Myth-Busting? Confronting Six Common Perceptions about Unconditional Cash Transfers as a Poverty Reduction Strategy in Africa

• Tác giả: Sudhanshu Handa
• Ngôn ngữ: eng
• Ký hiệu phân loại: 362.57 Measures to prevent, protect against, limit effects of poverty
• Thông tin xuất bản: Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank, 2020
• Bộ sưu tập: Tài liệu truy cập mở
• ID: 328888
• Chủ đề: 1. CASH TRANSFERS; 2. INCOME DISTRIBUTION; 3. POVERTY REDUCTION; 4. PUBLIC EXPENDITURE; 5. WELFARE PROGRAM

Tóm tắt

 This paper summarizes evidence on six perceptions associated with cash transfer programming, using eight rigorous evaluations conducted on large-scale government unconditional cash transfers in sub-Saharan Africa under the Transfer Project. Specifically, it investigates if transfers: 1) induce higher spending on alcohol or tobacco
  2) are fully consumed (rather than invested)
  3) create dependency (reduce participation in productive activities)
  4) increase fertility
  5) lead to negative community-level economic impacts (including price distortion and inflation)
  and 6) are fiscally unsustainable. The paper presents evidence refuting each claim, leading to the conclusion that these perceptions-insofar as they are utilized in policy debates-undercut potential improvements in well-being and livelihood strengthening among the poor, which these programs can bring about in sub-Saharan Africa, and globally. It concludes by underscoring outstanding research gaps and policy implications for the continued expansion of unconditional cash transfers in the region and beyond.