George Domfe is currently pursuing a collaborative PhD in Development Studies between University of Ghana and Centre for Development Research at the University of Bonn in Germany. Prior to his enrolment, he had been working since April 2008 with the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana as a Principal Research Assistant. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Philosophy in Economics from University of Ghana. He has research interest in the areas of macroeconomic management of natural resources and the contribution of the emerging capital markets in Africa to economic growth and development. He has written few number of feature articles on the Ghanaian economy to the media. He has two publications (all joint) to his credit. He is currently investigating determinants of household income and their implication for poverty reduction in Ghana for his PhD.
Synopsis of PhD Thesis
Ghana, a developing country in the South Saharan Africa, is richly endowed with natural resources. Agriculture, the mainstay of the economy contributes about 33% to GDP (Budget Statement, 2009), 55% to export and employs over 60% of the population. However, the country’s economy has been characterised by macroeconomic instability with more than 28.5% of the population considered as poor (Report of GPRS 5, 2005/2006). Even though in recent years the economy achieved some appreciable level of success in the area of growth, some Ghanaians still remained doubtful, summing up their apprehension in a popular catchphrase ‘we do not feel the growth in our pockets’. The question that comes out of this debate is whether the theory of trickling down effect is effective at all in an environment like Ghana where the market is bedevilled with countless imperfections. Or could it also be attributed to the fact that the said growth in Ghanaian economy is simply not pro-poor? The study makes an attempt to ascertain the determinants of household income growth usingpanel data from the first and second rounds of GLSS5+ Surveys. Once these determinants are empirically established, the study will proceed further to find out whether there is any causal link between these determinants of growth in household income and the growth in the national economy. The study will again find out whether growth in household income has been contributing meaningfully to reduce household poverty.