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Remittances to sub-Saharan Africa have steadily been on increase in recent decades. However, the full socio-economic benefits of remittances to some countries, such as Tanzania are far from clear. Consequently, the importance of this economic phenomenon in Tanzanian society is rather inconclusive, because their effects on poverty reduction and development in Tanzania are based largely on evidence from the regional area (i.e. sub-Saharan Africa) and from other developing countries. This study has examined the perceived and actual effects of remittances on poverty reduction and development in Tanzania from the viewpoint of Leicester-based Tanzanian diaspora and the remittance receivers’ in Tanzania. The study was, therefore, based in two places, Leicester (United Kingdom- UK) and Tanzania. It adopts an inductive approach to enquiry for which both qualitative and quantitative data were collect from the three case studies: The first case study is Leicester-based Tanzanian diaspora (the remittances senders), the second case study is remittance receivers in Tanzania (the remittances users), and third case study is Tanzanian government officials (i.e. researchers, policy makers and regulatory bodies). The significance of this study is that it is a two-way process conducted from the remittance senders’ (the Leicester-based Tanzanian diaspora) and remittance the receivers’ perspectives (the remittance users in Tanzania). The study, therefore, involve tracking of remittances from Leicester to Tanzania. The study provides better insight and understanding of the effects of remittances on poverty reduction and development in Tanzania. It help to understand how best to harness diaspora and remittances through the understanding of diaspora’s capabilities and interests, as well as types of remittances sent to Tanzania, channels of sending, and any obstacles that hamper the effectiveness of remittances on poverty reduction and development in Tanzania. The study also offers insight into why the Tanzanian diaspora continues to remit. Amongst other reasons, it includes the retained belief in the Ujamaa ideology (family-hood or brother-hood). In turn, this adds significant contributions on the theories of migration and development, and motives to remit. The overall finding of this study is that remittances remain important to Tanzanian society, because they help to increase the amount of disposable money for spending on education, health, consumption, business formation, and investments. Unlike other international aid, remittances go directly to receivers. Thus, remittances tend to have immediate and direct effects on the livelihoods of the receivers. Remittances received from Leicester, therefore, help to improve the quality of lives of the recipients. Hence, they help to reduce depth and severity of poverty on the receiving communities. Nevertheless, the findings of this study clearly show that from a developmental perspective, one of the major challenges to the effects of remittances on poverty reduction and development in Tanzania is to motivate the diaspora to conduct their remittance transfer operations through formal channels. This has remained a major challenge because of high fees associated with transfer of financial and material remittances, lack of formal channels in rural areas of Tanzania, and a total lack of appropriate formal channels for transmitting social remittances to Tanzania. The study recommends that policies on diaspora and remittances should be designed to encourage diaspora to send remittances through formal channels with low transaction costs. This is important because it will make easier to channel remittances into sustainable developmental projects that could fuel community and national development, thereby touching not only the direct recipients but also the general public. The study also recommends that both Tanzania and the UK government need to ensure social remittances (e.g. skills, technology-know-how, knowledge and experiences) are effectively being acquired, utilized and transmitted to Tanzania for the development of the country. This can be achieved by create a common platform for dialogue between diaspora, Tanzania and the UK governments, which will enable to understand local needs alongside the skills, knowledge, capacities and interests of the diaspora. The study concludes that in spite of other interventions and perhaps a lesser emphasis on social remittance sending to Tanzania nowadays, diaspora remittances remain a critical input into poverty reduction and development in Tanzania.

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Policy makers and financial institutions advocate the use of formal (regulated) remittance channels as the best way to harness remittances. In this research I study the benefits of formal and informal remittance channels from a Zimbabwean migrant’s perspective. The factors, particularly the Zimbabwean migrant’s demographics, adopted country and channel variables will influence the migrant’s choice of remittance channel. Categorical and numerical data that influence the choice of remittance channel used was collected from Zimbabwean migrants resident in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Categorical date was analysed using a log linear model - correspondence analysis which explores relationships between two or more dimensions. Numerical data was analysed using correlation analysis to examine linear associations and relationships between variables. The research is intended to create an understanding of what influences the migrant’s choice of remittance channels which could assist the policy makers (particularly in Zimbabwe and South Africa) understand how to best harness both remittance channels and improve the financial structures if they hope to increase the migration of remittances from informal to formal remittance channels.Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the 00front of this document. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Economics / unrestricted

The Republic of Moldova is losing many of its citizens to more lucrative economic opportunities abroad.  Remittances from emigrants, in many various forms, have become vital agents in the Moldovan economy.  This thesis investigated whether remittance activity among immigrants from Moldova in the United States and Canada might be used as a model for an effective strategy to spread public health information amongst Moldovans.  Specifically, two studies examined whether remittance behavior among Moldovans living in The United States and Canada predicted their perceptions that a "knowledge remittance" strategy for public health information would be effective and their interest in participating in a knowledge remittance effort.  Grounded in the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM2), two studies evaluated the remittance relationship. Study 1, an exploratory online survey (n = 15), indicated that Moldovan immigrants living in the United States and Canada that have a generally positive attitude towards capital and knowledge remittances will tend to perceive the transmission of knowledge remittances as useful. There was tentative support for the correlation of perceived usefulness with the intention to remit knowledge.  Study 2 (n = 5) consisted of qualitative interviews and found that Moldovan immigrants living in the United States and Canada have access to the Internet and frequently use the technology to contact family in Moldova at home. Interviewees had a generally positive view of both capital and knowledge remittances, though they were in disagreement on the major health risks facing Moldova. The findings of these studies suggest that a remittance propagated health campaign is a possible resolution to poor health knowledge in Moldova. / Master of Arts

