Assessing gender responsiveness of the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System in South Africa

There is growing recognition of the critical role that National Monitoring and Evaluation Systems can play in achieving sustainable development through enhancing effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of policies and programmes. The South African government legislated the Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System (GWMES) in 2009. The extent of gender responsiveness of the system has not been assessed yet gender mainstreaming ensures that gender needs, realities and issues are consistently and specifically considered in policies, programmes and projects. The study utilises data from document reviews and key informant interviews to assess gender mainstreaming in the National Evaluation Policy (NEP) and the GWMES using a gender diagnostic matrix. Results indicate that the GWMES and NEP rank low in most gender-mainstreaming dimensions. However, the study concludes that existing policies and institutional frameworks if well supported by multiple stakeholders are conducive for effective gender mainstreaming within the GWMES in South Africa.     

实施“旅游立省”战略的研究

徐光春提出的"旅游立省"战略,是关系河南经济社会发展的全局和长远的重大发展战略,符合河南资源、经济社会发展水平和内外部环境的实际,是河南实现跨越式发展的正确选择。本文分析了河南旅游业的发展现状,指出存在对旅游业认识不清、地位不明、体制弊病、缺乏统一形象、产业链短、外向性薄弱、企业弱小等问题。就如何实施"旅游立省"战略提出12项对策建议,包括统一认识、加强旅游立法、政府主导、统一规划、树立形象、发展入境旅游、打造精品、拉长产业链,组建企业集团与解决"三农"问题、文化强省战略、中原城市群战略相结合等对策。     

Outsourcing the State? Public–Private Partnerships and Information Technologies in India

This paper examines public–private partnerships (PPPs) for development through the example of telecenters in two Indian states. How might a developmental state position itself with respect to civil society under a PPP model of service delivery? We find that each state’s political economy is reflected in its PPP strategy, but that in both states the emerging middle classes rather than the poor benefit most from ongoing telecenter projects. Outsourcing development services to private entities need not “privatize” the state but does alter the way in which citizens “see” the state. Service delivery through telecenters becomes a symbol of government efficiency and responsiveness.     

THE EMERGENCE OF THE ASIAN MIDDLE CLASSES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

The middle classes in Asian countries, which emerged rapidly in environments that were significantly different from those in the West, share some common features, but differ from one another on a number of other counts. Important among the similarities is that their nation‐building efforts after independence were perforce ambivalent in that, while pursuing economic growth in condensed ways, they tried to maintain the integrity of the state by emphasizing traditional values. On the other hand, they differ from one another in terms of the peculiarities of the preconditions they faced when launching development, the social structure specific to each, and the time at which and the strategy under which they began to pursue economic growth. These factors have brought diversity into the Asian middle classes' development processes and characteristics This paper examines the diversity of the middle classes that are now in a process of emergence in Asia.     

Economic crisis and policy response in Malaysia: the role of the new economic policy

Since achieving independence in 1957, Malaysia has experienced three recessions, each of which emanated from different sources of vulnerability. This paper analyses the policy response to economic crisis, in particular, the role of the New Economic Policy (NEP) which was introduced in 1970 and which remains in force today. It concludes that in spite of the diversity in the proximate causes of the crises, the policy response was consistent and sought to ensure that NEP objectives were paramount and the vested interests that had emerged as a result of the NEP and which were linked to the ruling party were preserved.     

Development Trajectories in the Biotechnology Industry： China versus Leading Countries

The present paper examines China's biotechnology industry from a global perspective and explores how its development trajectory differs from that of countries that are leaders in biotechnology. We draw on diverse data to demonstrate the unique development trajectory of the industry in China. China has benefited through targeted spin‐offs of R&D‐oriented foreign direct investment from developed countries driven by the effects of globalization, government‐encouraged collaboration between the domestic academia and industry, and the input of overseas returnees. Together with an increasing focus of the government and domestic enterprises on independent innovation, such developments have enabled China to catch up with the global biotechnology industry. However, its small scale and low capacity for commercializing innovations under China's current regulations and other barriers pose challenges for the development of the industry. Suggestions for the sustainable development of China's biotechnology industry are presented in this study.     

THE EMERGENCE OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES AND POLITICAL CHANGE IN THE PHILIPPINES

This article provides a study of the middle classes in the Philippines. First, the process of their emergence was examined in relation to that of Philippine industrialization, which started in the 1930s but from the 1960s progressed slowly and was accompanied by the expansion of the tertiary industries and informal sector. Then, the composition and characteristics of the middle classes, including their relatively small population size, distinctness from the lower classes, and internal diversity were analyzed. Finally, based on the data of the middle‐class‐centered organizations formed during the anti‐Marcos struggle, their political aspects were discussed, with emphasis placed on the new pattern of political participation which appeared after the Aquino assassination.     

