Structural adjustment in Africa: reflections on Ghana and Zambia

Loxley, John

doi:10.1080/03056249008703845

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Review of African Political Economy

Volume 17, Issue 47

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Structural adjustment in Africa: reflections on Ghana and Zambia

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Author(s): John Loxley ^a

Publication date (Print): Spring 1990

Journal: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

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Abstract

An analysis of the experience of Ghana and Zambia in operating structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) illustrates well the debate taking place on the appropriateness of these programmes in the context of African economies. Both countries faced major economic crises in the 1980s. While supporters of SAPs see Ghana as the success story of World Bank and IMF policies, Zambia is regarded as a prime example of failure because of non‐adoption of these policies. However, this article shows why in the short run, Ghana could have been expected to perform better than Zambia anyway. It further shows that the Ghana programme is not likely to be replicable by other countries and that even in Ghana, the relative success of the programme may not be sustainable. In analysing Zambia's experience with an IMF/World Bank programme, it is argued that her economic structure made short‐term gains from adjustment impossible and led to the programme's abandonment in favour of a government programme which itself failed to address fully the nature of Zambia's economic crisis. Given the weakness of world commodity markets and the inadequacy of international capital flows to these countries, not only Zambia, but also Ghana is likely to find the future very difficult.

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Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): crea20

Journal ID (archive): CREA

Title: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

ISSN (Print): 0305-6244

ISSN (Electronic): 1740-1720

Publication date (Print): Spring 1990

Volume: 17

Issue: 47

Pages: 8-27

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^a Professor and Head, Department of Economics , University of Manitoba , Canada

Article

Publisher ID: 8703845 Coden ID: Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 17, No. 47, Spring 1990, pp. 8-27

DOI: 10.1080/03056249008703845

SO-VID: 781348f6-454d-4337-9826-4549c0cb1916

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 22, Pages: 20

Bibliographic note

Aglietta M.. 1979. . A Theory of Capitalist Regulation: The U.S. Experience . , London : : N.L.B.. .
Balassa B. Bueno, Kuczynski G.M., P‐P and Simonsen M.H.. 1986. . Toward Renewed Economic Growth in Latin America . , Washington , D.C. : : Institute For International Economics. .
1980. . Development Dialogue . Uppsala :
Goldstein Morris. . March. 1986 . The Global Effects of Fund‐Supported Adjustment Programs . , March. , Washington , D.C. : : International Monetary Fund. .
Gulhati Ravi. . 1987. . Recent Economic Reforms in Africa: A Preliminary Political Economy Perspective . , Washington , D.C. : : E.D.I. World Bank. .
Helleiner G.K.. 1983. . The I.M.F. and Africa in the 1980's . , (Essays in International Finance, No. 152). Princeton , New Jersey : : Princeton University. .
Helleiner G.K.. 1986. . Africa and the International Monetary Fund . , Washington , D.C. : : International Monetary Fund. .
International Monetary Fund. . 1987. . Theoretical Aspects of the Design of Fund Supported Adjustment Programs: A Study by the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund . Washington , D.C. :
Jourdan Paul. . 1986. . ‘The Mining Industry of Zambia’. . Raw Materials Report . , Vol. 4((4))
Kydd Jonathon. . 1985. . “‘Zambia’. ”. In Agricultural Pricing Policy in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe . , Edited by: Ellis F., Harvey C., Kydd J., Mackintosh M. and Thompson A.. Sussex : : Institute of Development Studies. .
Loxley J.. 1986. . Debt and Disorder: External Finance for Development . , Ottawa : : Westview Press, Boulder and North‐South Institute. .
Loxley John. . 1988a. . Ghana: Economic Crisis and the Long Road to Recovery . , Ottawa : : North‐South Institute. .
Loxley John. . 1988b. . “‘The I.M.F., the World Bank and Reconstruction in Uganda’. ”.
Seini W., Howell J. and Commander S.. 1987. . “‘Agricultural Policy Adjustment in Ghana’. ”. London : : Overseas Development Institute. .
Singh Ajit. . 1986. . ‘Tanzania and the I.M.F.: The Analytics of Alternative Adjustment Programmes’. . Development and Change . , Vol. 17((3)) July;
Thorp R. and Whitehead L.. 1980. . Inflation and Stabilisation in Latin America . , London : : Nelson. .
United Nations. . 1988. . Financing Africa's Recovery . New York :
Van Arkadie Brian. . 1983. . “The I.M.F. Prescription for Adjustment in Tanzania’. ”. In Monetarism, Economic Crisis and the Third World . , Edited by: Jansen Karel. . London : : Frank Cass. .
World Bank. . 1986. . Financing Adjustment with Growth in Sub‐Saharan Africa, 1986–90 . Washington , D.C. :
World Bank. . March. 1987a . Ghana: Policies and Issues of Structural Adjustment . March. , Washington , D.C. :
World Bank. . July. 1987b . Repairing the Social Fabric: An Action Programme for Social Development . July. , Washington , D.C. :
Young Roger. . 1988. . Zambia: Adjusting to Poverty . , Ottawa : : North‐South Institute. .

