|
|
|
|
Case Studies in Public Policy and Public Administration 2012
|
- CASE 12-01 (First Prize – Case Writing Competition 2011)
Global Witness, an international NGO, released its “Shifting Sand” report on sand-dredging in Cambodia in May 2010. The report highlighted the damage sand-dredging was causing to the livelihoods of local fishermen as well as the environment in the Koh Kong Province and alleged corrupt practices in the granting of licences. The sand was being exported to Singapore. Cambodia needed to sell its natural resources in order to develop and had attempted measures to protect its natural resources, however, the report showed that these efforts had not been very effective. The relationship between the Cambodian government and Global Witness had become strained due to earlier confrontations and the Cambodian government rejected the claims made in the latest report. The report, though, had generated interest among the international media and the team at Global Witness needed to define a strategy that would be most effective in stopping the sand dredging given the socio-political climate and the various resources it could mobilize from the government, public, media and development aid agencies.
- CASE 12-02 (Second Prize – Case Writing Competition 2011)
In the early 2000s, the national air carriers of India, Air India (operating international air services) and Indian Airlines (servicing domestic routes and neighbouring countries) were facing a financial crisis following a slump in the aviation sector worldwide due to global recession and rising fuel prices. In 2007, the two airlines had been merged in a bid to galvanize their fortunes but the merger had not been successful. Expensive fleet acquisition, sale of bilateral air traffic rights in favour of private and foreign carriers and attempted integration policies in the course of the merger resulted in mounting losses and debt for the company. The leader of the airline’s largest trade union sought to work with a newly-appointed, socialist Minister for Aviation to garner government support to save the airline through capital and equity infusion. The alternate options to government aid were privatisation or a shrinking of the airline. The government had occupied an ambivalent stance and public support stood against the airline’s favour. Given the political scenario, the strategic importance of the national carrier and the ailing aviation scenario of India itself, how could the merged national carrier be saved?
- CASE 12-03 (Second Prize – Case Writing Competition 2011)
In the Vietnamese pharmaceutical sector, from a situation of severe shortage and consequent widespread pharmaceutical smuggling, counterfeiting, speculation, and theft by health providers, stability was gradually regained by strict regulations on quality, but allowing prices to be set by the market under the economic reform policy initiated in 1986. However, this free market drug price policy was brought into question in 2003, when a 9% rise in drug prices during the first quarter sparked national attention. The Ministry of Health was pushed to more tightly control drug prices under pressure from the Government and public opinion. Drug price policies went through a series of revisions trying to balance the distortions from interfering with the market with the need to ensure that drug prices were affordable to the population and the health insurance fund. But the heavy burden of drug spending in the health system, both from high drug prices and over-prescription of more expensive brand-name drugs kept drug prices high on the public agenda.
Please note that these cases are intended solely for educational purposes and do not reflect the views of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
For feedback, comments and suggestions, please email at .
|
|
|
|
|