Assessing Local Government Debt Risks in China: A Case Study of Local Government Financial Vehicles

Strong credit expansion in China after the recent global financial crisis has brought local government financial vehicles (LGFV) into the spotlight. Rapid growth of LGFV has triggered concern about local government indebtedness, banks' asset quality and, more broadly, China's medium‐term financial stability and sovereign risk. This paper constructs a unique firm‐level dataset to evaluate the country's local government debt. We find an uneven distribution of LGFV, which are concentrated in the coastal areas, and a deterioration of their debt repaying ability from 2010 to 2012. We use principal component analysis (PCA) along with multivariate discriminate analysis (MDA) to identify the credit risk of LGFV based on conventional financial variables as well as local governments' fiscal status. We also estimate the safe boundaries of debt bearing at the provincial government level. The estimations reveal more severe local government debt risks in the middle‐western provinces and higher risks associated with LGFV at the municipal and county levels. Although it is very unlikely that there will be a national debt crisis in China, the high risk of LGFV should be noted and effectively controlled by improving the fiscal transparency of local governments and reforming the fiscal system.     

日本电动汽车产业的发展与启示

创造适宜的产业环境、优化技术路线、加快基础设施建设、强化市场推广、推动产业优化升级、促进国际合作是日本电动汽车发展的基本经验.日本政府的新一代电动汽车战略也雄心勃勃.充分借鉴日本经验,坚持官产学联盟、加快自主创新、完善产业政策是中国电动汽车产业后来居上的捷径.     

Regulating for telecommunications competition in developing countries: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a low‐middle income, developing, Pacific country whose telecommunications market has developed under regulatory arrangements strongly influenced by Australian policymaking. Nevertheless, it demonstrates very weak performance compared to similar low‐middle income countries. Why does a country whose regulatory regime draws on current international recommended ‘best practice’ perform so poorly? We develop an inquiry framework based on World Bank and the International Telecommunications Union guidelines for assessing the effectiveness of regulatory arrangements in a developing country. The framework takes account of developing country challenges: limited capacity, limited commitment, limited accountability, limited fiscal efficiency, and trade‐offs between factors that take account of these limits. The analysis indicates the most likely explanation for poor performance derives from lack of investment and an unstable set of ownership arrangements constraining government‐owned Telikom from being an effective competitor. Weaknesses in regulator accountability provisions may have contributed to obscuring poor performance. Introducing at least one more foreign operator will improve outcomes only with clear separation of government ownership and regulatory activities and credible commitment from political agents to refrain from interfering in operations of both the incumbent firm and regulatory agencies.     

Integrated development planning or strategic paralysis? Municipal development during the local government transition and beyond

The launch of the Local Government White Paper in March 1998 provides a blueprint for the final form of local government in South Africa after its progression from apartheid structures, through the democratisation of councils, t.o the creation of developmental local government. According to the White Paper local government will centre on municipalities which will coordinate all development activities at national, provincial and local level, from private and public sectors. Municipalities will need to gain control over their devel opment resources, including land use. This article scrutinises the municipal planning legislation that has emerged since the end of apartheid in the form of the Development Facilitation Act (DFA) and the Local Government Transition Act, and argues that the Land Development Objectives (LDOs) of the DFA may not be an appropriate way to achieve developmental local government. The article argues that development tribunals could usurp the executive authority of municipalities to determine land use and therefore risk being both unconstitutional and counterproductive. It recommends that existing plan ning legislation is rationalised into an integrated framework that gives local government structures both legislative and executive authority over land‐use planning.     

Participation, public policy, political economy and development in rural Bangladesh, 1958–85

During this period, four successive regimes in Bangladesh have felt reluctantly compelled to set up structures for local participation in government. Each found it had to reach out beyond the support of urban and rural élites and the military if it was to move beyond mere stability to real development of the country. Despite many problems, most notably local élite takeover at local level and military coup at national level, there is considerable evidence, particularly from neighboring India, to suggest that local participatory institutions can be successful over the longer term in promoting development for the middle and the poorer rural classes.     

Corporate innovation in China and its implications

China's current economic transition policies focus on shifting from export‐driven manufacturing towards high‐end, high‐tech research and development (R&D), and domestic consumption. Since the early 2000s the government has issued a series of policies and guidelines to encourage innovation. Both in‐house R&D investment and the number of patent grants/applications have seen considerable growth in recent years. More specifically, industry‐funded R&D was responsible for more than three quarters of total in‐house R&D investment. Despite the rapid growth in R&D expenditure and the number of patents, China's corporate innovation still faces many obstacles and challenges. To further stimulate corporate innovation, the government may need to create an environment of fair competition for domestic enterprises, encourage the growth of institutional investors and their active participation in corporate governance, and improve the efficiency of financial systems. The experience of China in promoting innovation provides policy approaches and implications from which other emerging economies can learn.     

