Asia-Pacific Development Journal - Volume 18, Issue 1, 2011

There are substantial disparities across the southern Indian and northern (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) states in terms of fundamental economic phenomena, such as per capita net state domestic product, rural and urban poverty rates, and investment flows, with the southern states taking a lead over their northern counterparts. In this paper, we make an attempt to understand what factors have caused some states to grow faster than others. We examine human capabilities, skills and awareness, resources and the efficiency of their utilization, extent of urbanization, good governance including law and order, and infrastructure across the two group of states. We conclude that the upward shift in per capita income, downward trend in poverty reduction and investment flows that occurred in the south relative to that in the northern states can be explained partly by the advantage the former had in terms of human capabilities, infrastructure, urbanization and some law and order conditions and partly by the economic liberalization of 1991.

Given the level of economic development in Viet Nam, the country’s health sector is quite impressive. The country has now set its sights establishing universal health insurance coverage by 2015. This article aims to, first, describe the current health-care system in Viet Nam accompanied by a number of challenges the country faces in delivering and financing health-related services, and then provides some policy discussions on how to achieve this ambitious plan. The article also stresses the important role in attaining universal health insurance coverage by providing quality services and guaranteeing financial protection for both health-care suppliers and consumers.

This paper develops a modality of liberalization for APEC, based on a sectoral level, as an alternative to the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). This model, originally developed by Wonnacott (1994), argues for the liberalization, on a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) basis, of sectors where APEC members are principal suppliers. The main advantage of this option is that it skirts the free rider problem that usually afflicts MFN liberalization. While this approach would benefit APEC as a group, it impacts different members differently. The paper examines the implications of such a liberalization modality in APEC on the Philippines, as a case study.

Small area estimation techniques are frequently used in poverty mapping. For this paper, an econometric approach to small area estimation, known as the ELL method, was applied to estimate poverty and inequality indicators in small areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study aims to determine patterns of poverty and inequality in small areas and household characteristics related to them in order to provide practical tools for a geographically targeted pro-poor policy. Drawbacks in the current Government welfare policy (uniform cash distribution) along with the diversity among provinces and small areas regarding scale of poverty and inequality and their correlates, as well as the level of living standards, underlines the need to utilize small area estimations as a tool for evidence-based policymaking.

Paddy is the main food crop in Malaysia, but due to a low rate of productivity, the land area for paddy production is gradually decreasing. As a consequence, it is critically important to know the socio-economic characteristics of the paddy farmers and their linkage with agricultural productivity to ensure the sustainability of paddy farms as well as farmers’ livelihood. This study analyses the relationships between the paddy yields and the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers in the Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA), North-West Selangor, Malaysia. The data was collected through a survey. To analyse the data, this study conducted cross-sectional multiple OLS regressions. The findings of the study revealed that several socio-economic and physical characteristics had significant effects on paddy productivity in Malaysia. Based on the findings, some policy recommendations and action plans have been proposed focusing on paddy productivity in relation to the socioeconomic sustainability of the livelihood. The findings of the study are important for the policymakers and relevant agencies.