Economic Reform and the Poor in Africa

This work examines policy responses to the economic crises faced by most African countries in the 1980s, focusing on the issue of whether the poor are hurt by economic policies designed to restore macroeconomic stability, reinvigorate markets, and rationalize resource allocation.



Economic Reform and the Poor in Africa examines policy responses to the economic crises faced by most African countries in the 1980s, focusing on the contentious issue of whether the poor are hurt by economic policies designed to restore allocation. The contributors use empirical models to separate the effects of the economic crises that caused countries to begin adjusting, from the impact of the economic reforms themselves. With these models, they examine the impact of specific policy reforms- under the broad headings of trade and exchange rate policy, fiscal policy, and agricultural sector policy - in spefic country concepts . The countries covered are Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Tanzania, and Zaire.