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Aglietta M.. 1979. . A Theory of Capitalist Regulation: The U.S. Experience . , London : : N.L.B.. .

[2] Balassa B. Bueno, Kuczynski G.M., P‐P and Simonsen M.H.. 1986. . Toward Renewed Economic Growth in Latin America . , Washington , D.C. : : Institute For International Economics. .

[3] 1980. . Development Dialogue . Uppsala :

[4] Goldstein Morris. . March. 1986 . The Global Effects of Fund‐Supported Adjustment Programs . , March. , Washington , D.C. : : International Monetary Fund. .

[5] Gulhati Ravi. . 1987. . Recent Economic Reforms in Africa: A Preliminary Political Economy Perspective . , Washington , D.C. : : E.D.I. World Bank. .

[6] Helleiner G.K.. 1983. . The I.M.F. and Africa in the 1980's . , (Essays in International Finance, No. 152). Princeton , New Jersey : : Princeton University. .

[7] Helleiner G.K.. 1986. . Africa and the International Monetary Fund . , Washington , D.C. : : International Monetary Fund. .

[8] International Monetary Fund. . 1987. . Theoretical Aspects of the Design of Fund Supported Adjustment Programs: A Study by the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund . Washington , D.C. :

[9] Jourdan Paul. . 1986. . ‘The Mining Industry of Zambia’. . Raw Materials Report . , Vol. 4((4))

[10] Kydd Jonathon. . 1985. . “‘Zambia’. ”. In Agricultural Pricing Policy in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe . , Edited by: Ellis F., Harvey C., Kydd J., Mackintosh M. and Thompson A.. Sussex : : Institute of Development Studies. .

[11] Loxley J.. 1986. . Debt and Disorder: External Finance for Development . , Ottawa : : Westview Press, Boulder and North‐South Institute. .

[12] Loxley John. . 1988a. . Ghana: Economic Crisis and the Long Road to Recovery . , Ottawa : : North‐South Institute. .

[13] Loxley John. . 1988b. . “‘The I.M.F., the World Bank and Reconstruction in Uganda’. ”.

[14] Seini W., Howell J. and Commander S.. 1987. . “‘Agricultural Policy Adjustment in Ghana’. ”. London : : Overseas Development Institute. .

[15] Singh Ajit. . 1986. . ‘Tanzania and the I.M.F.: The Analytics of Alternative Adjustment Programmes’. . Development and Change . , Vol. 17((3)) July;

[16] Thorp R. and Whitehead L.. 1980. . Inflation and Stabilisation in Latin America . , London : : Nelson. .

[17] United Nations. . 1988. . Financing Africa's Recovery . New York :

[18] Van Arkadie Brian. . 1983. . “The I.M.F. Prescription for Adjustment in Tanzania’. ”. In Monetarism, Economic Crisis and the Third World . , Edited by: Jansen Karel. . London : : Frank Cass. .

[19] World Bank. . 1986. . Financing Adjustment with Growth in Sub‐Saharan Africa, 1986–90 . Washington , D.C. :

[20] World Bank. . March. 1987a . Ghana: Policies and Issues of Structural Adjustment . March. , Washington , D.C. :

[21] World Bank. . July. 1987b . Repairing the Social Fabric: An Action Programme for Social Development . July. , Washington , D.C. :

[22] Young Roger. . 1988. . Zambia: Adjusting to Poverty . , Ottawa : : North‐South Institute. .

Review of African Political Economy

Structural adjustment in Africa: reflections on Ghana and Zambia

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