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Elite Capture of Foreign Aid : Evidence from Offshore Bank Accounts

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  • Andersen,Jorgen Juel
  • Johannesen,Niels
  • Rijkers,Bob

Abstract

Do elites capture foreign aid? This paper documents that aid disbursements to highly aid-dependent countries coincide with sharp increases in bank deposits in offshore financial centers known for bank secrecy and private wealth management, but not in other financial centers. The estimates are not confounded by contemporaneous shocks such as civil conflicts, natural disasters, and financial crises, and are robust to instrumenting with predetermined aid commitments. The implied leakage rate is around 7.5 percent at the sample mean and tends to increase with the ratio of aid to GDP. The findings are consistent with aid capture in the most aid-dependent countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Andersen,Jorgen Juel & Johannesen,Niels & Rijkers,Bob, 2020. "Elite Capture of Foreign Aid : Evidence from Offshore Bank Accounts," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9150, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9150
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    14. Niels Johannesen & Patrick Langetieg & Daniel Reck & Max Risch & Joel Slemrod, 2020. "Taxing Hidden Wealth: The Consequences of US Enforcement Initiatives on Evasive Foreign Accounts," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 312-346, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sharafutdinova,Gulnaz & Lokshin,Michael M., 2020. "Hide and Protect : A Role of Global Financial Secrecy in Shaping Domestic Institutions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9348, The World Bank.
    2. repec:zbw:bofitp:2022_002 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Elif Kubilayⓡ & Eva Raiberⓡ & Lisa Spantigⓡ & Jana Cahlíkováⓡ & Lucy Kaariaⓡ & Lisa Spantig, 2023. "Can You Spot a Scam? Measuring and Improving Scam Identification Ability," CESifo Working Paper Series 10239, CESifo.
    4. Alexeev, Michael & Zakharov, Nikita, 2022. "Who profits from windfalls in oil tax revenue? Inequality, protests, and the role of corruption," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 472-492.
    5. Sven Steinkamp & Frank Westermann, 2022. "Development aid and illicit capital flight: Evidence from Nepal," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(7), pages 2305-2336, July.
    6. Fabo, Brian & Jančoková, Martina & Kempf, Elisabeth & Pástor, Ľuboš, 2021. "Fifty shades of QE: Comparing findings of central bankers and academics," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 1-20.
    7. Stuti Khemani, 2020. "An Opportunity to Build Legitimacy and Trust in Public Institutions in the Time of COVID-19," World Bank Publications - Reports 33715, The World Bank Group.
    8. Brian Fabo & Martina Jancokova & Elisabeth Kempf & Lubos Pastor, 2020. "Fifty Shades of QE: Conflicts of Interest in Economic Research," Working and Discussion Papers WP 5/2020, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    9. Alexeev, Michael & Zakharov, Nikita, 2022. "Who profits from windfalls in oil tax revenue? Inequality, protests, and the role of corruption," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 472-492.
    10. Khadjavi, Menusch & Vertelman, Marjolein, 2022. "Closing pandora's box: How to improve the common reporting standard," Kiel Working Papers 2223, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    11. J'anos Kert'esz & Johannes Wachs, 2020. "Complexity science approach to economic crime," Papers 2008.12364, arXiv.org.
    12. Gallego, Jorge & Prem, Mounu & Vargas, Juan F., 2020. "Corruption in the Times of Pandemia," SocArXiv js8by, Center for Open Science.
    13. Christopher Boudreaux & Anand Jha & Monica Escaleras, 2021. "Weathering the Storm: How Foreign Aid and Institutions Affect Entrepreneurship Following Natural Disasters," Papers 2104.12008, arXiv.org.
    14. Dominika Langenmayr & Lennard Zyska, 2021. "Avoiding Taxes: Escaping the Exchange of Information: Tax Evasion via Citizenship-by-Investment," Working Papers 204, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    15. Dominika Langenmayr & Lennard Zyska, 2021. "Escaping the Exchange of Information: Tax Evasion via Citizenship-by-Investment," CESifo Working Paper Series 8956, CESifo.
    16. Ali Ahmed & Chris Jones & Yama Temouri, . "The relationship between MNE tax haven use and FDI into developing economies characterized by capital flight," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    17. Jakob Miethe, 2020. "The Elusive Banker: Using Hurricanes to Uncover (Non-)Activity in Offshore Financial Centers," CESifo Working Paper Series 8625, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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