Soft loans as an instrument of development finance: A comparative assessment and options for the future

Within the framework of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, discussions on Financing for Development and the future of Official Development Assistance (ODA) have intensified. Amongst the instruments under review are soft loans. Though originally conceived as export promotion tools, development objectives have recently become more prominent in soft loan policies. Albeit regulated through the Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits, soft loans claim a place amongst the instruments of development policy. By means of comparative case study analysis, this paper examines the relevance of soft loans as an instrument of development policy. We discuss three characteristics of soft loan financing: (i) the institutional heterogeneity of programmes between countries, (ii) the hybrid nature of the instruments between export promotion and development objectives, and (iii) the underlying notions of development. Upon that basis, scenarios for the future use of soft loans as an instrument of development finance are presented

Living up to Policy Coherence for Development? The OECD's disciplines on tied aid financing

With tied aid credits donors aim at boosting the international competitiveness of domestic enterprises while simultaneously contributing to development in recipient countries. Though regulated through the Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits, tied aid credits claim a place amongst the instruments of development policy and are eligible as Official Development Assistance (ODA). This begs the question whether the international regulatory framework is equipped to safeguard the presumed development goals. This paper examines the consistency of the tied aid disciplines of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with the development principles coined by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Thereby, the extent to which the OECD lives up to its own promise of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) is scrutinised

The future of soft loans as an instrument of development finance: An assessment

Within the framework of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, discussions on Financing for Development and the future of ODA have intensified recently. Amongst the many financial instruments that are potentially under review, are soft loans. Combining tied aid with concessional financing, soft loans are of a hybrid nature, involving both export promotion interests and development objectives. A recent ÖFSE research project took a closer look at the institutional evolution and the current status quo of soft loan financing in Europe. Upon that basis, scenarios for the future use of soft loans as an instrument of development finance are presented

Yes Today, No Tomorrow: Exploration of Deal Cancellations in Televised Pitch Competitions

Early-stage entrepreneurs exert significant efforts to secure deals with angel investors, but many are canceled during the due diligence process. Drawing upon interpersonal persuasion theory and information asymmetries in the pitch context, we investigate deal cancellations as instances of biased communication and strategic misrepresentation. We analyze a novel dataset comprising N = 1,334 pitches from the British Dragons’ Den and the German Die Höhle der Löwen format. Our examination delves into differences related to gender and team size of the involved parties, format, and level of financial risk. We find a bias against female investors, higher cancellation rates for more costly deals, and a country effect

The Future of Soft Loans as an Instrument of Development Finance: an Assessment

Within the framework of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, discussions on Financing for Development and the future of ODA have intensified recently. Amongst the many financial instruments that are potentially under review, are soft loans. Combining tied aid with concessional financing, soft loans are of a hybrid nature, involving both export promotion interests and development objectives. A recent ÖFSE research project took a closer look at the institutional evolution and the current status quo of soft loan financing in Europe. Upon that basis, scenarios for the future use of soft loans as an instrument of development finance are presented

Living up to Policy Coherence for Development? The OECD's Disciplines on Tied Aid Financing

With tied aid credits donors aim at boosting the international competitiveness of domestic enterprises while simultaneously contributing to development in recipient countries. Though regulated through the Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits, tied aid credits claim a place amongst the instruments of development policy and are eligible as Official Development Assistance (ODA). This begs the question whether the international regulatory framework is equipped to safeguard the presumed development goals. This paper examines the consistency of the tied aid disciplines of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with the development principles coined by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Thereby, the extent to which the OECD lives up to its own promise of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) is scrutinised

Soft Loans as an Instrument of Development Finance: A Comparative Assessment and Options for the Future

Within the framework of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, discussions on Financing for Development and the future of Official Development Assistance (ODA) have intensified. Amongst the instruments under review are soft loans. Though originally conceived as export promotion tools, development objectives have recently become more prominent in soft loan policies. Albeit regulated through the Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits, soft loans claim a place amongst the instruments of development policy. By means of comparative case study analysis, this paper examines the relevance of soft loans as an instrument of development policy. We discuss three characteristics of soft loan financing: (i) the institutional heterogeneity of programmes between countries, (ii) the hybrid nature of the instruments between export promotion and development objectives, and (iii) the underlying notions of development. Upon that basis, scenarios for the future use of soft loans as an instrument of development finance are presented