The Corona Dispatches are short updates on the situation in different countries around the world, written by members and friends of The Policy Corner. You would like to write a dispatch for us? No problem — just get in touch with us at submissions@policycorner.org, we look forward to hearing from you!
Ghana’s government reacted quickly and practically to the pandemic, an approach that can serve as an example in the exchange of lessons learned between states. The country undertook a timely closure of borders, targeted lockdowns in epicenters, and enhanced contact tracing. This was made possible by allowing experts to lead the discussions and by taking into account local factors and developments.
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly replacing official development aid, as stated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. But PPPs have flaws in important areas such as accounta-bility and transparency. Their effectiveness in improving value for money, especially in developing countries, is subject to debate.
International organizations, governments, and private actors argue that participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs) is a promising development opportunity. Yet, the discussion around GVCs neglects to a large part the social consequences of GVC participation. To assure inclusive GVCs, we need better data, a rethinking of how countries join value chains, and an emphasis on protective institutions.
Ghana is losing revenue from its oil resources due to ineffective taxation, bad contracts and institutional weakness. It requires contract renegotiation and implementation of a wind-fall profit tax in order to maximize revenue from the country’s oil.
Illicit financial flows have staggering consequences for global health and development in the world’s poorest countries. Existing policies address this issue but their success is limited by a paradigm of centralization. Blockchain and mobile technologies have enabled new policy possibilities around a paradigm of decentralization and disaggregation to a wider range of stakeholders.