This thesis looks at the relationship between labour migration and socio-economic well-being of the rural households in the communities in Northeastern Thailand, and provides one of the few detailed case studies of the costs and benefits of labour mobility within Southeast Asian labour market system. This research aims to deepen our understanding of the implications of labour migration at micro-level. More specifically, the study aims to examine 'how much such labour migration and remittances do support the rural households and their family members left-behind?' by seeking a holistic assessment based on well-being perspectives with mixed-methods approach. To appreciate this question, we must first understand that there has been rapid economic development and change in Thailand over the past decades, and Thailand is now a leading economy in Southeast Asia that is evolving into a global and regional migration hub for outgoing, incoming, and transiting migrants. The rural communities in Northeastern Thailand, however, have experienced economic and environmental marginality, and as a result, have developed an institutionalised and self-sustaining migration culture after the Vietnam War in 1975. Yet existing research does not tell us much about what are the consequences of the labour migration on well-being for the households in this area. The research explores associations between remittance behaviours and gender difference using sex-disaggregated data, measures dimensions of poverty alleviating effects on the three Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty indices, and assesses economic well-being of the rural households (on the basis of differing participation in labour migration) and non-economic well-being of the family left-behind. On the evidence of this research with various levels of significance in regression analyses, international labour migration and remittances have several implications on rural households in Northeastern Thailand. Firstly, the results show that women and migrants from poorer households behave more altruistically, while men and migrants from richer households behave more contractually. These heterogeneities in remittance behaviours also linked to the asset accumulation patterns for migrants' own future well-being and related to inheritance culture of the rural Thais. Secondly, labour migration is a rational economic strategy of rural households to combat poverty and to improve economic well-being. The analysis reveals clearly that the entire income gap and most of the gap in economic well-being between households with and without migrants can be accounted by availability of remittances. However, the remittances also increase economic inequality (i.e. disparities in well-being) among households in the communities as well-known. Finally, the absence of adult children (for the elderly) or parents (for children) because of international labour migration does not create major disruptions of the non-economic well-being of the family members. The possibilities for frequent correspondence, returns, and the economic benefits of migration contribute to cushion the negative impacts of migration. Most of all, the extended family system plays a decisive role in functioning as a support mechanism.

This research was conducted to provide insights into the factors that influence consumer’s decision when choosing a channel to remit. The study looked at the following theories in determining the important factors that influence consumer intention or behavior, Theory of Reason Action, Theory of Planned Action, Remittance, Innovation Diffusion and Technology Acceptance Models. Hence, service providers should be aware of these factors so they can develop strategies and services to attract consumers to use their channels. The aim of the study was to determine which factors influence consumer’s decision in choosing a bank and non-bank channel to remit. The investigation of the key factors that influence the decision or intention, it was found that a single factor influenced the decision to remit in a bank and non-bank channel. It was also found in the study that consumers prefer physical channel of both bank and non-bank to remit. The finding has serious implications for service providers, in that consumer behavior show attachment to traditional distribution channels. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(経済学) / 甲第20873号 / 経博第568号 / 新制||経||284(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院経済学研究科経済学専攻 / (主査)准教授 高野 久紀, 教授 三重野 文晴, 教授 久野 秀二 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Economics / Kyoto University / DGAM

Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa often send financial support to their relatives in Zimbabwe. This financial support is known as remittances and is sent as cash or in-kind. This study investigated the characteristics of the South African-Zimbabwe remittance corridor. A critical investigation of the remittance channels used, the type of remittances sent, and the remittance transaction costs involved was done. Data for use in this study was collected through interviews with remittance service providers and by actual remittance transfers to Zimbabwe. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of data using statistical analysis techniques was done. From the analyzed data, it was observed that remittance service providers fall into two channels: formal and informal. The informal remittance channels were found to be the most popular in this corridor. The popularity of informal channels can be attributed to lower transaction costs and a lack of documentation needed from the sender. Informal remittance channels do not require the remittance sender to provide any identification document, therefore, undocumented Zimbabwean migrants opt for them. Long-distance buses that serve the South Africa-Zimbabwe route were found to be a popular channel of sending remittances - both cash and in-kind - to Zimbabwe. In-kind remittances have gained popularity due to the perennial lack of household consumer goods in Zimbabwe. Due to the national lockdown imposed in South Africa as a response to the Covid19 global pandemic, the study was unable to find the volume of remittances that is sent through the informal longdistance buses and trucks. The lockdown resulted in the closure of borders and non-essential travel was not permitted. The study found that the remittance transaction cost in the South AfricaZimbabwe corridor was higher than the global average cost of 6.84% (for formal channels) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of 3% by the year 2030.