In the longer term, the incomes of the poorest will be increased by access to employment through sustained economic growth. Land reform is not effective as a way to reduce rural poverty. Social spending in rural areas helps, but balanced economic policies mean more for poverty alleviation as economic failure hits the poor hardest. Employment creation should be a priority. Means to this end are training and education, incentives for investment in the workforce and effective communication between government, workforce and employers.
Private investment is important to stimulate long-term economic growth.
Pursuing macroeconomic stability and avoiding large public sector debt should attract it. Views expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of DFID, IDS, id21 or other contributing institutions. All rights reserved.