Country Economic Memorandum

239 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2184

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Azerbaijan - Country Economic Memorandum : A New Silk Road - Export-led Diversification

(World Bank, 2009-12-23) World Bank

Azerbaijan's oil and gas boom presents a rare opportunity to accelerate improvements in the quality of life of all its citizens. Its per capita income is $5,100 in 2008, up nearly 400 percent from 2004 in current USD terms; it could potentially exceed $6,500 by 2013 and higher beyond that. Consequently, poverty is likely to continue to fall, especially in the rural areas, and the entire population of nearly nine million can expect to benefit significantly from expanded access to better quality education and health services as well as more targeted social assistance. Most of this income growth is expected to come from non-oil output and exports, especially agriculture and light manufacturing, though high levels of oil revenues and public spending will continue to stimulate significant growth of construction and various services sectors. Fiscal revenues from oil and gas are expected to be $198 billion in net present value terms through 2024 (based on the oil production profile of June 2008). This report outlines changes in policies and institutions that will be needed to realize this vision.
Georgia : Agricultural and Rural Enterprise Development

(Washington, DC, 2009-12) World Bank

The report is structured as follows. Section one examines the contribution of the rural economy to the national economy, the structure of the farm and non-farm sectors and their relative importance. Section two describes policies and constraints affecting the wider rural economy including, reforms in macro-economic management, recent external influences and financial services before discussing those which relate specifically to agriculture including, agricultural trade policy, land reform, agricultural machinery services , irrigation and drainage, seeds, sanitary and phytosanitary control and veterinary services, marketing and advisory services. Section three assesses the outcomes of these policies on the structure and performance of the rural economy. Section four describes the extent to which policy makers should prioritize the farm and non-farm sectors in rural areas and then presents recommendations for reform. While it is recognized that rural infrastructure (roads, potable water, and energy) and rural social services have a major impact on the rural economy, the report does not attempt to address these issues in detail. Rural Infrastructure issues are examined in 'rural infrastructure in Georgia, improving service delivery' (World Bank, 2006) and key findings of this report are summarized at the end of section two.
Sudan - The Road Toward Sustainable and Broad-Based Growth

(World Bank, 2009-12-01) World Bank

This report proposes a growth strategy for Sudan that reduces its dependence on oil, while building an economic foundation for a diversified, inclusive and sustainable growth path. Specifically, Sudan's near term strategy should focus on: a) developing and maintaining the necessary enabling environment for growth, specifically macroeconomic stability and effective fiscal management (chapter one); b) implementing policies aimed at improving the investment climate and broadening private sector- led growth (chapters two and five); c) increasing returns to the agriculture sector as the highest potential engine of growth and poverty reduction over the medium-term (chapter four); d) developing a comprehensive reconstruction plan for the South (chapter six); and e) complementing technocratic reforms with good governance.
Sudan - Toward Sustainable and Broad-Based Growth

(World Bank, 2009-12-01) World Bank

Sudan is in the 10th year of its longest and strongest growth episode since independence, benefiting from the advent of oil in 1999. This report proposes a growth strategy for Sudan that reduces its dependence on oil, while building an economic foundation for a diversified, inclusive and sustainable growth path. Specifically, Sudan's near term strategy should focus on: a) developing and maintaining the necessary enabling environment for growth, specifically macroeconomic stability and effective fiscal management (chapter one); b) implementing policies aimed at improving the investment climate and broadening private sector-led growth (chapters two and five); c) increasing returns to the agriculture sector as the highest potential engine of growth and poverty reduction over the medium-term (chapter four); d) developing a comprehensive reconstruction plan for the South (chapter six); and e) complementing technocratic reforms with good governance. Sudan needs a new, more balanced growth vision that is less reliant on oil, while using the oil wealth to create an economic foundation for a diversified, inclusive, and sustainable growth path.
Vietnam Planning Study on Investment in Provincial/Local ICT Infrastructure and Services

(Washington, DC, 2009-09-16) World Bank

The Government of Vietnam acknowledges the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in its various applications, as a means to develop economic diversification, foster competitiveness, increase productivity, and improve the efficiency and capability of institutions on a governmental level. The increasing availability to information and communication technologies has improved citizens access to information across the different economical sectors. ICT is therefore considered as a crucial catalyst to poverty reduction through the facilitation of information flow between citizens, businesses, and the government. Furthermore, it is considered that ICT ensures a better allocation of resources, service delivery, and acts as a value-creator for poor populations through the creation of new sources of employment and income. The results of this study will provide basis for discussion between the World Bank and the Government on concrete steps regarding how the Bank's financial assistance can best meet the country's need and support the implementation of the Government's plans in this important area. This consultancy is being undertaken as an initial part of a larger technical assistance project whose overall objective is to support the Government of Vietnam in the improvement of its provincial/local telecommunications and information infrastructure and services; it is undertaken in the context of public administrative reforms and decentralization by analyzing options of sustainable implementation arrangements.
Benin - Constraints to Growth and Potential for Diversification and Innovation : Country Economic Memorandum

