The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction

The size and effectiveness of government expenditure is widely acknowledged as critical for global inequality reduction and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Yet, in addition to fiscal limits, governments in poor countries face a host of administrative constraints for effec...

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Main Authors: Hlasny, Vladimir, Asadullah, M Niaz, Sabra, Alia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2022
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21388/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21388/1/The%20Adoption%20of%20the%20Multidimensional%20Poverty%20Index%20in%20Developing%20Asia.pdf
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author Hlasny, Vladimir
Asadullah, M Niaz
Sabra, Alia
author_facet Hlasny, Vladimir
Asadullah, M Niaz
Sabra, Alia
author_sort Hlasny, Vladimir
building UKM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The size and effectiveness of government expenditure is widely acknowledged as critical for global inequality reduction and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Yet, in addition to fiscal limits, governments in poor countries face a host of administrative constraints for effective targeting of social spending. Similar governance deficits also affect manyAsian middle-income countries. It is in this context that this paper revisits the call for countries to embrace multidimensional poverty and inequality instruments in poverty program planning and implementation throughout developing Asia. We do so by critically reviewing the related academic and policy literature and taking stock of how multidimensional poverty indices (MPI) are presently utilized in the process of designing, adopting and evaluating social protection strategies across developing Asia in general, and in the Middle East in particular. The relative pros and cons of the MPI and the proxy means tests (PMT), their respective records of implementation, and the prospects of applying them in tandem are discussed. In conclusion, we assess the policy significance and promise of an approach that integrates MPI and PMT, and discuss whether and under what circumstances, such as approach can be effective in the area of social program targeting and tailoring, particularly in middle-income Asian countries.
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spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:213882023-03-27T00:42:35Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21388/ The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction Hlasny, Vladimir Asadullah, M Niaz Sabra, Alia The size and effectiveness of government expenditure is widely acknowledged as critical for global inequality reduction and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Yet, in addition to fiscal limits, governments in poor countries face a host of administrative constraints for effective targeting of social spending. Similar governance deficits also affect manyAsian middle-income countries. It is in this context that this paper revisits the call for countries to embrace multidimensional poverty and inequality instruments in poverty program planning and implementation throughout developing Asia. We do so by critically reviewing the related academic and policy literature and taking stock of how multidimensional poverty indices (MPI) are presently utilized in the process of designing, adopting and evaluating social protection strategies across developing Asia in general, and in the Middle East in particular. The relative pros and cons of the MPI and the proxy means tests (PMT), their respective records of implementation, and the prospects of applying them in tandem are discussed. In conclusion, we assess the policy significance and promise of an approach that integrates MPI and PMT, and discuss whether and under what circumstances, such as approach can be effective in the area of social program targeting and tailoring, particularly in middle-income Asian countries. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2022 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21388/1/The%20Adoption%20of%20the%20Multidimensional%20Poverty%20Index%20in%20Developing%20Asia.pdf Hlasny, Vladimir and Asadullah, M Niaz and Sabra, Alia (2022) The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction. Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, 56 (3). pp. 185-195. ISSN 0127-1962 https://ejournals.ukm.my/jem/
spellingShingle Hlasny, Vladimir
Asadullah, M Niaz
Sabra, Alia
The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction
title The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction
title_full The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction
title_fullStr The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction
title_full_unstemmed The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction
title_short The adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing Asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction
title_sort adoption of the multidimensional poverty index in developing asia: implications for social program targeting and inequality reduction
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21388/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21388/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/21388/1/The%20Adoption%20of%20the%20Multidimensional%20Poverty%20Index%20in%20Developing%20Asia.pdf