Other Infrastructure Study

341 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2204

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Infrastructure Tokenization: Does Blockchain Have a Role in the Financing of Infrastructure?

(World Bank, Washington DC, 2023-03-22) World Bank Group

The purpose of this report is to assess whether digitizing the equity or debt financing used for infrastructure projects using blockchain, that is, tokenized infrastructure, provides enough benefits to justify the use of this technology. The information presented here aims to inform the World Bank whether it should explore the possibility of tokenizing one of its infrastructure projects. The conclusions are based on interviews with tokenization start-ups, experts, and the review of current and planned regulatory frameworks in selected jurisdictions and use cases/pilots to date.
Palestinian Digital Economy Assessment

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-12-22) World Bank Group

The world of tomorrow will be driven by digital transformation across sectors and industries, and the global coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is accelerating this process. Digital technology is already playing an important role in the West Bank and Gaza (WB and G), and development of the digital economy is among the national priorities. This report aims to assess the state of digital economy development in WB and G, identify opportunities for further growth, and inform reforms and donor support programs in WB and G. The report provides a comprehensive overview of digital economy development in WB and G across the five foundational pillars - digital infrastructure, digital platforms, digital financial services, digital businesses, and digital skills. The report is based on several fact-finding missions, structured interviews, surveys, focus group discussions, and analysis of secondary data. The findings show that despite recent progress, the potential of the digital economy in WB and G is not fully exploited. Accelerating digital transformation and building a well-connected Palestinian economy will entail strengthening both analog and non-analog foundations. Three key areas that require the immediate attention of Palestinian policy makers are: (1) improving the digital infrastructure, (2) updating the legal and regulatory framework, and (3) ensuring institutional coordination and resource mobilization.
Burundi Digital Economy Assessment

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-12-21) World Bank Group

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has highlighted the need for accelerating digital adoption in Burundi. Burundi’s current sectoral strategies acknowledge the importance of investing in digital technology. However, these lack an overarching approach with an actionable roadmap and clear resources behind it. Burundi’s mobile network coverage and mobile broadband uptake continues to be characterized by a stark urban-rural divide. Digital platforms are paramount in connecting people, businesses, and the government - enabling both transactions and the exchange of information, goods, and services in more efficient and convenient ways. At present Burundi’s digital entrepreneurship sector remains embryonic, hampered by barriers such as limited ecosystem support and weak access to financing. Whether through the provision of public services closer to its citizens with digital platforms, or through increased financial inclusion enabled by digital financial services and dynamic digital ecosystems, Burundi stands to gain from a continued investment in the foundations of its digital economy. Chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two reviews cross-cutting factors that affect the strategic, institutional, and regulatory environment for the digital agenda in Burundi. The report proceeds to explore the five foundational pillars of the digital economy, in more depth. Chapter three looks at the access, quality, and usage of digital infrastructure, as well as the dynamics of the connectivity market, including what it will take to get more Burundians online. Chapter four discusses the current state of digital skills attainment and coverage. Chapter five analyzes the current application and scope for expanding the use of digital platforms - both in the public and private sector. Chapter six examines the state and uptake of digital financial services (DFS) among individuals, businesses and by government. Finally, chapter seven assesses the state of digital entrepreneurship and the culture of innovation in Burundi.
Togo Digital Economy Diagnostic Report

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-11-26) World Bank Group

Rapid digital transformation has been re-shaping the global economy, changing fundamental patterns of socioeconomic activities and accelerating further in the wake of the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In this context, relying on the Digital Economy for Africa (DE4A) methodology, the report conducts a timely diagnostic of the state of digital economy in Togo. Togo is bordered by Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso, and has a coastline that runs along the Gulf of Guinea. The government of Togo (GoT) is cognizant of the importance of the transformation towards a digital economy. As the government of Togo launches into the development of a new strategy for digital transformation “Togo Digital 2025” the current diagnostic would provide useful information to use as a basis for such strategic document. This report aims to highlight opportunities to further develop Togo’s digital economy with a special focus on policies that can bridge the digital divide and help Togo achieve the DE4A targets. This report aims to provide practical and actionable recommendations that inform decision makers on priority areas for development.
Benchmarking Infrastructure Development 2020: Assessing Regulatory Quality to Prepare, Procure, and Manage PPPs and Traditional Public Investment in Infrastructure Projects

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-10-07) World Bank Group

Appropriate and effective regulatory frameworks remain crucial for ensuring that investments in infrastructure are done strategically and efficiently. Benchmarking infrastructure development 2020 assesses the regulatory quality for preparation, procurement, and management of large infrastructure projects through both public-private partnerships (PPPs) and traditional public investments (TPIs). The report highlights the key findings resulting from the data and is organized around the infrastructure project cycle phases for both the PPP and the pilot TPI assessment. Both the PPP and TPI assessment cover the core phases of the infrastructure project cycle: preparation, procurement, and contract management. For PPPs, management of unsolicited proposals (USPs) is also assessed. For TPI, the regulatory framework to manage infrastructure assets after construction is also assessed. Disclosure of information for PPPs and procurement practices for innovation for TPIs are also discussed in the report as cross-cutting areas of interest. With reference to a highway transport project as a guiding example to ensure cross-comparability, the report presents the regulatory landscape at the end of June 2018 to develop infrastructure projects.
Morocco Infrastructure Review

