Bob Rijkers

I am delighted to share with you this IMF Selected Issues Paper titled “Creating Fiscal Space to Build Inclusive and Resilient Growth”, which I co-authored with my colleagues Naima Smaini and Vincent de Paul Koukpaizan. The paper builds a case for Djibouti to mobilize additional revenues and explores different avenues for doing so, including in the area of tax policy reform. Here’s a link: https://lnkd.in/e97SzsNF

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The last three papers published: The nexus between FDI and human development: non-linear evidence from South Asia Revisited the role of foreign aid in capital formation: experience of South Asian countries Exchange-traded funds and the future of passive investments: a bibliometric review and future research agenda

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Great discussion on job creation and productivity growth in developing countries with Prof. Richard Rogerson of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; Roberta Gatti, The World Bank Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Selim Raihan of the University of Dhaka. Since 2000, #SouthAsia has created an average of 10 million jobs a year, but its working-age population has grown by an average of 19 million a year. This needs to change if the region is to fulfill its aspirations. Failing to fully capitalize on its demographic dividend would be a big, missed opportunity. We discussed the importance of achieving employment and labor productivity growth together and emphasized how critical it is to bring more women into the labor force. Creating more and better jobs requires carefully designed policies to support structural transformation and the shift of jobs from agriculture to non-agriculture sectors, a conducive investment climate and international support to strengthen institutions and the consistency of policy implementation. A key message for me is that policy may need to focus at the meso-level, where outcomes can be achieved in specific industries and locations and policy coordination may be easier.   Read more on jobs and growth in #SouthAsia in our latest South Asia Development Update: https://lnkd.in/e_cHeHUJ

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I talk about the SCO meet, India's expectations from it, and the future trends for Central Asia for the Kazakh National Channel https://lnkd.in/gUpvMy3H

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📝New Publication📝 Pleased to announce the publication of my book chapter, "Exploring Digital Public Engagement: Thematic and Sentiment Analysis of Tweets about the Afghanistan Refugee Crisis." This chapter, co-authored with Haneen Alqawasmeh, Ph.D., and Ratna Ariyanti, delves into the complexities of digital public engagement. It offers a comprehensive analysis of how social media platforms—particularly X (formerly Twitter)—are utilized to discuss and address the Afghanistan refugee crisis. It is an honor to contribute to the scholarly work, Refugees and the Media: Local and Global Perspectives, edited by the distinguished Nasir Uddin and Delaware Arif. This book offers critical insights into the intersection of media and refugee issues, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this important discourse. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e3UZPxkv #digitalengagement #refugeecrisis #sentimentanalysis #media #refugees #rohingyas #afghanrefugees #syrianrefugees #repatriation #crisisframing #politics #blamegame #blamingthevictims

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My latest paper, now published in the International Economic Review, explores how a significant currency depreciation affects rich and poor people differently. Analyzing scanner data on product prices and consumer spending from Metro stores in Astana and Almaty, we found that after the Tenge's large depreciation in 2015, product prices increased. However, wealthier consumers, who buy more foreign goods, experienced a smaller price shock compared to poorer consumers, who buy more local products. This difference arises because retailers absorbed much of the price increase on foreign products by reducing profit margins, but they did not do the same for local products. Moreover, the range of available products changed notably: more local products appeared on the shelves, while many foreign products disappeared. This shift influenced shopping behaviors and available choices. Our study highlights the importance for policymakers to consider these disparities when addressing currency fluctuations. By understanding the varied impacts on different income groups, better strategies can be developed to protect vulnerable populations from financial strain. For the full paper see: https://lnkd.in/gy_KqnVV

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I found my article for The Diplomat about Turkmenistan-Afghanistan cooperation in some publication by the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan. Some sources state that Shtamani is an information system for financial management implemented by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Afghanistan. It is designed to optimize and improve financial processes in various government institutions. In the picture below you can see my name on the bottom right hand side. However, I am a bit unsure about the correct definition of Shtamani, but nevertheless, it was published on the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan's website 😲 My article for The Diplomat: https://lnkd.in/dJpBwg4T

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📢🌟 Call for Editors - Data & Policy Journal (Cambridge University Press) 🌟📢 📊 Five years ago, together with Zeynep Engin, PhD (Data for Policy & UCL), Jon Crowcroft (Cambridge University & The Alan Turing Institute), and Andrew Hyde (Cambridge University Press ), we launched the Journal Data and Policy. ➡️ Data & Policy is a peer-reviewed, #openaccess journal exploring the relationship between data science and governance (and vice versa). It is interrelated with the annual Data for Policy CIC Conference. ➡️ It has grown since: ✅ 2022 Impact Factor: 2.6 🌟 ✅ 12,000 visitors per month 📈 ✅ published over 100 papers! 📚 👉 We now seek new editors who can join us in advancing the growth and quality of the journal as well as help increase our community-building efforts. 📡 In particular, we seek: 🔹 Area Editors: Working across the Conference and Journal to develop the six non-domain specific Areas of Interest, overseeing and reviewing articles, commissioning new submissions, and contributing their own thought leadership (blogs, landscape reports, position papers). 🔹 Editorial Board Members: Working on special issues (collections), handling papers, and assuming responsibility for specific strands of content, including Translational Articles and Data Descriptor papers. 💻 Learn more about the rationale behind the journal: https://lnkd.in/dkQmTpA 🤝 Current editorial board: https://lnkd.in/dcK-TqMX ➡️ Apply to join the editorial board: https://lnkd.in/dm_nuHVy (deadline July 31st) ✍️ Register to the 24th Data for Policy Conference https://lnkd.in/dxcMEtFD #DataScience #Governance #OpenAccess #DataForPolicy #CallForEditors #AcademicPublishing #CommunityBuilding #AI #InterdisciplinaryResearch #DataJournal

