Resource allocation, equality of access and health

Based upon the experience of Tanzania, this paper relates resource allocation in the health sector to the output of health, by contrasting access to and utilization of available health services by urban and rural populations. The writer argues that increased health expenditures alone cannot yield an efficient health care return unless the additional expenditure is spread ‘thinly’, in keeping with the realities of population distribution, transport possibilities, and disease patterns in most poor countries. Detailed data are presented for recurrent and capital expenditures for health facilities at different levels, and the output of those institutions is considered in terms of the volume of services offered. Those services are then measured according to their utilization by urban and rural populations. Because referral systems are found to function only marginally, it is argued that further building of large hospitals is not justified in the present situation of most poor countries. Specifically, the writer describes the ways in which Tanzania is changing its inefficient and unjust health care system. The paper concludes that the major obstacles to change are not shortages of resources or technologic ignorance but social systems that do not place high value upon the health care needs of rural peasants. It is in this way that the professional and elitist interests of the few are often destructive of the needs of the many.     

Unilaterally removing implicit subsidies for maritime fuels

Many academics and policymakers agree that implicit tax subsidies for maritime fuels — which are currently granted around the world — are inefficient, but that their abolishment requires a unanimous international agreement. Such an agreement is deemed indispensable because any unilateral action would be impossible due to massive tax competition in this industry, competitiveness effects and the legal limits on regulating an industry operating mostly in international waters, thus outside of any state’s jurisdiction. However, an international agreement to solve these problems has proven impossible to reach, thus resulting in the conservation of the status quo. To break this deadlock, we propose a mechanism whereby a small coalition of countries, to start with, can abolish these implicit tax subsidies even in the absence of an international agreement. This incentive-compatible scheme solves the above-mentioned issues. The mechanism is furthermore designed to avoid locking in a sub-global scheme. Instead, it has the potential to contribute to unlocking the gridlock in negotiations over a global agreement on this matter.     

The International allocation of trade-tied aid: A quantative analysis for the export quota scheme in coffee

Zusammenfassung Die internationale Verteilung der Handelshilfe: eine quantitative Analyse des Systems von Exportquoten für Kaffee. - Die bisherigen Untersuchungen über die internationale Verteilung der Entwicklungshilfe haben sich haupts?chlich mit der Finanzhilfe befa▾t. Dagegen fehlen Untersuchungen über die Handelshilfe, obgleich es eine ganze Reihe von handelspolitischen Ma▾nahmen gibt, die implizite Transfers an Entwicklungsl?nder einschlie▾en. In diesem Aufsatz werden die Bestimmungsgründe für Handelshilfe theoretisch gekl?rt, und empirisches Material über implizite Schenkungen und Einnahmen wird vorgelegt, die in einer der Formen der Handelshilfe enthalten sind, n?mlich in dem System von Exportquoten auf dem Weltkaffeemarkt. Dabei wird das unterschiedliche Verteilungsmuster der Handelshilfe nach dem Internationalen Kaffeeabkommen einerseits und der offiziellen Entwicklungshilfe andererseits herausgearbeitet. Es wird gezeigt, da▾ die Verteilung der Handelshilfe davon abh?ngt, ob ein Land Kaffeeexporteur oder -importeur ist, ob es Mitglied des Abkommens ist oder nicht und wie seine Netto-Handelsposition ist. Bedürftigkeit spielt keine Rolle bei der Verteilung dieser Art von Handelshilfe.

---

Résumé L’allocation internationale de l’aide assujettie au commerce: une analyse quantitative pour le systéme de quota exportatrice de café. - Les études existantes sur l’allocation internationale de l’aide ont concentré principalement sur l’aide financière. Il n’y a pas d’études sur l’allocation de l’aide assujettie au commerce (AAC) bien qu’une grande variété des mesures de politique commerciale existe qui inclut des transferts implicites en faveur des pays en voie de développement. Cette étude clarifie théoriquement les déterminants de l’AAC et présente quelque évidence empirique pour des donations et recettes implicites dans un des types de l’AAC, c’est le système de quota exportatrice dans le marché mondial de café. La structure d’allocation de l’AAC sous l’Accord International de Café et de l’assistance officielle étrangère est analysée. L’auteur démontre que la distribution des flux de l’aide des pays dépend de la question si les pays sont des exportateurs ou des importateurs de café, des membres ou non-membres de l’Accord aussi bien de leur position commerciale nette. Indigence n’est pas importante pour l’allocation de cette forme de l’AAC.