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-05) World Bank Group

Over the last twenty years, Morocco has invested massively in infrastructure. At the macroeconomic level, total investment of between 25 percent and 38 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) occurred between 2001 and 2017, one of the highest rates of investment globally. Much of this investment has gone into infrastructure, and more than half of it was undertaken by the public sector (treasury, public enterprises and local authorities). Morocco is also among countries receiving the most official development assistance relative to GDP, half of which is invested in infrastructure. The investments have created more reliable supply chains, improved access to markets and basic services, and increased productivity. Following this executive summary, chapter one reviews the quantity and quality of infrastructure services in Morocco and the notable achievements that the country has made in this regard; chapter two discusses Morocco’s infrastructure challenges; chapter three describes Morocco’s infrastructure investment needs and macroeconomic constraints; and, chapter four discusses proposed cross-cutting reforms. Appendix A provides key indicators for each infrastructure sector, Appendix B provides sector specific recommendations and lists selected projects in the infrastructure pipeline, and Appendix C explains the methodology used to derive the infrastructure investment estimates.
Tunisia Infrastructure Diagnostic

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-12) World Bank Group

Tunisia’s has made significant investments in infrastructure, which has contributed to economic growth. The investments have enabled reasonably good access to basic infrastructure services. While access rates are high, the relative quality of Tunisia’s infrastructure has deteriorated significantly over the last ten years. State-owned enterprises (SOEs), which dominate the infrastructure sector, receive considerable subsidies and incur notable financial losses. Overall, there is a heavy reliance on external borrowing to fund infrastructure investment, which creates contingent liabilities, and enhances foreign exchange and macro-economic risk. Chapter one provides an overview of Tunisia’s infrastructure performance; chapter two discusses each sub-sector in more detail in terms of achievements and challenges; chapter three looks at historical trends in spending followed by a scenario analysis of investment needs with anecdotal examples, and discusses the present macro-economic and fiscal constraints; and chapter four presents possible action items for further discussion with the Tunisian government.
Managing Risks for a Safer Built Environment in Malawi: Building Regulatory Capacity Assessment

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-06) World Bank Group

In a rapidly urbanising world, Malawi remains one of the least urbanised countries in Africa. Approximately 16.7 percent of Malawi's population live in urban areas. Nevertheless, the country is urbanising at a moderate rate of approximately 3.7–3.9 percent per year. If growth continues at this rate, by 2030, approximately 20 percent of the population will be city dwellers, reaching 30 percent in 2050. This urban growth has the potential to improve economic opportunities and living conditions across Malawi. This is particularly significant given that approximately 69 percent of the population are living under the international poverty line of 1.9 US Dollars/day in purchasing power parity terms. However, challenges are also associated with this shift and concentration of population. With urbanisation comes a substantial amount of new construction. In Malawi, much of this new construction has occurred in cities and towns with limited capacity to ensure the structures in which people live, work and gather are safely sited and built to withstand chronic stresses (i.e. fire and spontaneous collapse) and disaster shocks (i.e. earthquakes and floods). In Lilongwe, for example, estimates indicate that 76 percent of residents live in informal settlements. These settlements are generally characterised by a lack of access to publicservices, tenure insecurity and inadequate housing. Malawi is impacted by a wide range of hazards, particularly droughts, floods, landslides, wildfires and earthquakes. Malawi is also vulnerable to recurrent and chronic risks. Large building fires in recent years include the LL and Mchinji Markets and the Mulanje Bus Depot in 2016 and the Area 13 and Zomba Market in 2018. In many ways, Malawi is at a crossroads: the regulatory decisions made now will significantly impact the longterm safety, productivity and resilience of the built environment in rural and urban areas. With its low base and moderate rate of urbanisation, Malawi is wellpositioned to formulate plans to maximise the benefits and to manage the challenges of urban agglomeration.
Nepal Energy Infrastructure Sector Assessment

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-03) World Bank Group

The purpose of this report is to identify how to maximize finance available to Nepal in the electricity sector. This report identifies financing needs and constraints for the energy sector in the short to medium term and outlines a road map for overcoming these constraints and seizing opportunities to gradually achieve a sectoral transformation. The report forms part of the World Bank Group’s Infrastructure Sector Assessment Program (INFRA-SAP).
New Perspectives on Results-Based Blended Finance for Cities

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019) World Bank Group

There is clear evidence on the need for cities to rapidly scale-up their investments in climate change mitigation programs and build strong foundations for climate-resilient communities. Investing in low carbon infrastructure and climate resilience can generate competitive returns and is crucial for preventing a reversal of the development gains made in low-income countries up until now. Overcoming the barriers in financing climate-smart infrastructure in cities means adjusting their currently unattractive and inadequate risk-return investment profile. Our analysis explains that well-targeted concessional funding can derisk the financing structure of a project and turn a typical non-bankable project to financial viable one. Additionally, it makes the case for results-based blended finance approaches that strengthen the accountability in project development by linking financing to the achievement of measurable, pre-agreed results. Addressing the lack of creditworthiness, the limited accountability and capacity in institutions and service delivery practices should be at the center of urban investment strategies. The report highlights the need for technical assistance and capacity building programs that will support cities bring order to their financing and accounting practices, support shadow credit ratings and help them become creditworthy. It is estimated that only 20 percent of the 500 largest cities in developing countries are considered creditworthy. Cities and development partners face a common challenge: Making the most effective use of available public finance instruments and disburse scarce public (concessional) funds in a way that maximally leverages private sector co-investments.