Aid Recipients Research Articles

Tariff overhang and aid: Theory and empirics

In this paper, we consider aid payments as a possible explanation for tariff overhangs. We set up a theoretical model in which rich countries use development aid to pay for tariff concessions by poorer countries. The more aid they receive as compensation, the more poor countries reduce the applied tariff below the bound tariff rate. Anticipating this mechanism, countries can negotiate a bound tariff rate that induces the joint optimal applied tariff and aid as outcomes. We empirically examine the relationship between tariff overhangs and donor aid preferences using detailed data on WTO members’ bound and applied tariff rates under the Uruguay agreement. The data sample contains a predominant majority of WTO members that are aid recipients under the Uruguay agreement. Our results provide support for the model’s aid-for-trade mechanism.

Aid–Growth Nexus and Corruption

Abstract Using data on 71 aid recipient countries over the period 2000–2019, this study examines the effect of the size and composition of foreign aid (Official Development Assistance, ODA) on economic growth. The size of ODA is positively correlated with growth, and the impact of an increase in ODA on growth decreases when ODA reaches a certain level. The influence of the composition of ODA in terms of grants and loans on growth is estimated differently depending on sample selection. The sample is divided into two sub-samples based on the median of the corruption perception index. The regression results show that grants have a positive and significant impact on growth without sample selection. However, loans have a positive and significant impact on growth in the sub-sample of less corrupt countries, but a negative and significant impact on growth in the sub-sample of more corrupt countries. Therefore, the results suggest that ODA is useful for inducing growth in the early stages of development. However, improvement in the economic environment in terms of reduced corruption is required to increase the positive impact of ODA in the form of loans on growth.

Examination of Foreign Legal Aid Systems and Their Operating Mechanisms

The extraterritorial experience of legal aid mechanisms should also be examined in a dynamic and practical manner. It is impossible to understand the actual system of a country on the basis of its legislative texts or the jurisprudence of its courts. As Ehrman, a famous comparative law researcher, emphasized, “When comparing, it is possible to know what must be functionally compared rather than just words. No matter how serious it is, it cannot be based only on legal provisions. No matter how clear and explicit it is, we must observe its actual effects.” Therefore, it is necessary to use the “five pairs of relationships” that support China's legal aid operation mechanism as the basic analytical framework to examine the basic experience of representative extraterritorial countries' legal aid operation mechanisms, and present their normative structure and practice. In order to objectively analyze the advantages and ingrained habits of the extraterritorial legal aid system, and reconsider the interrelationships between the five entities of the government, legal aid agencies, aid lawyers, aid recipients, and case handling agencies.

‘Living beyond its present means’: World Bank push and local pushback over lowest-cost housing for postcolonial Dakar

ABSTRACT In mid-1972, the World Bank approved its first loan for a sites and services project, selecting Senegal for the location based on the country's prior experience with similar schemes. Through a close reading of documents in the Bank archive, this article explores the serious differences that emerged between the Bank and Senegal in shaping the project, focusing on three issues: determining whether slum clearance or upgrading should be used to manage existing unregulated urban settlements; eliminating government subsidies for moderate-income housing schemes in order to shift investment to sites and services; and setting appropriate standards for the new Bank-sponsored neighbourhood. Moreover, the partners conceived the project quite differently: while the Bank was fixed on the successful implementation of its first sites and services scheme, for Senegal, this project was only one element of a larger vision for Dakar, which reflected the ambitions of the country's first postcolonial president, Léopold Senghor, and was given shape in the 1967 master plan developed by French urban planner Michel Écochard. The article examines the completed project through the contrasting evaluations produced by the project partners, and considers the complex power dynamics of the relationship between the Bank and Senegal as aid lender and recipient.

Stimulus Ekonomi bagi Masyarakat Melalui Program Pemuda Mandiri Membangun Desa (PMMD)

The aim of this service activity is to provide programs to the community to stimulate the economy of underprivileged communities. The results of the activities carried out are as follows: 1) Preparation stages which include: a) checking data on people who will receive basic necessities; b) verify the data that has been obtained; c) make a journal or schedule for outreach and field observations; and d) use existing data as a guide during observation and counseling. 2) Implementation stages which include: a) going directly into the field to several houses to provide health education and training for the community; b) go directly to the field to distribute free basic necessities and provide guidance on the dangers of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI); and c) re-screen all aid recipients who are deemed not on target.