---

Resumen La asignación internacional de ayuda al desarrollo ligada al comercio: un análisis cuantitativo del sistema de cuotas de exportación de café. - Los estudios existentes sobre la asignación internacional de la ayuda al desarrollo se concentran especialmente en la ayuda financiera. Faltan estudios sobre la ayuda al desarrollo ligada al comercio, a pesar de la gran variedad de medidas de política comercial que incluyen una transferencia implícita a los países en desarrollo. En este estudio se clarifican teóricamente las déterminantes de la ayuda al desarrollo ligada al comercio y se presenta evidencia empírica sobre donaciones implícitas en relación a una de las formas de ayuda ligada al comercio, el sistema de cuotas de exportación en el mercado mundial del café. Se elabora el patrón diferencial de asignación de ayuda ligada al comercio bajo el Acuerdo International del Café y la ayuda oficial. Se muestra que la distribución internacional de los flujos de ayuda depende de las siguiente características: si los países son exportadores o importadores de café, signatarios del acuerdo o no y de su posición comercial neta. La asignación de esta forma de ayuda ligada al comercio es independiente del grado de necesidad de ayuda.

     

自然资源富集与经济增长——一个基于“资源诅咒”命题的研究综述

Auty首次提出“资源诅咒”命题后,“资源诅咒”就成为解释国家间经济增长差异,阐述为何国穷国富的一个重要纬度。本文回顾和梳理了“资源诅咒”命题的众多研究成果,从命题相关争论、作用机制、传导渠道、对策研究以及在未来面临的挑战等多方面进行了综述性讨论,以图对“资源诅咒”命题能有更准确的理解。总体看,自然资源同优越的地理区位一样,是大自然赋予的财富,本身并不应被责备,应诅咒的是利用这些财富的方式。     

勘误说明自然资源富集与经济增长——一个基于"资源诅咒"命题的研究综述

Auty首次提出"资源诅咒"命题后,"资源诅咒"就成为解释国家间经济增长差异,阐述为何国穷国富的一个重要纬度.本文回顾和梳理了"资源诅咒"命题的众多研究成果,从命题相关争论、作用机制、传导渠道、对策研究以及在未来面临的挑战等多方面进行了综述性讨论,以图对"资源诅咒"命题能有更准确的理解.总体看,自然资源同优越的地理区位一样,是大自然赋予的财富,本身并不应被责备,应诅咒的是利用这些财富的方式.     

港口经营人海事赔偿责任限制研究

海商法中,承运人的责任限制制度历经时间和实践的检验,已为全社会所普遍认同。然而,港口经营人的赔偿责任限制各国却规定不一。究其原因,国与国之间的历史文化差异,经济发展状况和法律传统不同,对港口经营人的责任限制制度,由国内法进行调整,就成为必然的选择。然而,通过对国际条约和相关国内法的比较研究,可以发现港口经营人责任限制制度一直未被人们所重视。     

资源配置与激励:关于晋升的文献综述

本文对激励理论中发展最快、研究最多的晋升问题进行了文献综述,分别描述了晋升如何实现它的两个目的--资源配置和激励,并重点研究了这两个目的之间的关系.本文的结论是,在只有一种工作或者即使存在多种工作,但高能力的员工拥有绝对优势的情况下,两个目的是一致的;而存在多种工作且员工只拥有相对优势的情况下,资源配置和激励是冲突的,因此必须用晋升实现资源配置,同时用奖金实现激励.     

Feature: Taking Africa Seriously: A Case for Enhanced Resource Flow to Facilitate Development and Reduce Poverty

Despite considerable improvements in the policy environmentin many African countries in the last two decades, it is stilldifficult for the rest of the world to take Africa seriously.Not taking Africa seriously affects the growth and developmentoutcomes. Investors do not show much optimism about the region'sfuture, hence the relatively slow flow of private capital intothe region. Capable Africans also show little enthusiasm aboutthe future, hence the flight of financial wealth and human capitalout of the region. In the last decade, African countries havestepped up the campaign to make their reform efforts appearmore credible, adopting more cooperative approaches and greaterinterest in governance issues within a more global and regionalframework. This article seeks to show why the current effortsat broader reform need to be considered more seriously by therest of the world.     

