Go forward by going back

Tim Harford is  the younger version of David Warsh when it comes to explaining economics in popular language.  This times, he deliver an accessible summary of a paper from Das and Hammer, who find the following:

Das and Hammer tested the competence and the practices of a sample of doctors by sending observers to sit in their surgeries. They discovered that “under-qualified private-sector doctors, although they know less, provide better care on average than their better-qualified counterparts in the public sector”. This is not particularly mysterious, because private-sector doctors don’t get paid unless they can convince their patients that they’re doing a decent job. Public-sector doctors draw salaries and, if they are held accountable at all, it is through indirect channels.

International sugar prices are at record highs. This should help the Malawian economy  considerably, especially during a year when tobacco prices are low.