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Jun 2021 · Q9
20 marksDebt relief as a strategy to promote economic development — gated on naming a developing country and on development vs growth
Between 2014 and 2018 the average cost to developing countries of servicing and repaying their external debts increased by over 60%. Evaluate the case for promoting economic development through debt relief. Refer to a developing country of your choice in your answer.
Our analysis
Evaluate the case for promoting economic development through debt relief. Refer to a developing country of your choice in your answer.
20 marks available
Developing countries often owe money to richer countries or international organisations. Debt relief means some or all of this debt is cancelled, which would help economic development because the country would not have to keep paying it back.
No developing country is named, and no specific mechanism (savings gap, foreign-currency gap, infrastructure, human capital) is distinguished from a vague 'wouldn't have to pay it back' — under the mark scheme's own N.B. rule, a stronger version of this same paragraph would still be capped at Level 3 KAA until a real country is named AND the answer engages 'economic development' specifically rather than treating growth and development as interchangeable.