(World Bank, 2009-06-18) World Bank

With favorable geographical location, macroeconomic stability, debt reduction, progress on structural reforms, and political stability, Benin will seem to have the foundations for a dynamic, diversified economy. Yet the country's economic structure has not evolved, remaining highly dependent on cotton and transit trade, and per-capita growth has slowed down in recent years. The government has requested the World Bank's assistance in understanding the constraints to growth and evaluating the country's potential for diversification and innovation as it seeks to lead the country to emerging market status by 2020. The government is well aware that the vulnerabilities associated with the country's dependence on cotton and transit trade impede the attainment of this goal. Response to the government's request, the objective of the Benin Country Economic Memorandum (CEM) is therefore to identify and analyze the key economic and institutional constraints to growth, including through diversification and innovation. The CEM contains four main chapters, each providing theoretical or empirical analyses of Benin's economic situation and prospects: a) cross-sectoral binding constraints to growth; b) analysis of specific constraints in the cotton and transit trade sectors; c) diversification and innovation potential; and d) political economy of growth.
Macedonia - Moving to Faster and More Inclusive Growth A Country Economic Memorandum : Main Report and Annex

(World Bank, 2009-06-09) World Bank

This report deals with medium and long-term growth issues rather than the challenges posed by the world financial crisis, the structural policy options presented in the report become even more important in that context, and can help to partially mitigate the impact of the crisis on Macedonia. Section B looks at poverty and inequality issues. Section C examines Macedonia's past growth in terms of total factor productivity analysis, drawing the connection with labor and capital, and within these broad factors, human capital and infrastructure. It also compares Macedonia's growth to a successful regional comparator, Slovakia. Section D benchmarks Macedonia's performance in important policy areas that could affect growth relative to comparator countries. It also estimates how much improved performance in these areas could raise potential growth. Section E looks at efficiency in public expenditure and public investment important issues in raising growth. Section F summarizes these analyses and makes some initial recommendations.
Macedonia - Moving to Faster and More Inclusive Growth : A Country Economic Memorandum - Overview

(World Bank, 2009-06-06) World Bank

This report deals with medium and long-term growth issues rather than the challenges posed by the world financial crisis, the structural policy options presented in the report become even more important in that context, and can help to partially mitigate the impact of the crisis on Macedonia. Section B looks at poverty and inequality issues. Section C examines Macedonia's past growth in terms of total factor productivity analysis, drawing the connection with labor and capital, and within these broad factors, human capital and infrastructure. It also compares Macedonia's growth to a successful regional comparator, Slovakia. Section D benchmarks Macedonia's performance in important policy areas that could affect growth relative to comparator countries. It also estimates how much improved performance in these areas could raise potential growth. Section E looks at efficiency in public expenditure and public investment important issues in raising growth. Section F summarizes these analyses and makes some initial recommendations.
Russian Federation - Regional development and growth agglomerations : the longer term challenges of economic transition in the Russian Federation

(World Bank, 2009-01-16) World Bank

As Russia continues to make rapid general progress in building modem market institutions, the complex spatial dimension of transformation in the country will continue to present strong policy challenges for many years to come. In fact, these challenges are arguably becoming progressively stronger. As confirmed in this Country Economic Memorandum (CEM), economic growth has become much more unevenly distributed across the Russian Federation in recent years, with a sharp contrast opening up between growth agglomerations in much of the Western part of the country and much more modest development in the East and North. This CEM focuses on regional development in the Russian Federation. It first conducts an examination of recent trends in the regional dimension of growth based on available economic data for the country as a whole. Particular attention is given to the topics of convergence, agglomeration, and the sources of regional growth. In this endeavor, the analysis distinguishes between two quite different recent periods of economic growth: 1999-2003 and 2004-2006. A regional-level survey allows for the examination of perceptions of entrepreneurs working in two poorer-than-average regions that have been exhibiting impressive rates of growth in recent years: Rostov and Tver oblasts. The conclusions obtained in these investigations are then related to the question of what type of a national regional strategy, if any, might be useful for Russia.
Chile : Fostering Technology Transfer and Commercialization

(Washington, DC, 2009-01) World Bank

Chile is an economy rich in natural resources and their efficient exploitation has proved the right strategy to grow successfully over the last few decades. More recently, in the broader context of increasing globalization and competitive pressures, it has chosen as its main development driver the contribution that arises from innovation and the adoption of higher levels of technology to enhance productivity growth and to add to national competitiveness. There is strong public commitment to increase funding to stimulate innovation, but improvements in the technology transfer and commercialization system will not only involve an increase in funding but also changes in incentives, funding reallocations and institutional building. This report responds to a request by the CNIC (National Innovation Council for Competitiveness - Consejo Nacional de Innovacion para la Competitividad), through its Secretariat, to review Chile´s knowledge/technology transfer and commercialization system and identify practical steps to accelerate the development of an effective and dynamic system. The overall objective is to expand the number of firms in Chile that use knowledge as its main competitive strategy. The remainder of the report is structured as follows. Chapter two conducts a diagnostic of Chile's current system, and chapter three provides recommendations to upgrade technology transfer and commercialization practices and incentives in Chile considering its current endowments and lessons learned from international reference models. Chapter four summarizes the conclusions of the review.