A paper by Princeton academics says that: It would be preferable for government to understand providing reusable data, rather than providing websites, as the core of its online publishing responsibility. Rather than struggling, as it currently does, to design sites that meet each end-user need, we argue that the executive branch should focus on creating [...]
Brown to press G8 for more progress on Africa
According to Andy Grice in The Independent Gordon Brown plans to continue to press G8 leaders to live up to their commitments on Africa: Mr Brown's four-point plan for the annual G8 gathering includes a $60bn boost for health care in developing nations, to recruit more health workers; extra money to meet shortfalls in a [...]
If not now, when? (Agricultural trade reform)
If we can't get an agreement on cutting food tarriffs and limiting market-distorting agricultural subsidies now, while food prices are surging (see graph), then when we will ever?
Chronic poverty
The new Chronic Poverty Research Centre website was launched today; and the second Chronic Poverty Report will be launched next week: Four years ago, the Chronic Poverty Research Centre published the Chronic Poverty Report 2004-05. This was the first major international development report to focus on the estimated 320 to 445 million people who live [...]
Using aid to subsidise private investment
Justin Muzinich and Eric Werker propose "a better approach to foreign aid" in the form of tax credits for companies that invest in developing countries: tax credits for U.S. companies promise more aid, less waste, and the hope of better institution-building than government-to-government assistance. The next question is how a system of tax credits should [...]
Rich countries backtrack on aid?
According to Hugh Williamson in the FT the 8 richest countries are stepping back from the commitment they gave in Gleneagles to increase aid: Leaders of the Group of Eight rich nations are set to backtrack on their landmark pledge at the Gleneagles summit in 2005 to increase development aid to Africa to $25bn a [...]
What determines successful reform in developing countries?
Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, Pablo Querubín and James A Robinson nail it:One can find instances where the root of these distortionary policies is in mistaken economic theories. But this is the exception rather than the rule. Few policymakers create insurmountable entry barriers, hyperinflations or large budget deficits because they think this is good for the [...]
Ring road relay
Here is the Marie Stopes team for the Olympic Day Ring Road Relay yesterday. Each team of 12 people ran a kilometre each on the newly built ring road, between Meganagna and Bole. It was an out-and-back route, so we got to see the elite athletes going past. Haile Gebrselassie presented the prizes at the [...]
Donors not living up to their pledges
I've not seen much press coverage of the 2008 DATA report which aims to hold donors to account for meeting the promises they gave in 2005. This year's report finds that rich countries have so far given only one seventh of the extra aid they promised. This year, the report (with its celebrity backers, Bob [...]
If I were living in London
I would be trying to beg, steal or borrow tickets for the Ethiopiques concert at the Barbican Hall, London, on Friday June 27. Here is an extract from an article in the weekend FT: Raider of the lost archives: The golden age of Ethiopian music ran from 1969 to 1978. In the last years of [...]