Dynamics of EU Central and Eastern European donors’ development cooperation

The article deals with both qualitative and quantitative aspects of development assistance provided by the 11 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries that are members of the European Union (EU). The aim is to answer the question of what are the major determinants of their involvement in development cooperation. It also aims to understand the controversy surrounding the development policies of these donors and to assess the impact of past determinants on the current situation. Our study employs a combination of data analysis (based on Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development – OECD – statistics) and a literature review. In order to allow the examination of trends, constant prices have been applied throughout the study. Our research operates both on absolute (volumes of development aid given to and offered by the countries in mind) and relative data (bilateral to total ODA ratio and regional distribution of bilateral aid). The analysis reveals that the CEE EU donors’ spending on development assistance grew 463% over the 2004–2021 period. In 2021, they accounted for 2.4% of global aid, which was not a significant share globally, though noteworthy at the level of EU development aid spending. We found a clear dominance of the multilateral channel in the distribution of CEE EU aid fluctuating between 65–90%, mainly through EU institutions. In terms of bilateral activities, CEE donors chose their poorer European neighbours as their main aid recipients, with the share ranging from 24% to 76%. There are two main types of factors that determine the aid activities of the actors analysed: interests, which set the course of bilateral flows, and institutional factors (i.e., EU development policy and countries' accession to the OECD Development Assistance Committee), which played an equally important role. The relative importance of the two determinants has varied with changing circumstances over time.

Trends in telemedicine utilization for mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of a nationwide database in Korea

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has worsened mental health and reduced access to mental health services. During the pandemic, the demand for telemedicine has increased and related laws have been enacted. This study aimed to investigate telemedicine use for cases of major mental illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare the characteristics of patients who received telemedicine service with those of patients who received in-person care.MethodsThis population-based, cross-sectional, observational study was based on health insurance claims data, and included 2,749,872 patients who received outpatient treatment for mental illness from February 24, 2020 to June 30, 2022. Logistic regression was performed to assess the relationships between patient characteristics and telemedicine service use. Patients who received telemedicine services were analyzed in subgroups of each mental illness.ResultsDuring the study period, 80,157 patients (2.9%), with an average age of 63 years, received at least one telemedicine treatment. There was a predominance of women and medical aid recipients. The lowest proportion of telemedicine treatments was for depression (2.1%), and the highest was for dementia (6.7%). The proportion of patients receiving telemedicine in long-term care hospitals was high (22.6%), with the highest odds ratio (OR) (5.84), compared with that in tertiary or general hospitals, followed by that in psychiatric hospitals and clinics. The proportions were high in the departments of internal medicine, neurology, and psychiatry. Patients aged > 80 years received most telemedicine treatment (OR: 1.23) across all diagnoses. Cases of dementia and other mental disorders had higher ORs (2.60 and 2.36, respectively) compared with cases of depression. Except for dementia and behavioral/emotional disorders, hospitalization increased the probability of telemedicine treatment. Comorbidities were positively associated with telemedicine treatment.ConclusionsOlder people and people with other physical illnesses were more likely to use telemedicine treatments temporarily provided during the pandemic. Telemedicine maintained continuity of treatment for patients with dementia and severe mental illnesses. Telemedicine can be useful for filling the medical gaps for vulnerable populations other than those with mild mental illnesses. This aspect should be considered for the future establishment of telemedicine systems.

From displacement to empowerment: How women found their voice and claimed their power

abstract The narrative on women within war and displacement contexts focuses a great deal on their vulnerability, presenting them as passive victims. This perpetual projection of women as victims of violence veils their capacity to take positive action, assert their power and claim agency over their lives. Based on research on the experiences and challenges of internally displaced women in the Bamenda subdivisions, North West Region of Cameroon, the feminist standpoint theory, and the capacities and vulnerabilities analysis framework, this article emphasises the importance of challenging dominant narratives that cast women as victims and passive recipients of aid, and spotlights their ability to survive in adversity. This research used a qualitative design, unstructured interviews, and content analysis with verbatim transcriptions. Findings indicate while in a new environment, displaced women develop relevant coping strategies over time, and some have a better life compared to that experienced before the move. Over 91% of respondents reported having ventured into income-generating activities, including small trading, house help, online marketing, baking and farming. Income generated is primarily channeled towards food, shelter, health and education for both women and their children, as some women have enrolled in school since being displaced to Bamenda. The study concludes that despite the challenges faced with displacement, the process provides exposure for displaced women, offering them a chance to rise above the limitations of cultural/social norms and practices, giving them a better chance of discovering and realising their dreams.

