ll9. The oDA component of official debt i.s expected to grow at about the same orpossibly a lower rate than that of the recenb past, whlch is in turn far beLoe, theannual rate (18 per cent) recorded during the 19706. As export revenue prospectsof oil exporters are modest and most of DAc members are under pressure to reducetheir public expenditures, assistance from both sources (e:(cept those from Nordiccountries) is not likely to lncrease signlficantly in the near and medium term. 120. The bulk of the debt of loer-income countries (least aleveroped countries ofAfrlca in particular) rnas accounted for by ODA, t hlch carries lorder interestrates. Thus they have not suffered allrectly from the rapidly rislng tnterest ralesduring the recent debt crisis. Ilonever, many of then are prlmary comnodityexporters and were, as noted earlier, adversely affected by depressed commodityprices and sluggish demand for their narron range of comoodi ty exports aluring therecent prolonged recession. Despite the lor, interest rates on officlar debt ofthose countries, an increasing portion of thej.r export earnings therefore had to bediverted from other imports to service their alebts,'and a significant number ofthem had to 90 through rescheduling. The appreciati.on of the united states dollaraLso uorked against thelr export earninga. The rebound of their export earningsduring the recent recovery ras rnderate coopared uith earli,er recovery phases andthey did not recover the loss incurred during the recession. The future prospectsfor their commodity exports are not very bright either, and thus thelr payment.difficulties are expected to contlnue through the end of the decade. Thesub-Saharan least developed countries, wh.lch are in the r.rorst economic situationowing to the prolonged drought, have recenlly received a rising share of oDA (about30 per cent in 1983 compared with 25 per cent in l9Z5) and this tendency isexpected to continue at least in the near term. D. Alte[native development scenarios for the balance ofthe decade
**Analysis**
The text discusses the debt crisis and its impact on low-income countries, particularly in Africa, and the prospects for their economic development. It highlights the role of official development assistance (ODA) and the challenges faced by these countries in servicing their debt, which is largely owed to international institutions. The text also touches on the impact of commodity prices and demand on their export earnings.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade