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Subsidies as a social safety net: effectiveness and challenges

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  • Alderman, Harold

Abstract

This paper will consider a range of consumer-oriented subsidy instruments, including general subsidies, and tax exemptions as well as targeted quotas. Section II discusses the distribution, or incidence of the subsidy expenditures for all these instruments. It focuses primarily on food as the means by which the subsidy is delivered, although the section concludes with a brief comparison of food subsidies with energy subsidies. The following section asks whether food subsidies actually achieve the nutritional, and stabilization goals that they are often claimed to achieve. Some of the administrative concerns about market interventions that policymakers must consider, are discussed in Section IV. These administrative concerns, as well as their effects on beneficiaries, point to possibilities for program reform, which are discussed in the final section.

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  • Alderman, Harold, 2002. "Subsidies as a social safety net: effectiveness and challenges," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 25299, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:hdnspu:25299
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard H. Adams, Jr., 2000. "Self-Targeted Subsidies: The Political and Distributional Impact of the Egyptian Food Subsidy System," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 49(1), pages 115-136.
    2. Richard Adams, 1998. "The political economy of the food subsidy system in Bangladesh," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 66-88.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Sami Bibi & Jean-Yves Duclos, 2007. "Poverty-decreasing indirect tax reforms: Evidence from Tunisia," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 14(2), pages 165-190, April.
    3. Khaleque, Khaleque & Suborna, Bubarna & Baqui, Baqui, 2008. "Impact of Social Safety Net Programs In Seasonal Deprivation," MPRA Paper 22045, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Mr. Alex Segura-Ubiergo & Miss Taline Koranchelian & Mr. Carlos Mulas-Granados, 2008. "Reforming Government Subsidies in the New Member States of the European Union," IMF Working Papers 2008/165, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Lucie Gadenne, 2020. "Can Rationing Increase Welfare? Theory and an Application to India's Ration Shop System," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 144-177, November.
    6. Md Ashiq Iqbal, 2008. "Macroeconomic Implications of Social Safety Nets in the Context of Bangladesh," Macroeconomics Working Papers 22289, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    7. Lynn R. Brown & Ugo Gentilini, 2006. "On the Edge: The Role of Food-based Safety Nets in Helping Vulnerable Households Manage Food Insecurity," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2006-111, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Tomás Serebrisky & Andrés Gómez‐Lobo & Nicolás Estupiñán & Ramón Muñoz‐Raskin, 2009. "Affordability and Subsidies in Public Urban Transport: What Do We Mean, What Can Be Done?," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(6), pages 715-739, January.
    9. Gadenne, Lucie, 2018. "Do Ration Shop Systems Increase Welfare? Theory and an Application to India," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1149, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    10. Janet Currie & Firouz Gahvari, 2008. "Transfers in Cash and In-Kind: Theory Meets the Data," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(2), pages 333-383, June.
    11. Andrés Gómez-Lobo, 2009. "A New Look at the Incidence of Public Transport Subsidies: A Case Study of Santiago, Chile," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 43(3), pages 405-425, September.
    12. Kaufmann, Cornel & Schmid, Christian & Boes, Stefan, 2017. "Health insurance subsidies and deductible choice: Evidence from regional variation in subsidy schemes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 262-273.
    13. World Bank, 2006. "Repositioning Nutrition as Central to Development : A Strategy for Large Scale Action," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7409, December.
    14. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:9:y:2007:i:4:p:1-7 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Blanca Moreno-Dodson & Quentin Wodon, 2008. "Public Finance for Poverty Reduction : Concepts and Case Studies from Africa and Latin America," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6881, December.
    16. Boudekhdekh, Karim, 2022. "A comparative analysis of energy subsidy in the MENA region," MPRA Paper 115275, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Md Ashiq Iqbal & Towfiqul Islam Khan & Tazeen Tahsina, 2008. "Macroeconomic Implications of Social Safety Nets in the Context of Bangladesh," CPD Working Paper 75, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    18. Khaldi, Raoudha & Dhraief, Mohamed Zied & Haddad, Samia & Rached, Zouhair & Padilla, Martine, 2007. "Impact of the food safety policies on the reduction of poverty in Tunisian rural areas," 106th Seminar, October 25-27, 2007, Montpellier, France 7928, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Angel-Urdinola, Diego & Wodon, Quentin, 2008. "Assessing the Targeting Performance of Social Programs: Cape Verde," MPRA Paper 11072, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Craig Sugden, 2009. "Responding to High Commodity Prices," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 23(1), pages 79-105, May.
    21. Diego Angel-Urdinola & Quentin Wodon, 2007. "Do Utility Subsidies Reach the Poor? Framework and Evidence for Cape Verde, Sao Tome, and Rwanda," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 9(4), pages 1-7.
    22. Tirivayi, Nyasha & Groot, Wim, 2011. "Health and welfare effects of integrating AIDS treatment with food assistance in resource constrained settings: A systematic review of theory and evidence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(5), pages 685-692, September.
    23. Coady, David P., 2004. "Designing and evaluating social safety nets," FCND discussion papers 172, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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