Debt Relief Initiatives, Development Assistance and Service Delivery in Africa
The African Development Bank commissioned four case studies on Debt Relief Initiatives, Development Assistance and Service Delivery in Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, and Uganda from the last quarter of 2006 to mid 2007. The objective of the study was to appraise the extent to which debt relief resources are being used to improve social service delivery. There is strong agreement from all four case studies that debt relief created flexibility in governments spending by playing the role of flexible and predictable budget support. In this context, governments acquired more degrees of freedom to allocate debt relief resources in line with their own objectives. In all four countries debt relief resources were more easily transformed into MDG-related spending than tied aid. The case studies had a consensus in identifying the accountability of public institutions to civil society, through community monitoring or execution of expenditures, as the most effective means of enhancing spending effectiveness. This formed the basis for the success observed in program implementation.
From the findings of the case studies it is clear that debt relief can lead to enhanced service delivery provided certain conditions prevail. These conditions can be influenced by donors as well as the willingness of beneficiary governments to undertake reforms. The general observation across the case studies is that debt relief has a major positive impact on service delivery, and progress towards the MDGs, when beneficiaries: (i) have high capacity in MDG spending, (ii) are highly accountable, and (iii) receive stable and high-quality aid.
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The history of debt relief goes back several decades. It reveals that a country s accumulation of unsustainable debt stems from such factors as deficiencies in macroeconomic management, adverse terms-of-trade shocks, and poor governance. Debt-relief initiatives have provided debt-burdened countries with the opportunity for a fresh start, but whether the benefits of debt relief can be preserved depends on transformations in a country s policies and institutions. In 1996, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative was launched as the first comprehensive, multilateral, debt-relief framework for low-income countries. In 2005, the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative was established, which increased the level of debt relief provided to HIPCs. As of early 2009, assistance through these two initiatives had been committed to 35 countries and amounted to US$117 billion in nominal terms, or half of the 2007 GDP of these countries. Debt Relief and Beyond assesses the implications of debt relief for low-income countries and how its benefits can be preserved and used to fight poverty. The authors bring unique operational experience to their examination of debt relief, debt sustainability, and debt management. Several key questions are addressed, including: What consequences does debt relief have for poverty-reducing expenditures, growth, and access to finance? Can debt relief guarantee debt sustainability? How can debt management at all levels of government be improved? What lessons can be learned from countries that have experienced debt restructuring? Finally, this book provides sound empirical evidence using current econometric techniques.
The idea of extending debt relief to the world’s poorest countries has been hotly debated over the past few years. That debate has moved into the glare of the spotlight now that Bono, lead-singer of the Grammy-award winning band U2, has begun an earnest campaign to marshal assistance through a series of meetings with top government officials and visits to needy countries. 
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Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a debt crisis of major international significance. Not only have debt levels risen sharply but output and exports have stagnated. Standards of living have fallen drastically, and in many cases have been reduced to the level of the early 1960s. This book argues that it is impossible for sub-Saharan African countries to resolve the debt crisis without outside assistance. The conventional methods of debt consolidation are inappropriate and of limited use in their case. The SSA countries need to undertake major structural reforms if they are to get out of debt and achieve long term sustainable growth and development. The book provides an integrated debt-development strategy for achieving both these goals. “Debt Relief and Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa” aims to make a significant contribution to an important but hitherto relatively neglected area of the international debt crisis. It will be essential reading for development economists as well as all those with an interest in contemporary Africa.
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