Structural adjustment

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Structural adjustment is a term used to describe the policy changes implemented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (the Bretton Woods Institutions) in developing countries. These policy changes are conditions (Conditionalities) for getting new loans from the IMF or World Bank, or for obtaining lower interest rates on existing loans. Conditionalities are implemented to ensure that the money lent will be spent in accordance with the overall goals of the loan. The Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) are created with the goal of reducing the borrowing country's fiscal imbalances. The bank from which a borrowing country receives its loan depends upon the type of necessity. In general, loans from both the World Bank and the IMF are designed to promote economic growth, to generate income, and to pay off the debt which the countries have accumulated.

Through Conditionalities, Structural Adjustment Programs generally implement free market programs and policy. These programs include internal changes (notably privatization and deregulation) as well as external ones, especially the reduction of trade barriers. The policy changes are insured by a variety of loan distribution programs, and progress monitoring by the lender during the life of the loan.

Since the late 1990s, the term "structural adjustment" has emphasized "poverty reduction". Structural Adjustment Programs were often criticised for implementing generic free market policy, as well as the lack of involvement from the country. To increase the borrowing country's involvement, developing countries are now encouraged to draw up Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). These PRSPs essentially take the place of the SAPs. It is believed that the increase of the local governments participation in creating the policy will lead to greater ownership of the loan programs, thus better fiscal policy. The content of these PSRPs has turned out to be quite similar to the original content of bank authored Structural Adjustment Programs. Critics argue that the similarities show that the banks, and the countries that fund them, are still overly involved in the policy making process.

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[edit] Conditions

Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP) are loans from the IMF given to a nation with certain conditions. Nations are required to follow these conditions for approval of the loan. These conditions are technically known as "conditionalities".

Some of the conditions can include:

These conditions have also been sometimes labeled as the Washington Consensus.

[edit] History

Structural adjustment policys emerged from two of the Bretton Woods institutions, the IMF and the World Bank. They emerged from conditionalities that IMF and World bank have been attaching to their loans since the early 1950's [1]. In the beginning, these conditionalities mainly focused upon a country's macroeconomic policy.

Structural Adjustment Policies as they are known today originated due to a series of global economic disasters during the late 1970's; the oil crisis, debt crisis, multiple economic depressions, and stagflation[2]. These fiscal disasters led policy members to decide that deeper intervention was necessary to improve a country's overall well being.

In 2002 SAPs underwent another transition, the introduction of PRSPs. PRSPs were introduced as a result of the bank's beliefs that, "successful economic policy programs must be founded on strong country ownership" [3]. In addition, SAPs with their emphasis on poverty reduction have attempted to further align themselves with the Millenium Development Goals(MDG). As a result of PRSPs, a more flexible and creative approach to policy creation has been implemented at the IMF and World Bank.


While the main focus of SAP's has continued to be the balancing of external debts and trade deficits, the reasons for those debts have undergone a transition. Today SAPs and their lending institutions have increased their sphere of influence by providing relief to countries experiencing economic problems due to natural disasters, as well as economic mis-management [4]. Since their inception SAPs have been adopted by a number of other International Financial Institutions (IFIs)[5].

[edit] Criticisms

There are multiple criticisms that focus on different elements of SAPs.

[edit] National Sovereignty

Critics claim that SAPs threaten the sovereignty of national economies because an outside organization is dictating a nation's economic policy. Critics argue that the creation of good policy is in their own best interest of a sovern nation. Thus, SAPs are unnecessary. Yet, Third World debt is a nearly universal fact, with some of the worlds 47 poorest nations were already $422 billion dollars in debt in 2003 [6].

Due to this near universality of debt, a popular criticism is that the structural adjustment's terms have become a template for the governance of much of humanity. Hence, some argue that the democratic policy process of countless countries has been undermined by decisions formulated miles away by western economic bureaucrats and that the implementation of such policy has solely benefited the largest donor countries (the US, UK, Canada, and Japan)[7].

For example, the opening of countries to outside investment allows US corporations to build factories in impoverished areas. The corporations are able to exploit the surplus of inexpensive labor, and usual lack of environmental regulations to create goods at a lower price. As a result, corporate profits raise and trade increases for that particular country. While this increases the GDP the majority of the profit actually benefits the corporation and the country in which the corporation is based[8].

Conversely, many argue that the people employed by the corporations are desperately in need of any work at all. That the alternative forms of employment, or life styles available to them are much worse.[9]

[edit] Privatization and Trade

The two most prominent policies introduced by SAPs are the reduction of trade barriers, and the privatization of public enterprises. Critics counter that privatization reduces state capacity.