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Timely data on welfare is critical for adapting policies in the context of changing circumstances. The World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Global Practice team is leading innovative efforts to support countries in collecting for frequent data. For example, “Listening to the Kyrgyz Republic” (L2KGZ) is a monthly panel survey conducted via phone interviews that has been running since December 2021. It tracks changes in livelihoods and perceptions among 1,500 households representative of the population of the #Kyrgyzstan and covers critical topics such as food security, labor markets, remittances, access to services, the economy, and governance. With quarterly briefs summarizing recent changes, this instrument provides a valuable multidimensional overview of the evolving situation in the country post-pandemic. Learn more about the initiative here: https://lnkd.in/e_iQgHrb

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27% growth in Middle Corridor trade last year could be dwarfed after adopting a single-window system. But common customs and other cooperative systems can only be adopted through Presidential initiatives, in order to eliminate systemic rent-seeking.

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New publication on #CPEC and the #BRI in an edited volume published by Routledge. Abstract below: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative is often highlighted as a game changer for Pakistan's economy through the relocation of labour-intensive industries from China to Pakistan. Despite these lofty goals, industrial relocation has not taken place and Pakistan continues to deal with multiple economic challenges and crises. Given the situation, the chapter addresses the following question: What explains this lack of progress in industrial cooperation despite CPEC's privileged position within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)? The chapter uses the political settlement approach to answer this question. It shows that Pakistan's underlying political settlement, the incentives it generates, and the nature of rents created are central to understanding the lack of progress in the industrial realm. The prevailing political settlement means that policymakers have a short-term time horizon which increases the proclivity to target and capture unproductive rents. Furthermore, the prevailing political settlement incentivises high short-term returns from speculative investments as opposed to manufacturing. Problems are further compounded by the lack of an active industrial policy, political uncertainty, and decision-making by organisational interests that dominate the country. Full text is available at: https://lnkd.in/dKn7S7WQ

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I am excited to share our latest publication in the Turkish Journal of Islamic Economics: "Beyond Politics and Economic Development: The Academic Contextualization of the AK Party’s Rule in Turkiye" in collaboration with Prof. Dr. M. Kabir Hassan, Dr. Ihsan Karlı, Dr. Jahidul Islam Sarker, Dr. Md. Nazmul Islam, and Md. Tarequl Islam. Sadly, Mr. Tarequl Islam passed away after the article was accepted. May Allah accept his efforts. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dDRY_yPr #Research #Economics #Publication

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Just presented at a Middle East Council workshop ‘Changing Geopolitics of Mediterranean Workshop’ held in Istanbul. My remarks were on US policy and Mediterranean geopolitics. Here’s the conclusion: The future direction of U.S. policy hinges on a number of core issues: First, the degree of isolationism/internationalism during the next U.S. presidency, relevant to both transatlantic and international security. Whilst the former may reduce U.S.-China tensions, it is likely to exacerbate an already weakened U.S. position in the Middle East. In order to address the rising tide of crises in the Mediterranean, it will be necessary for the U.S. to sustain its transatlantic ties with Europe, lead from the front, and comprehensively deal with the challenge from Iran before further conflict threatens to engulf the entire region. Second, whether the U.S. is consistent, especially with regard to its ‘red lines’ and by preempting foreign military intervention, which was not the case in Syria. This approach is also applicable to other parts of the Southern Neighborhood such as the Sahel, as well as entry points to the Mediterranean that have or could be impacted by adversaries such as Russia (via the Black Sea) and the Houthis (via the Red Sea). Third, future U.S. policy hinges on lessons learnt from the Gaza war, including responding to foreign and domestic constituents, and the necessity to shore-up international support going forward. Fourth, a militarized U.S./NATO approach has been dominant in the wider region for the past two decades. Adapting and better aligning international, inter-regional and local interests to focus on the roots of a series of conflicts might play a greater role in dismantling terror, narcotics and people smuggling networks, re-emphasizing to many the value of Pax Americana.      

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The preparation of the National Transformation Plan (NTP) began today by the Ministry of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development, led by Hon. Mohamud Beenebeene, in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia. This transformation plan will guide the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) toward long-term development, economic growth, and prosperity for all Somalis. The NTP will provide a strategic framework for key interventions and investments, establish a clear path for socio-economic transformation, promote collaboration among stakeholders to overcome development challenges, and prioritize resource allocation to foster inclusive growth and resilience. The NTP represents a significant step forward for Somalia, setting the stage for a brighter future. I am proud to see the Somali Integrated Statistics and Economic Planning Capacity Building Project (SISEPCBP) (https://lnkd.in/dvAqYCpK) supporting this crucial initiative. #Somalia #NationalTransformationPlan #Development #DataUtilization #Statistics

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EU Integration Processes in the Western Balkans and Facilitation Possibilities of Central and Eastern European States The Institute for Advanced Studies Kőszeg is implementing a research project titled “EU Integration Processes in the Western Balkans and Facilitation Possibilities of Central and Eastern European States.” This project aims to conduct a comprehensive and comparative study of the EU integration dynamics and their political, economic, social, and cultural implications for the Western Balkans. It will also examine how the European perspective is shaped, promoted, or challenged in these countries. As part of this project, an electronic survey with a specially designed questionnaire will be conducted. This research aims to provide a holistic understanding of contemporary political relations between the Western Balkans and Central European states. The results will be presented at various conferences, seminars, and academic events. Additionally, the findings will be compiled into policy research papers and presentations, offering recommendations for international organizations involved in the Western Balkans and Central Europe regions, such as the EU, Council of Europe, OSCE, UN, World Bank, and others. https://lnkd.in/dpwCE2uH

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