Achieving sustainability at the individual and community levels through development assistance

ABSTRACTThis study uses a Saemaul Undong overseas development assistance (ODA) project in Rwanda as a case study to develop a new theory regarding aid recipients achieving sustainability. Although sustainability has emerged as a major concern in the international development community, there is still limited research on the sustainability of development interventions and means of practically achieving sustainability. This study fills this gap in the literature by exploring the process of achieving sustainability and assessing the dynamics among the factors that contribute to this process. Our findings reveal that sustainability is an accumulative continuum from the individual level to the community level, with different interventions and governance structures required to advance from one level to another. This study offers practical lessons for donor governments and agencies regarding the types of interventions that they should provide and the roles that they should play depending on the relevant level of sustainability.

PENENTUAN PENERIMA BANTUAN BERAS RASKIN PADA DESA SINDANGHAYU MENGGUNAKAN METODE VIKOR

In this research, we discuss the VIKOR method system to facilitate the identification process of RASKIN rice aid recipients in Sindanghayu Village. The VIKOR method is used to select potential aid recipients considering several important criteria. This study first identified the criteria for determining RASKIN rice assistance recipients, including the number of family members, per capita income, health status and food needs. In addition, data on these criteria were collected from each household in Sindanghayu Village. The families of potential funding recipients are then analyzed and compared using the VIKOR method based on defined criteria. In this phase, the criteria are weighted using the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) technique to determine the level of importance of each criterion. Families are then evaluated using the VIKOR method based on the level of importance and the relationship between the criteria. The results of the VIKOR analysis can give the highest priority to potential aid recipients who meet higher weighting criteria. In this way, the identification of the RASKIN rice aid beneficiaries in Sindanghayu Village can be carried out more objectively, effectively, and efficiently.

Is energy aid allocated fairly? A global energy vulnerability perspective

The escalating climate change crisis is causing many developing countries to become more vulnerable to energy-related challenges, highlighting the issue of fairness in allocating energy aid. Given this context, it is important to ensure countries that face higher energy vulnerabilities receive a greater share of energy aid funding. This study aims to assess the impact of energy vulnerability on energy aid allocation using a double-hurdle model and a panel of 124 countries from 2002 to 2019. We rely on an index of energy vulnerability to understand the differences in the amount of aid available to different energy-vulnerable recipients, and study the transmission mechanisms underlying this relationship. Our results suggest that the allocation of energy aid has been largely fair. Specifically, energy-vulnerable countries are more likely to be selected as recipients of energy aid during the selection stage, and subsequently receive a greater share of this aid during the allocation stage. However, this effect is heterogeneous and asymmetric. Donors tend to allocate energy aid to countries characterized by relatively low quality of government, low income levels, and limited access to energy assistance. Furthermore, disparities exist in the impact of energy vulnerability on different types of energy support. Specifically, countries with higher energy vulnerability receive a greater proportion of energy policy and energy distribution aid, but are allocated a relatively small share of aid to their non-renewable energy-generation sectors. Additionally, the relationship between energy vulnerability and renewable energy generation aid is not statistically significant. Our results highlight the importance of considering energy vulnerability when allocating energy assistance, and have both scholarly and practical significance. Our findings also have important policy implications for donors by providing guidance on how to promote a fairer allocation of energy aid.

