Structural adjustment and social protection in the Middle East and North Africa

Food subsidies in Jordan

Bibliographic Data

ID12923562
AuthorsYusuke Kawamura (0000-0002-9154-6193, Durham University, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume8
Issue1
Pages81-95
Publication date2014-11-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueContemporary Arab Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1755-0920 • E-ISSN: 1755-0912
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17550912.2014.976405
OpenAlexW2072964055
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited12

Jordan has been praised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) as a successful case of social protection reform. While implementing a structural adjustment programme (SAP), Jordan accepted the WB’s policy assistance and successfully eliminated food subsidies, which the IMF/WB have repeatedly criticized for their inefficiency as a poverty alleviation programme. Nevertheless, even while officially suspending food subsidies, the Jordanian government still continued to fund them. Moreover, it officially reinstituted the subsidies in 2005. This fact demonstrates that the policy assistance is not powerful enough to change the food subsidy system, which is in-built in the social contract in Jordan

Business · Development economics · Economic growth · Economic policy · Economics · Government (linguistics · Inefficiency · Market economy · Middle East · Political science · Poverty · Social protection · Structural adjustment · Subsidy · International Development and Aid · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare

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