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Daniel Gay

Dr. Daniel Gay is a political economist who works as a consultant for the UN, World Bank and other development agencies in Africa, Asia, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. He was team leader of the Solomon Islands Trade Diagnostic study and lived in Melanesia for several years. 

Dr. Gay has written and commented for various media including The Guardian, the BBC, CNBC and the Wall Street Journal. His book, Reflexivity and Development Economics, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2009. He holds a PhD in development economics, a Masters degree in economics, a Masters in political theory and an Honours degree in politics, philosophy and economics.

Articles by Daniel Gay (2)

  • Daniel Gay 17 Jul 2014 15:00

    Pacific islands: Market access alone won't boost economies

    Solomon Islands last week became the first country to receive approval to export timber to Australia under new guidelines on the legality of logging products. The move secures the $4 million market in Solomon Islands sawn timber exports to Australia, an industry which employs at least a thousand workers.  It's good news, but the move shouldn't be read as a boost to the country's flagging trade balance, still less a prop to its shaky economy.
  • Daniel Gay 23 May 2014 16:27

    RAMSI: How to blow $2.6 billion in a decade

    A pointed joke used to do the rounds in Honiara: if you needed to call on the Australian police you could usually find them in the Lime Lounge, a swanky cafe at the west end of the main street that serves silky flat whites and a range of delights including the 'RAMSI breakfast'.  The cappuccino cops were in town as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), which aimed to support security, the economy and government following the period of political instability and