Aid is not development: The true character of Pacific aid

AbstractMotivationYou need not look far to read stories extolling the virtues, promises, and achievements of aid to the Pacific, but such stories are far from lived experience or empirical reality. There are other often silenced stories, stories that need to be heard. They speak of broken promises and obfuscation, oppressive bureaucratic conditions, and private contractors competing for profit off the back of the Pacific's poor and vulnerable people.PurposeThis article seeks to uncover something of the true character of aid, how it has changed (over the past decade) and how donors, their intermediaries, and Pacific recipients have responded.Methods and approachWe use our ethnographic and auto‐ethnographic insights to explore repressed stories; insights drawn from seven decades of collective experiences and observations of Australian aid, Australia being the region's largest and most significant donor.FindingsWe see three clear shifts in Australian aid over the last decade: (1) aid has become more politicized, deployed to support Australian interests; (2) aid has been increasingly privatized as much of the aid has been spent through four large Australian and international corporations—with local Pacific companies marginalized; and (3) aid has been increasingly contested by the peoples of the Pacific.Such changes have encouraged donors to tighten their grip on power. They have encouraged intermediaries to act as their agents, performing high levels of “interpretive labour.” They compete for donor custom and favour.Recipients of aid have been left with few options: they can comply with donors, thanking them for their generosity. They may resent the way they have been stripped of agency, perhaps looking to China for a different relationship.Aid of this character is not development. Rather, it is an unchecked donor‐driven system, beset by excessive power and control to benefit the system and its agents. Such aid may result in some success, but it systematically fails to empower Pacific agency and to reduce aid dependency.Policy implicationsA magnitude of change is required. We recommend more space for reflection on the lived experience of aid and on those generative, transformative initiatives occurring outside the aid system.We urge recipients of aid to take responsibility for development; to demand reform to see platitudes around listening, respect, and partnership become something more than words on a page; to ensure aid invests in long‐term development aligned to Pacific plans and priorities on Pacific terms—or to reject aid outright.

The Role of the Family Hope Program (PKH) in Enhancing Family Literacy and Financial Management from the Perspective of Islamic Economics

As Financial Planner, women have a challenging task, as managing family finances is akin to regulating the heartbeat of married life, making financial literacy and management essential skills to possess. This research examines the role of the Family Hope Program (PKH) in educating aid recipients regarding financial management, focusing on female PKH aid recipients who must actively seek livelihoods. This study adopts a qualitative approach with a case study methodology. The research findings highlight the vital role of PKH in enhancing beneficiaries' financial management literacy, aligning with Islamic economics principles. It is evident in all informants demonstrating financial management practices adhering to Islamic economic principles. It includes using money, budgeting, setting aside emergency/savings funds investments, and managing credit/debt. These findings serve as a crucial reference for PKH support. Recommendations for future research include exploring the differences in financial management between active and non-working PKH aid recipients.

Rancang Bangun Aplikasi Pengolahan Dana PKH Pada Kantor Kepala Desa Dalam Berbasis Web

The web-based PKH fund processing application is a web-based application design aimed at distributing Family Hope Program (PKH) aid funds to the village head's office so that they can be distributed quickly and accurately. This application has features that include data collection, aid recipients, announcements or information on disbursement of aid regarding the Harapan Family Program (PKH). The advantages of using this PKH fund processing information system application are minimizing the risk of data errors and optimizing the time and resources involved in the PKH fund processing process.

IMPLEMENTASI DATA MINING DENGAN ALGORITMA NAIVE BAYES UNTUK KLASIFIKASI KELAYAKAN PENERIMA BANTUAN SEMBAKO

The percentage of the population receiving assistance was 5.19%, this figure increased compared to March 2022, while the line of aid recipients was recorded in 2022 of 783,730 people per capita per month. The number of poor households in Batu Aji District is Bukit Tempayang Village with 15,857 inhabitants, 300 poor households, 37,531 inhabitants in Buliang Village, 289 poor households, 28,693 The beneficiary of assistance is an inability to meet basic needs including food, clothing, education and housing. Thus it is necessary to carry out a strategy in dealing with the level of beneficiaries, namely by providing accurate and targeted data on beneficiaries. Naive Bayes is an algorithm that exists in data mining and is part of the data mining classification technique by using probability and statistical techniques to estimate or predict opportunities that will occur based on previous opportunities, namely there are two feasible and inappropriate classes. The results of the classification that will be carried out later will help in the processing of assistance to help make decisions regarding the classification of determining basic food recipients. And by testing calculations manually and using rapid minner software, you get an accuracy value of 80%.

The risk factors of COVID-19 infection and mortality among older adults in South Korea.

This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and mortality among older adults in South Korea. Using Korean National Health Insurance data from January 1, 2020, to March 31, 2022, we analyzed the impact of various factors, including age, comorbidity burden, and insurance type, on COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. Age was the most significant risk factor for mortality in older adults. A higher comorbidity burden was also associated with increased infection (odds ratio [OR]: 1.33 for Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] ≥2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.321-1.339) and mortality (OR: 1.537 for CCI ≥2, 95% CI: 1.459-1.618) rates. While Medical Aid recipients exhibited lower infection rates (OR: 0.898, 95% CI: 0.89-0.906) than National Health Insurance beneficiaries, they had higher mortality rates (OR: 1.692, 95% CI: 1.623-1.763). These results emphasized the need to prioritize vaccination and allocate healthcare resources for older adults, particularly those with multiple comorbidities. Addressing socioeconomic disparities and ensuring equitable access to testing and healthcare services are crucial for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on older adults.

