Poverty in the wealth
Oil and gas exports, and pour the money river. But often the energy-rich countries such as Venezuela, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, faced with serious socio-economic problems just when they expected to begin a comfortable, easy life, leaving all the problems in the past.
A surprising feature of oil
One of the surprising and paradoxical properties of the economy is, what part of the country, with its rich mineral resources (Table 1), suffer from economic and institutional problems, in contrast to countries with low reserves of natural resources.
According to the World Bank, the average annual rate of fall in per capita GDP from 1965 to 1998 in Iran, and Venezuela accounted for 1% of Libya - 2%, while in Iraq and Kuwait - 3%. Overall, GDP per capita in the member countries of OPEC in the past 30 years has decreased by approximately 1.3% per year. Of the 65 countries that are rich in natural resources, only four were able to bring the level of investment in fixed capital up to 25% of GDP and to increase that figure is not less than 4% a year - in Botswana, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Of these, only Indonesia has oil reserves. Other States in South-East Asia, did not have significant stocks (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), showed higher growth rates. In fact, this situation is not something superhuman. Even in the XVII century, economic growth rates of Holland - a country with little natural resources - ahead of Spain, a source of wealth which has been the influx of gold and silver from its colonies. In the XX century Japan overshadowed a resource-rich Russia. A South-East Asian countries - Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore - ahead of the oil kings - Mexico, Nigeria, Venezuela, which are on the brink of bankruptcy. One of the main explanations for this phenomenon - the policy of the ruling elite state, which rarely takes care of national interests and the development of the country's economy, forcing the natural rent. This leads to competing political and economic power of the clans and factions to the insane and inefficient depletion, which should go to the development of the country. Norway as an example VNorvegii, where some of the world's highest living standards and GDP per capita, almost all of the oil rent is being withdrawn and accumulated in the Stabilization Fund, but its use was strictly controlled.
While in Russia to return the natural rent state, which does not contradict the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the expenditure budget will increase by almost 600 billion rubles. But it is only in theory because it is too subtle of society forgotten the Constitution, but remember the exclusive right to the protection of private property. But natural resources - this is someone's private property? Many MPs are not even going to discuss the proposed Sergei Glazevym bill to impose fees for the natural rents, and government are silent. The second cause of poverty of most raw materials rich countries - is strictly economic. It has long been known that the growth of the economy based solely on the export of resources, ineffective. Solution could be development and related processing industries, as the product of a deeper degree of processing to sell much cheaper than the original. Meanwhile, the Russian government has focused on the oil and gas mining sector, while ignoring other branches.
Iraq factor
In 2002 the GDP of developing countries increased by 3.2%. This expected growth of GDP of developed countries amounts to only 0.8%. In 2003, world GDP will grow by 3.6%, and the first position in the restoration of growth will keep Eastern Asia. The countries of Latin America for a long time will experience problems in the financial sector. Among new EU members in Central and Eastern Europe, economic growth will occur through the support of the European Union. Continuing the expected fall in world oil prices would reduce GDP growth rates in Russia and some CIS countries. Although this has not happened, no one can guarantee the stability of high tariffs on the «black gold», especially in an environment where the markets sooner or later Well-controlled flow of Iraqi oil in the U.S.. So it simply the availability of natural resources for economic growth is not enough, need an effective national-oriented economic policies and government regulation in the interests of socio-economic development of Russia.