Böcker utgivna av World Bank Publications

Poorly implemented energy subsidies are economically costly to taxpayers and damage the environment. This report aims at providing the emerging lessons form a representative sample of case studies in 20 developing countries that could help policy makers to address implementation challenges, including overcoming political economy and affordability constraints. The sample has selected on the basis of a number of criteria, including the countryOCOs level of development (and consumption), developing country region, energy security and the fuel it subsidies (petroleum fuel, electricity, natural gas). The case studies were supported by data collection related to direct budgetary subsidies, fuel and electricity tariffs, and household survey data.The analysis provides strong evidence of the success of reforms in reducing the associated fiscal burden. For the sample of countries, the average energy subsidy recorded in the budget was reduced from 1.8% in 2004 to 1.3%GDP in 2010. The reduction of subsidies is particularly remarkable for net energy importers. Pass-through of international fuel prices was also notable in the case of electricity generated by fossil fuel. For the sample of countries, the average end-user electricity tariff increased by 50%, from USD 6 cents in 2002 to USD 9 cents per kWh in 2010.In spite of the relatively price inelastic demand for gasoline and diesel, fossil fuel consumption in the road sector (per unit of GDP) declined in the 20 countries examined from 53 (44) in 2002 to about 23 kt oil equivalent per million of GDP in 2008 in the case of gasoline (Diesel). The most notable decline in consumption was recorded in the low and lower middle income countries. This reflects the much higher rate of growth in GDP in this group of countries and underlines the opportunities to influence future consumption behavior rather than modifying the existing consumption patterns, overcoming inertia and vested interests. Similar trends are recorded for power consumption.While there is no one-size-fits-all model for subsidy reform, implementation of compensatory social policies and an effective communication strategy, before the changes are introduced, reduces helped with the implementation of reforms."

The importance of property rights in providing the incentive to invest, work hard, and innovate has been recognized for centuries. Yet, many women in Africa do not have the same property rights or formal legal capacity enjoyed by men. Empowering Women: Legal Rights and Economic Opportunities in Africa documents the extent to which the legal capacity and property rights vary for women and men, and analyzes the impact this has on womenOCOs economic opportunities. The book introduces the OC WomenOCOs Legal Economic Empowerment Database OCo Africa (Women LEED Africa).OCO This database covers all 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing indicators and links to constitutions, ratified international conventions, and domestic statutes where there are gender gaps in legal capacity and property rights. It shows how and where, despite universal constitutional recognition of non-discrimination, many countries have exceptions in areas of marriage, ownership, and control over property and inheritance. With less secure property rights, women in these countries do not have the same ability OCo or incentive OCo to accumulate and control assets and thus to access finance or to grow their businesses. After laying out the various gender gaps in legal capacity and property rights, the book addresses the additional challenges stemming from legal systems with a multiplicity of sources of law. Overlapping legal systems themselves add uncertainty to defining womenOCOs economic rights. The authors use case law to trace out the implications for womenOCOs rights and to provide examples of effective reforms.The book recognizes that beyond de jure differences, women may face greater practical constraints in having their rights protected. This book spells out specific steps that can be taken to address gender gaps both in formal property rights and in practical constraints in accessing justice."

Provides diagnostic tools to inform policy dialogue and investment priorities on urbanization by operationalizing the framework for urban policy developed in the 2009 World Development Report, Reshaping Economic Geography and the Bank's new Urban and Local Government Strategy, System of Cities: Harnessing Urbanization for Growth and Poverty Reduction.

Provides a hands-on approach, tested in the World Bank's field work in many countries, for assessing the pharmaceutical sector, recognizing typical 'patterns of dysfunction' and developing strategies to quickly deal with the most urgent problems while at the same time building a platform for sustainable long term policy.

Offers a comprehensive overview of the financial and economic crises of 2008-2009 and the economic and financial policy implications for growth in developing countries.

This Peru Country Program Evaluation for the World Bank Group, 2003-2009 is part of IEG's country program evaluation series. To date, IEG's in-depth country evaluations have comprised IEG-WB Country Assistance Evaluations (CAEs) and IEG-IFC Country Impact Reviews (CIRs). Both the CAEs and CIRs have involved comprehensive evaluations of the respective institutions' activities in a country.

Brings together global and national empirical studies that estimate the effects of policies that distort the world's agricultural markets and other trade on poverty and inequality globally, and in various developing countries.

Provides an analysis of the strategic and regulatory dimension of convergence. This book offers policymakers and regulators examples from countries around the world as they address convergence.

The increasing role of individual pension savings accounts requires the development of better performance measurement techniques for these funds to provide retirement income to aging populations worldwide. This book reviews the pension funds performance and identifies benchmarks that allow a better evaluation of their actual performance.

Discusses the main implications for the functioning of mandatory defined contribution pensions of consumers' inability to make rational choices; describes how jurisdictions have tried to address these problems through ad hoc policy interventions; and proposes new policy directions in the areas of industrial organization models and investment products to address these concerns more effectively.

Assesses the impact of the CEFTA multilateral free trade agreement on trade in Southeast Europe, and assesses the benefits of two complementary policies: introducing labour mobility in the region, and adopting the Common External Tariff structure of the European Union.

Intends to fill the significant research gap on women's entrepreneurship and labour force participation in Egypt, as well as provide suggestions for addressing continued gender inequalities in these arenas.

Providing more appropriate financial services to the majority of the population in a country like Bangladesh requires a centralized microfinance platform that ensures transparency, reduces overlap, increases outreach, and integrates microfinance with the formal financial system using technology.

Examines financial reporting and auditing in the LAC region in an effort to distill lessons learned and suggest priorities for accounting and auditing reform in the region.

Exploring the contrasting development options available to Beijing and Shanghai, this book proposes strategies for these cities based on their acquired capabilities, experience of other world cities, the demand in the national market, and likely trends in global trade.

Trade liberalization holds both promises and perils for workers around the world. This book uses a fresh analytical framework to show that while globalization has been associated with improvements in working conditions in the exposed sectors (apparel and textile), questions remain about the durability and generalization of such improvements.

This study uses several different modelling environments including hydrologic models, an agro-economic optimisation model of the irrigation system, and a computable general equilibrium model of the Pakistan economy. The models used here are among the best mathematical representations available of the physical and economic responses to these exogenous future climate risks.