Martin Abel

Doubling Aid to Africa: Institutional and Macroeconomic Challenges Martin Abel

After a decade of neglect, the Millennium Charter put the international spotlight back on Africa. At the Glenagles Summit, the G8 decided to double aid flows to Africa by 2010 in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals. This books looks at the potential adverse effects of this ?Big Push?. It examines various mechanisms how aid can effect both the quality of institutions and macroeconomic stability. It points at the inherent dilemma of the scale-up plan: additional aid requires a coordinated and sound response of the government and central bank to be effective but, in fact, proved to worsen the quality of these institutions. The author discusses how the current development system needs to be reformed, the role of NGOs in delivering aid, and how aid can support institutional reforms in Africa. A concluding country study on Botswana -Africa?s economic miracle- provides practical lessons on how to solve the dilemma. The book addresses scholars and university students, in particular those in the field of economics and international studies. Due to its largely non-technical style, it is also appropriate for the general public interested in topics of development aid.