Jörgen Levin

Debt Relief and Growth: A study of Zambia and Tanzania

The issue of debt relief was hotly debated during the 1990s, and extensive debts have been considered to cripple the growth prospects of particularly the poorest least developed countries (LDCs). The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative is an attempt to provide comprehensive debt relief to the poorest and most indebted countries. The World Bank and the IMF launched the first version (HIPC I) in 1996. In 1999 it was enhanced following global consultations in Cologne, where it was considered necessary to provide more extensive and faster debt relief with clearer links to poverty reduction (HIPC II).1

Ethnolinguistic background and enrollment in primary education : evidence from Kenya

In Kenya, educational enrollment rates increased significantly for both girls and boys after 2003, when primary education became free of charge. Unfortunately, approximately one million school-aged children are still not enrolled in school. Earlier literature provides empirical evidence that educational opportunities differ among children, due to poverty, gender, rural area of residence and disability. Our paper con-tributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the importance of children’s ethnolinguistic background for their probability of being in school. Estimates from a three-level random intercept probit model using data from the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey 2005/06 reveal that Somali and Maasai children are least likely to be in school. A separate analysis by child’s gender shows that compared to Kikuyu children both girls and boys from the Somali and Maasai groups, but also Mijikenda and Swahili girls, have a lower probability to be in school. This might be an indication that gender norms are stronger in these groups.

Adjustment to External Shocks: Kenya 1986-95

This paper analyses the process of stabilization and adjustment in Kenya during the period 1986–95, using a variant of the dependent economy model. The country’s adjustment experience has not been smooth, with terms of trade shocks, unfavourable movements in aid flows and policy reversals contributing to an uneven performance. It is argued that the tight monetary policy regime succeeded to stabilize the economy although the process was prolonged as fiscal adjustment was delayed. Finally, when the budget deficit was reduced the choice of higher protection as a means of raising revenue had a negative impact on export performance. L’article analyse le processus de stabilisation et d’ajustement au Kenya sur la periode 1986–95. Les resultats de l’ajustement ont connu des mouvements en dents de scie, sous l’effet de la deterioration des termes de l’echange, a l’evolution heurtee des apports d’aide et aux derapages des politiques. En utilisant une variante du modele de l’economie dependante, nous analysons le processus de stabilisation et d’ajustement durant cette periode. Nous avancons que l’austerite monetaire a permis de stabiliser l’economie, meme si cela a pris beaucoup de temps a cause de l’ajustement budgetaire tardif. Enfin, lorsque le deficit budgetaire a ete reduit, le renforcement des mesures de protection institue en vue d’augmenter les recettes a eu une incidence negative sur la tenue des exportations.