Export expansion often displaces local production systems. With export expansion local industries are encouraged to focus their energies onto internationally profitable (most often western) goods. As a result, some regions find that they are no longer able to support local demands as they are now solely supplying western demands.

[edit] Agriculture

The agricultural, anti-land reform and food trade policies associated with SAPs have been pointed to as a major engine in the urbanization of the global South, the ballooning of megacities, worldwide migration towards the global North, and the growth in urban poverty and slums[10].

They are also a source of contention for environmental activists. A large portion of SAPs policy on agriculture focuses on irrigation and the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides. The process of irrigation is often done with little respect to the environment. Local lakes and rivers are improperly drained destroying habitats for a variety of animals and directly reducing local sustainability.. Irrigation in some areas can also lead to soil salinization. Water shortages may be exacerbated by irrigation projects, thus trading crop yields for potable water.[11]

In addition, the increased and unregulated use of pesticides and fertilizers also harms the health of local bodies of water and therefore fish populations. The runoff caused by the over use of fertilizers increases the amount of algae in local water bodies, causing different scales of dead zones (areas where oxygen is consumed by compsers and fish cease to live). Dead zones effect both local and international bodies of water.

[edit] Environment

Local environments can easily become casualties of pro-trade policies. Pro-trade policy promotes an increase of industry geared toward Western needs. As a result of the new policy, local industries begin to focus on producing inexpensive goods to sell on the international market. The focus on creating the least expensive product often leads to environmentally exploitative industry. As these new industries are often unregulated there are no laws prohibiting this exploitation.

For example, emissions from factories are much less regulated in developing nations. As a result, the environmental cost (the harm done to the ozone layer for example) of producing a product like steel in China is much greater, than it would be in the US[12].

Another example would be the run off of chemicals or pharmaceuticals into local rivers and other bodies of water. In developing nations the pollution of rivers has become a cause for international intervention. This pollution not only effects local populations who sometimes bathe and drink the polluted waters but is damaging the oceans on a large scale[13].

It is possible for SAPs to include clauses that require industry regulations. However, for the most part, regulatory clauses have not been included in SAPs. The majority of the policy creators view these regulations as a hindrance to trade and therefore to economic development[14].

In addition, many argue that it is unfair for developed nations (and IFIs) to demand that their environmental policies be followed. All developed nations have gone through a period of industrialization wherein local environments were damaged. While these periods of industrialization led to increased environmental problems, they also greatly contributed to the development, prosperity, and increased standard of living for the country's citizens. They argue that developed countries essentially have had a head start in economic development, and that less developed countries deserve their own head start. Critics debate whether the world can handle this head start[15].

[edit] Austerity

Critics hold SAPs responsible for much of the economic stagnation that has occurred in borrowing countries. SAPs emphasize maintaining a balanced budget which forces austerity programs. The casualties of balancing a budget are often social programs.

The programs most often cut are education, public health, and other miscellaneous social safety nets. Commonly, these are programs that are already underfunded and desperately need monetary investment for improvement.

For example, if a government cuts education funding, universality is impaired, and therefore long term economic growth. Similarly, cuts to health programmes have allowed diseases such as AIDS to devastate some areas' economies by destroying the workforce.

[edit] Inequality

Since the implementation of traditional SAPs in the late 1970's the global gap between rich and poor has been steadily increasing [16]. Critics cite not only SAPs but the fact that they promote neo-liberal ideas, and therefore corporations.

The sole goal of a corporation is to lower costs and maximize profits. As a result, corporations contribute to the availability of goods at a lower cost, and thus arguably an increase in the standard of living. Yet,in their cost consciousness such policies also decrease wages. So while goods and services cost less, people generally earn less.

SAPs have also contributed to the disparities between Developed Countries, and Third World Countries, or the North and the South. The IFIs that provide need based loans still receive interest on the payments.

In 1997 developing debtor countries paid over $292 billion in debt service from IFIs and received $269 in loans [17]. This resulted in an actual transfer of wealth from the developing nations, or the South, to the North or developed world [18]. The developed world made a profit off of poverty, and insofar has done so every year.

[edit] Praise

This negative view of SAPs is not universal. Many claim that borrowing countries are running on borrowed time, and will eventually have to make such changes to balance their budgets or control inflation. If these conditionalities are not implemented, the countries can expect even bigger problems in the future[19].