Procurement practices in international development projects: trends, networks and performances

PurposeInternational development projects are a dominant means by which aid is distributed to countries. Over the past 70 years, the distribution of trillions of dollars of development aid has been mediated by the United Nations (UN). However, most of this aid has failed to deliver the expected outcomes for which it was assigned. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of projects can be considered successful. Despite the glaring question as to which factors contribute to the success or failure of projects, no study has comprehensively documented the relationship between procurement mechanisms invoked to deliver aid projects and project outcomes. This study aims to assess this relationship.Design/methodology/approachLeveraging network analysis methodology, this study examines the World Bank data set of over 247,000 developmental contracts worldwide granted over the past 20 years. It identifies the range of procurement practices used and interrogates their ability to deliver satisfactory project outcomes.FindingsEleven prevalent practices are identified covering aid projects across twelve sectors. As might be expected, Africa is the largest recipient of aid, while the Middle East is the least. Overwhelmingly, international competitive bidding (ICB) is the leading procurement procedure, both in terms of contract number and total dollar value. However, ICB does not always deliver the best outcomes, with other, more boutique approaches sometimes doing better.Social implicationsThe breadth of this study, encompassing such a vast data resource, and generating such a rich pool of findings will now empower researchers to take the next important step, which is to progress this study in exploring why it is that certain procurement strategies have worked for some sectors, but not others. Countries, financial institutions, the UN and construction enterprises alike will be very interested in the results.Originality/valueThe spectrum of outcomes identified will be of interest to academics and practitioners alike wishing to investigate further the drivers behind the results described here.

Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia

ABSTRACT Although arsenic contamination was originally considered an environmental problem, its impact on human beings is now widely deemed a serious health issue. This study examines whether international communities perceive arsenic as a health issue and discusses current challenges regarding arsenic contamination in Cambodia. Using comprehensive panel data covering 122 health aid recipient countries across three-plus decades (1990–2020), the first part of our study finds that the recipients’ health needs caused by major incidences (HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria) are all important factors determining health aid. However, health aid is conditionally effective on countries with high arsenic contamination when they have a better governance level. In this context, we conduct a case study focusing on Cambodia, where arsenic contamination is quite serious but given less attention than in other countries. In Cambodia, both inter-governmental coordination and coordination among international organizations are weak, and no long-term blueprint for arsenic mitigation has yet been developed. To fundamentally and sustainably address this problem, we suggest that Cambodia establish a control tower incorporating government, research institutes, and international agencies.

The effects of financial aid on graduation and labor market outcomes: New evidence from matched education-labor data

Financial aid decreases the cost of acquiring additional education. By using Italian administrative and survey data on financial aid recipients and exploiting sharp discontinuities in the amount of aid received, this paper identifies the causal effect of aid generosity on college performance and labor market outcomes. The results show that students facing a higher cost of college earn more credits each year than those receiving higher financial aid. This gap generates a significant difference in the overall graduation time. No differences emerge in the GPA level or the probability of graduating from college.

Development Cooperation and Dependency: An Analysis of Brazilian‐Spanish Cooperation in Latin America Between 2010 and 2018

Based on analysis of Brazilian‐Spanish cooperation in Latin America, this article aims to contribute to the discussion on whether South–South Cooperation (SSC) represents an alternative model with specific and differentiated objectives, or if it largely reproduces the constraints and interests traditionally associated with the North–South model, but with new institutions and actors. We start by analysing the main criticisms levelled at cooperation in the literature, emphasising the identification, review and comparison of the mechanisms of domination and dependency that derive from the bilateral and multilateral practices of traditional development cooperation. We then construct a synthetic dependency index to measure the ability of Spain and Brazil – as representative cases of North–South Cooperation (NSC) and SSC with Latin America – to influence the foreign trade, investment and foreign policy decisions of aid recipients, and to empirically contrast the lower level of verticality that much of the available literature assumes about SSC schemes. The empirical analysis suggests significant differences between NSC and SSC in terms of their ability to reproduce dependency patterns and validate the discourse that tends to identify the latter as an alternative cooperation model.