0.6
percentage points relative to a baseline with a growth rate
of 6 percent; by 2020, the headcount poverty rate declines
to 32 percent, 3 percentage points lower than for the
baseline. A plausible scenario for reduced aid leads to a
symmetric growth reduction but a more pronounced increase in
poverty, at 40 percent in 2020. When aid increases, the most
positive growth and poverty reduction impacts occur if
spending increases are allocated to infrastructure and
agriculture; progress in human health and education is
significant but weaker than if additional spending is
focused on these areas. Given synergies and diminishing
marginal returns from expansion in a limited area, the
scenarios that may appear most attractive and politically
feasible have a broad and balanced expansion across
government functions, promoting both growth and human development. |
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