ADOPTION AND PRODUCTIVITY IMPACT OF MODERN RICE VARIETIES IN BANGLADESH

Technological progress has helped Bangladesh to achieve self‐sufficiency in rice production in 2001 from a heavy import‐dependence, despite doubling of population and a reduction in arable land since its independence in 1971. As the adoption of modern varieties (MV) of rice is reaching a plateau, particularly for the irrigated ecosystem, an important issue is whether the research system will be able to sustain the growth of production. The present paper addresses the following questions: (i) to what extent farmers have been replacing the old MV with the new MV, and (ii) what has been the impact of the variety replacement on productivity and profitability. How crucial is the continuous research and release of improved rice varieties toward improving farm production and income for farmers comes out as a clear message to policymakers from the current paper.     

The Long‐run and Short‐run Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Financial Development in African Countries

This paper contributes to the understanding of the other neglected effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) by analysing how FDI affects financial development in the short run and long run for a panel of 49 African countries over the period 1990–2016. The empirical evidence is based on a pooled mean group approach. With three panels differentiated by income level, the following findings are established: first, while there is a positive and significant long‐run relationship between FDI and financial development in Africa, in the short run the effect of FDI on financial development is negative. Second, the effect of FDI is positive and significant in the long run in the three sub‐samples. However, in the short run, the effect of FDI is negative and significant in lower‐income countries and non‐significant in lower‐middle‐income and upper‐middle‐income countries. Overall we find strong evidence supporting the view that FDI promotes financial development in African countries in the long run.     

Decentralized Taxation and the Size of Government: Evidence from Swiss State and Local Governments

According to the Leviathan Model, fiscal federalism is a binding constraint on revenue‐maximizing government. The competitive pressure of fiscal federalism reduces public sector size, as compared to unitary states. This study uses panel data of Swiss cantons from 1980 to 1998 to empirically analyze the effect of different instruments on government revenue and its structure. Because of the considerable tax autonomy of sub‐national Swiss governments, it is possible to investigate different mechanisms by which fiscal federalism may influence government size. The results indicate that tax exporting has a revenue‐expanding effect; whereas, tax competition favors a smaller size of government. Fragmentation has no robust effect on the size of government revenue for Swiss cantons. The overall effect of revenue decentralization leads to fewer tax revenues but higher user charges. Thus, revenue decentralization favors a smaller size of government revenue and shifts government revenue from taxes to user charges.     

Employment Outcomes of Graduates: The Case of Universiti Utara,Malaysia*

Data on the labor market outcomes of graduates of the Universiti Utara Malaysia were analyzed using an ordered logit model. The type of degree, ethnicity, and number of job applications submitted are found to be significant determinants of labor market outcomes. Accounting graduates were found to obtain the best labor market outcomes. Malay graduates had significantly less favorable labor market outcomes. The findings for unemployed graduates support two current programs in Malaysia: re‐training for the long‐term unemployed and job matching assistance. The findings also suggest that universities should monitor the skill‐demands of job vacancies and give specific consideration to Malay graduates.     

THE GROWTH OF THE KOREAN MIDDLE CLASS AND ITS SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS

The middle class in the Republic of Korea grew quickly in the course of the country's rapid economic growth. This paper analyzes the characteristics of Korea's new and old middle classes by examining the socioeconomic conditions, experience of mobility, and social consciousness of the people in these classes Analysis shows that many people presently in these well‐off classes have experienced intra‐ and intergenerational mobility. While the old middle class is greatly open to both inter‐ and intragenerational inflow, the new middle class is close to intragenerational inflow. The probability of reaching the new middle class is greatly affected by one's level of education, however, education level largely depends on one's class origin. It is also shown that the Korean new middle class has a comparatively progressive social consciousness. However, people's political attitudes are determined not by one's position in the class structure but by nonclass factors, such as one's age, education level, and native region.     

Can Fiscal Decentralization Alleviate Government Consumption Volatility?

This paper assesses the effect of fiscal decentralization on government consumption volatility using data for 97 developed and developing countries from 1971 to 2010. The results suggest that a higher degree of fiscal decentralization leads to lower government consumption volatility. This result holds for the sub-sample of advanced economies, while it is not confirmed for those less-developed. This mechanism seems to work mainly through a lower volatility of the non-discretionary spending, which typically belongs to the central government’s policy. We also confirm existing findings according to which country size lowers government spending volatility. Thus, given a minimum level of development, fiscal decentralization reforms can reduce spending volatility by distributing power to sub-central governments, particularly in smaller countries which are usually more prone to volatility.     

Intragenerational Economic Mobility in Indonesia: A Transition from Poverty to the Middle Class in 1993–2014

Economic mobility, especially through expansion of the middle class, will dominate the future of Indonesia’s development agenda. Based on data from five waves of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), we found that (1) poverty decreased significantly between 1993 and 2014, from 86.1% to 20.2%, while the middle class grew by almost nine times; (2) 34.4% of the poor moved into the middle class, but 11.9% were still categorised as chronically poor; (3) 42.3% of the middle class did not move into the upper class; (4) the middle and upper classes are vulnerable and easily fall into the lower classes. Our econometric estimations confirm that the drivers of economic mobility are educational attainment, formal employment, water and electricity supply, land ownership, and health investment. These findings suggest that investment in human and physical capital are the two main strategies to expand the middle class.