In principle, conditionality is a tactic used not only to make sure loans are paid back, but also to ensure that they are used effectively. If there are no conditions on the loan, the country might not use the money to reduce poverty (see fungibility).

There have also been a few successful cases of economic and social improvement by countries that have underwent SAPs. Korea is a perfect example.

Korea

It could be argued that South Korea underwent one of the first modern SAPs in 1962. During that time the president, Park Chung Hee implemented a five year plan supported by IFI loans [20]. The plan implemented austerity programs, emphasised international trade and privatization; generally free market policies[21].

The results have been phenomenal. Today South Korea is the US 7th biggest trading partner, and is the 11th largest economy in the world [22]. South Korea also boast a long life expectancy, 77 years, as well as a literacy and school attendance rate of over 98% [23].


[edit] IMF SAPs

While both the IMF and World Bank loan to depressed and developing countries, their loans are directed at different problems within each country. The International Monetary Fund mainly lends to countries that have balance of payment problems (they can not pay their international debts). IMF loans focus on temporarily fixing problems that countries face as a whole. Traditionally IMF loans were meant to be repaid in a short duration between 2½ and 4 years. Today there are a few longer term options available; up to 7 years[24], as well as options that lend to countries in times of crisis; either natural disaster, or conflict.


Some Countries that have received loans from the IMF

  • Belize
  • Bosnia
  • Chile
  • Croatia
  • Georgia
  • Haiti
  • Indonesia
  • Latvia
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Mexico
  • South Africa
  • Syria
  • Tunisia
  • Vietnam

[edit] World Bank SAPs

World Bank SAPs or SALs (Structural Adjustment Loans) focus on providing loans and grants to countries that provide funding on a project basis. For example, a loan or grant from the World Bank, could provide funds to improve infrastructure in a region of a developing country. The World Bank is divided into two lending and development institutions; the International Bank for Lending and Reconstruction (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). The IBRD focuses on "middle income and credit-worthy poor countries"[25] while the IDA focuses on the lowest income and least credit worthy countries [26].

Some Countries that have received loans from the World Bank

  • Angola
  • Brazil
  • Cambodia
  • Chad
  • Ethiopia
  • Hungary
  • Kosovo
  • India
  • Kenya
  • Mongolia
  • Niger
  • Namibia
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • Thailand
  • Ukrane
  • Uganda
  • Vietnam

[edit] Donor Countries

The IMF and World Bank are supported by their members. Currently there are 182 Members of the IMF and 184 members of the World Bank. Members are assigned a quota to be reevaluated and paid on a rotating schedule. The assessed quota is based upon the donor country's portion of the world economy. One of the critiques of SAPs is that the highest donating countries hold too much influence over which countries receive the loans and the SAPs that accompany them.[27]

Some of the Highest Donors are

  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Japan
  • Canada

[edit] References

  1. http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/finfac.htm
  2. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,pagePK:50004410~piPK:36602~theSitePK:29708,00.html
  3. http://wwwnew.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/imf/SAPTITLE.HTM
  4. http://wwwnew.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/imf/SAPTITLE.HTM
  5. http://wwwnew.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/imf/SAPTITLE.HTM
  6. http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/conditio.htm
  7. http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/howlend.htm
  8. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2800.htm
  9. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2800.htm
  10. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2800.htm
  11. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2800.htm
  12. Steger, Manfred. "Globlization A Very Short Introduction" Oxford University Press, 2003.
  13. O'Meara, Patrick. Mehlinger, Howard. Krain, Matthew. "Globalization and the Challenges of a New Century" Indiana University Press, 2000.
  14. O'Meara, Patrick. Mehlinger, Howard. Krain, Matthew.
  15. O'Meara, Patrick. Mehlinger, Howard. Krain, Matthew.

[edit] Further reading

  • Chossudovsky, Michel. The Globalization of Poverty and the New World Order. Global Research, 2003
  • Davis, Mike. "Planet of Slums," NLR, 2005 (PDF)
  • Perkins, J. Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Random House, 2005.
  • SAPRIN, (Structural Adjustment Participatory Review International Network) Structural Adjustment: The SAPRI Report. Zed Books, 2004
  • Stiglitz, J. Globalization and its Discontents. Penguin Press, 2002.
  • Desai, Manisha. Transnational Solidarity: Women's Agency, Structural Adjustment, and Globalization
  • Juhasz, Antonia. The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time. HaperCollins, 2006.


[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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