In this paper, we argue that the answer to the question of whether the impact of corruption on development is homogenous, is no. Our optimism rest on how development may be conceptualised. When equated to a narrow measure in economic‐wise which fundamentally ignores critical issues, then there is a possibility the outlook could be positive. But when conceptualised using a broad‐based approach such as sustainable development, then the outlook could be negative. We assess a panel of 22 economies in Sub‐Sahara Africa with the most recent dataset (1996–2013) from the World Bank and other reputable agencies. Our finding is quite robust. It holds in pooled OLS, Fixed effects and GMM within IV settings; and it also holds for different measures of institutions and different measures of development using growth per capita GDP and genuine wealth per capita, respectively. Taking stock of major policy blue‐prints of selected countries in the region on the fight against corruption, we are able to point out that institutions play important role in insulating citizens against the devastation caused by corruption. Overall, through this comparison, we are able to signal that both incidental and systematic corruption poses a long‐term threat to sustainable development.
In this paper, we examine the causal relationship between aid inflows and economic growth for Ghana during the period from 1970-2013, taking into account structural breaks. To better reflect causality, corruption and trade are included as control variables. To test for causality in the face of cointegration, a vector error correction model (VECM) is used in place of a vector autoregressive (VAR) model. This approach is complemented with Toda and Yamamoto's method to indicate the causal direction. Our estimation results suggest GDP growth has one cointegrating vector relationship with corruption, EU aid inflows and trade in both the short and long runs. There is a long-run unidirectional causal relationship from EU aid inflows to GDP growth and a short-run unidirectional causal relationship from trade to GDP growth. Corruption (which is a governance issue) was ineffective in inducing GDP growth. The error correction terms are the source of causation in the long run. The results indeed confirm the popular conjecture that corruption in Ghana is endemic and stifles development. Therefore, the decision by the government to launch a national anti-corruption campaign in 2011, though long overdue, was justifiable. We urge all stakeholders to work together to deepen good governance to promote sustainable growth and serve as inducement for continued aid inflows from multilateral donors to sustain efforts at achieving the national development thrust of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Ghana. 1 Introduction Corruption as a social issue is widespread and continues to dominate many discussions in academic and policy circles due to its devastating effects on development. The subject has also been revisited in recent years following the massive looting reported by the European Union anti-corruption watchdog. The agency reveals that corruption alone costs the EU over EUR 120 billion per year, which is just less than the EU's annual budget (European Commission, 2014
Migration of the economically active population from northern to southern Ghana is an old age phenomenon sustained by the incessant perception of abundant job opportunities in the south. Recently, young girls and women who migrate to work as head porters have dominated the phenomenon. The purpose of this paper was to examine the reasons for their continuous migration to the Kumasi Metropolis and the conditions under which they live and work. Complementary data from 100 head porters and five institutions revealed that most of the head porters were children (under age 18) living in harsh and hazardous conditions which include poor housing, health care delivery, nutrition, and water and sanitation. The authors conclude that the relentless desire of young girls and women to work as head porters in the south and the associated poor living conditions could be minimised if youth policies are implemented with direct focus on capacity building for the head porters. The long-term remedy to the menace, the authors maintain, lies with socioeconomic development of the rural-supplying areas to bridge the development gap between the urban and rural areas.
In this paper, the authors examined the role of market women in the informal urban economy and the factors that threaten the effective performance of their roles. Interviewing 360 foodstuff sellers from the Kumasi Central Market and the Race Course Markets, the authors identified that the market women had made significant contributions towards Ghana's fiscal decentralisation through the payment of levies and rents. They have also created jobs, provided incomes for households, ensured food security and sufficiency, and provided a platform for generational development of entrepreneurial skills and competence. However, their roles in the informal economy were constrained by the inadequate basic infrastructure in the markets, limited access to credit facilities and transportation difficulties. The paper therefore recommended the provision of basic life enhancing infrastructure and credit facilities complemented with capacity building in business management.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.