Author: Susan Steiner / Publishing Institution: German Institute of Global and Area Studies / Topic: Economics

Author:: Lena Giesbert, Susan Steiner, and Mirko Bendig
Publication Date:: 01-2009
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: German Institute of Global and Area Studies
Abstract:: This paper argues that the study of the demand for financial services in developing countries leaves out part of the story, if it looks at only one of the three elements of the so called finance trinity, i.e. savings products, loans, or insurances, as is largely done in the literature. In contrast to previous research, it is assumed that households' choice for any of these services is strongly interconnected. Therefore, the paper simultaneously estimates the determinants of household demand for savings, loans and insurances by applying a multivariate probit model on household survey data from rural Ghana. On the one hand, the estimation results confirm the common finding that poorer households are less likely to participate in the formal financial sector than better off households. On the other hand, there is empirical evidence that the usage of savings products, loans and insurances does not only depend on the socio-economic status of households, but also on various other factors, such as households' risk assessment and the past exposure to shocks. In addition, trust in the providing institution and its products appear to play a key role.
Topic:: Development, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Poverty, and Third World
Political Geography:: Africa

Author:: Susan Steiner
Publication Date:: 11-2006
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: German Institute of Global and Area Studies
Abstract:: It is often claimed that decentralisation is effective for the reduction of poverty due to inherent opportunities for higher popular participation and increased efficiency in public service delivery. This paper is a qualitative assessment of the potential of the Ugandan decentralisation reform for poverty alleviation. The Ugandan government initiated an ambitious decentralisation reform in 1992, which represents an example of full-fledged devolution with the transfer of far-reaching responsibilities to local governments. However, several shortcomings, such as low levels of accountability, insufficient human and financial resources, corruption, patronage, and central resistance to decentralisation, constrain the proper implementation of the reform, putting improvements in participation and efficiency at risk and ultimately jeopardising the intended impact on poverty.
Topic:: Economics, Humanitarian Aid, and Poverty
Political Geography:: Uganda and Africa

Author:: Susan Steiner
Publication Date:: 06-2005
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: German Institute of Global and Area Studies
Abstract:: This paper contributes to providing insights into the impact of decentralisation on poverty. It starts out with an overview of which role decentralisation plays in strategies and policies for poverty eradication and derives economic and political impact channels. It concentrates on the economic channel, the reasoning of which is rooted in fiscal federalism theory. It shows that decentralisation cannot only influence poverty by assigning expenditure responsibility to lower levels of government but also by assigning tax-raising power, which has so far been neglected by the literature. The paper concludes by pointing out a number of possible risks for realising the poverty-reducing potential of decentralisation.
Topic:: Development, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Poverty

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