中小企业竞争策略：发挥资源杠杆作用

资源短缺是约束中小企业生存与成长的首要瓶颈．实力弱小的中小企业发挥资源的杠杆作用．识别关键资源，培育核心专长，最终将核心专长优势转化为市场优势，是中小企业的重要竞争策略。     

资源约束与经济增长:一个开放条件下的新古典模型

本文首先设立了一个反映产出与经济规模和资源投入之间关系的生产函数,该生产函数中,以资本存量代表经济规模,以资源中间品数量代表资源投入.在此基础上,在技术水平不变和储蓄率外生等具有新古典经济增长模型特色的假定条件下,建立了一个研究可再生资源约束与经济增长之间关系的理论模型.该模型首先分析了封闭条件下资源相对丰裕和存在资源约束情况下,经济增长方式的变化及合理经济增长方式的选择,进而在此基础之上,讨论了开放条件下,资源贸易小国在不同的世界资源价格下,能否以及如何通过进口来突破资源约束对经济增长的限制.     

Towards an analysis of tax effects on labour market and allocation: A micro/macro approach

Summary Tax effects on labour market and allocation are analysed with a sectoral model which is based on the microeconomic theory of the behaviour of economic agents. The model contains a highly disaggregated household sector, an enterprise sector, equilibrium unemployment on the labour market and a detailed modelling of institutional aspects of the tax and social security system. The model is calibrated for 1985. Simulation results show that temporary increases of world trade and higher value-added tax rates do not affect the equilibrium unemployment rate in the long run. A higher replacement rate of unemployment benefits increases unemployment and a tax reform containing lower marginal and average tax rates reduces unemployment.The authors thank F.J.H. Don, C.J.J. Eijgenraam, F.H. Huizinga and R.M. van Opstal for assistance on the household model, the cumulated production structure approach, the wage model and the model of firm behaviour respectively, and other colleagues of the Central Planning Bureau for useful comments.See Shoven and Whalley (1984) and Borges (1986) for reviews, and Keller (1980) for an application to The Netherlands.See, for instance, Abel (1980), Summers (1981), Bruno and Sachs (1985), Van de Klundert and Peters (1986).Ginsburgh and Mercenier (1988) review AGE modelling and the disequilibrium approach.     

资源诅咒实证研究的文献综述

资源诅咒是资源开发引起的一系列社会问题的统称.20世纪90年代以来,关于资源诅咒的实证研究大量出现,以资源与经济增长的关系为研究主体,也涉及资源繁荣与制造业、教育投入、资本投资、政府治理等关系的检验.本文在介绍资源诅咒实证研究基本模型基础上,以执行实证检验的过程为主线述评资源诅咒研究的概念界定、指标选择、模型设定、数据质量和主要成果,并比较了国外研究和我国研究的异同之处.最后根据实证研究的不足和我国资源研究的迫切性,展望了研究者的下一步工作.     

Labor allocation in transition: Evidence from Chinese rural households

Empirical models are developed in this paper to quantitatively analyze households' participation in decisions on hiring labor and supplying labor off the farm, hired labor demand and off-farm labor supply of rural Chinese households. Econometric estimates use micro-level data from Zhejiang province over the period 1995–2002. The main results suggest that the decisions to hire labor and participate off the farm are made jointly and are positively correlated. A household's labor demand decreases with increasing wages for hired labor, whereas the effect of the wages of off-farm workers on a household's labor supply differs significantly depending on the household's kind of labor market participation. The results also indicate that the accumulation of productive assets, the development of livestock production and agricultural prices have increasing effects on labor demand but reducing effects on a household's off-farm labor supply. Land market integration enhances participation significantly but has no significant impact on time allocation. Finally, the results suggest non-separability between hired labor demand and household characteristics, indicating the rural labor market in Zhejiang province is still functioning imperfectly.