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External Debt Histories of Ten Low-Income Developing Countries: Lessons from Their Experience

Author

Listed:
  • Mr. Kevin Ross
  • Mr. R. Brooks
  • Mr. Robert Powell
  • Ms. Ydahlia A. Metzgen Quemarez
  • Ms. Doris C Ross
  • Mr. Mariano Cortes
  • Saqib Rizavi
  • Benoit Ketchekmen
  • Ms. Francesca Fornasari

Abstract

The external debt burden of many low-income developing countries has increased significantly since the 1970s. Developments in a sample of ten countries show that the main factors behind the buildup of debt were (1) exogenous (adverse terms of trade shocks or weather), (2) a lack of sustained macroeconomic adjustment and structural reforms, (3) nonconcessional lending arid refinancing policies of creditors, (4) inadequate debt management, and (5) political factors (civil war and social strife). Future policies should limit the need for external financing and create an environment conducive to diversifying export growth, managing debt more prudently, and basing economic projections on more cautious assumptions.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Kevin Ross & Mr. R. Brooks & Mr. Robert Powell & Ms. Ydahlia A. Metzgen Quemarez & Ms. Doris C Ross & Mr. Mariano Cortes & Saqib Rizavi & Benoit Ketchekmen & Ms. Francesca Fornasari, 1998. "External Debt Histories of Ten Low-Income Developing Countries: Lessons from Their Experience," IMF Working Papers 1998/072, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:1998/072
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin Ayodele Folorunso, 2013. "Relationship between Fiscal Deficit and Public Debt in Nigeria: an Error Correction Approach," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 5(6), pages 346-355.
    2. Easterly, William, 1999. "How did highly indebted poor countries become highly indebted? : reviewing two decades of debt relief," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2225, The World Bank.
    3. Daniela López, 2003. "Assessing Bolivia´s debt relief under the heavily, indebted poor countries initiative," Revista de Análisis del BCB, Banco Central de Bolivia, vol. 6(2-1), pages 89-138, December.
    4. International Monetary Fund, 2005. "Bolivia: Ex-Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement," IMF Staff Country Reports 2005/139, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Easterly, William, 2002. "How Did Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Become Heavily Indebted? Reviewing Two Decades of Debt Relief," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(10), pages 1677-1696, October.
    6. Ms. Yan M Sun, 2004. "External Debt Sustainability in HIPC Completion Point Countries," IMF Working Papers 2004/160, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Karlygash Kuralbayeva & David Vines, 2008. "Shocks to Terms of Trade and Risk-premium in an Intertemporal Model: The Dutch Disease and a Dutch Party," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 277-303, July.
    8. J. Paul Dunne † & Sam Perlo-Freeman ‡ & Aylin Soydan §, 2004. "Military expenditure and debt in small industrialised economies: A panel analysis," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 125-132, April.
    9. Vines, David & Kuralbayeva, Karlygash, 2006. "Terms of Trade Shocks in an Intertemporal Model: Should We Worry about the Dutch Disease or Excessive Borrowing?," CEPR Discussion Papers 5857, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Mr. Philippe Beaugrand & Mr. Montfort Mlachila & Mr. Boileau Loko, 2002. "The Choice Between External and Domestic Debt in Financing Budget Deficits: The Case of Central and West African Countries," IMF Working Papers 2002/079, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Christian Senga & Danny Cassimon & Dennis Essers, 2018. "Sub-Saharan African Eurobond yields: What really matters beyond global factors?," Review of Development Finance Journal, Chartered Institute of Development Finance, vol. 8(1), pages 49-62.
    12. Mr. Robert Powell, 2003. "Debt Relief, Additionality, and Aid Allocation in Low Income Countries," IMF Working Papers 2003/175, International Monetary Fund.
    13. Barry Eichengreen & Asmaa El-Ganainy & Rui Esteves & Kris James Mitchener, 2019. "Public Debt Through the Ages," NBER Working Papers 25494, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Daniel Cohen & Hélène Djoufelkit-Cottenet & Pierre Jacquet & Cécile Valadier, 2008. "Lending to the Poorest Countries: A New Counter-Cyclical Debt Instrument," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 269, OECD Publishing.
    15. Abdur R. Chowdhury, 2010. "External Debt and Growth in Developing Countries: A Sensitivity and Causal Analysis," Working Papers id:3151, eSocialSciences.
    16. Ferrarini, Benno, 2008. "Proposal for a Contingency Debt Sustainability Framework," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2547-2565, December.
    17. Lisandro Abrego & Doris C. Ross, 2002. "Debt Relief under the HIPC Initiative: Context and Outlook for Debt Sustainability and Resource Flows," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-44, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Dumitriu, Ramona & Stefanescu, Razvan, 2013. "External debt management in Romania," MPRA Paper 52475, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 25 Sep 2013.
    19. Benno Ferrarini, 2009. "Policy, vulnerability and the new debt sustainability framework," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(7), pages 895-914.

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