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Bretton Woods conditionality : the cause of progression or retrogression in Uganda's quest for economic growth and development

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
Today, the issue of poverty reduction is central to the development process. This
is particularly so because developing countries and the donors that prop up many
of these countries' economies have come to realize that not all impressive
economic gains, where they occur in the developing countries, are translated into
improvement in the people's welfare.
The Bretton Woods institutions have also been under attack from an everincreasing
body of research for neoliberal policies that inform their prescriptions
to poor clients. It is alleged that the IMFlWorld Bank's conditionalities and
austerity measures have exacerbated poverty in developing countries.
The main issue in this study is whether the IMFlWorld Bank policy prescriptions
to Uganda have led to economic growth and helped to pull the country out of
poverty or whether they have impoverished its people even further. The other
question for this research to answer is whether poverty in Uganda is on the
increase or whether it is just a matter of perception.
This study is based on information obtained from various books, academic
journals and papers, NGO reports, government publications, electronic media
reports, and IMFlWorld Bank working papers and reports.
This study has been able to observe that the Bretton Woods institutions have
succeeded in revitalizing Uganda's economy, although the country is yet to see
sustainable economic growth.
Although the privatization process was riddled with corruption, the country
benefited from the reforms through efficiency gains. Similarly, people who grow
only food crops have not benefited from liberalization, but those who grow cashcrops
(except cotton) have generally benefited from it.
The study has confirmed that some of the Bretton Woods institutions'
conditionalities, e.g. retrenchment, have caused poverty among some Ugandans
and cost sharing has increased the severity of poverty among Uganda's poor.
The study has also confirmed that the inequality gap has widened. The income
poverty that was receding between 1992 and 1997 has since 2000 made a
comeback. The study also reveals that other qualitative forms of poverty e.g.
powerlessness and social seclusion, are widespread in Uganda. However, the
study has not found sufficient evidence to directly link the increasing poverty in
Uganda to the Bretton Woods institutions' policies.
Finally, it is recommended that to mitigate the effects of poverty, the release of
poverty reduction funds should not be pegged on conditionality. However,
conditionality should be imposed on non-essential government expenditure. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING
Armoedeverligting is vandag 'n kernkwessie in die ontwikkelingsproses. Hierdie
waarneming is spesifiek van belang deurdat ontwikkelelende lande, en die
skenkers wat sommige van hierdie ekonomieë steun, besef het dat
indrukwekkende ekonomiese vooruitgang nie noodwendig tot 'n verbetering in
lewens-standaarde lei nie.
Die Bretton Woods instellings word al hoe meer gekritiseer oor hulle
voorskriftelike neoliberale beleide. Daar word beweer dat die IMFlWêreldbank se
voorwaardes en onbuigbaarheid reeds gelei het tot armoede in sommige
ontwikkelende lande.
Die hoof-ondersoek in hierdie studie handeloor die vraag of die IMF/
Wêreldbank-beleidsvoorskrifte Uganda aangespoor het tot ekonomiese groei en
so gehelp het om die land uit armoede to help, en of dit nie dalk die landsburgers
verder verarm het nie. Die tweede vraagstuk in hierdie studie is of armoede aan
die toeneem is in Uganda en of dit dalk nie net 'n kwessie van persepsie is nie.
Die navorsing vir hierdie werkstuk is gebaseer op verskeie boeke, akademiese
joernaal-artikels en refererate, verslae van nie-winsjagende organisasie,
regeringspublikasies, elektronies media verslae, en IMFlWêreldbank konsepartikels
en verslae.
Die studie het gevind dat die Bretton Woods instellings wel daarin geslaag het
om lewe te blaas in die Ugandese ekonomie, maar dat die land steeds nie
volhoubare ekonomiese groei behaal het nie.
Hoewel korrupsie in die privatiseringsproses die sukses daarvan beperk het, het
die land wel voordeel getrek uit vooruitgang in doeltreffendheid. Boere wat
voedselgewasse plant vir plaaslike markte, het nie veel baat gevind by
liberalisering nie terwyl diegene wat kontantgewasse (maar nie katoen)
aangeplant het, het wel voordeel getrek uit liberalisering.
Die studie het bevestig dat sommige van die Bretton Woods instellings se
voorwaardes, byvoorbeeld afdankings en koste-deling, armoede veroorsaak het
of die graad daarvan vererger het onder Uganda se armes.
Die studie staaf ook verder dat die armoede-gaping groter geraak het. Die
inkomste-armoede wat gekrimp het tussen 1992 en 1997, het sedert 2000 weer
verskyn. Die studie onthulook dat ander kwalitatiewe vorms van armoede, bv.
magteloosheid en sosiale uitsluiting, wydverspreid voorkom in Uganda. Die
studie het egter nie genoeg bewyse gevind om die groeiende armoede direk te
koppel aan die Bretton Woods instellings se beleide nie.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50291
Date12 1900
CreatorsMwesige, Patrick Keith
ContributorsRoux, A. (Andre), Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Business Management.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format184 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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