Other Public Sector Study

315 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2206

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Republic of Serbia Municipal Public Finance Review : Options for Efficiency Gains

(Washington, DC, 2014-06-05) World Bank

Since the global financial crisis, Serbia's public debt has more than doubled. Local Governments (LGs) need to find ways to perform more efficiently, not only to contribute to national fiscal consolidation efforts, but also because they may have fewer resources available in the future. This report represents a continuation of the World Bank effort to explore LGs finances. The first phase of this report focused on options for increases in local revenues; impact of further decentralization; options for reduction of subsidies in selected sectors; and how to control the public debt. The report is organized as follows. Chapter 2 examines LG hiring and pay policies. In addition to offering recommendations on how to achieve efficiency and savings, it sheds light on employment wage policies within LG enterprises. Chapter 3 deepens the analysis of local public utility companies (PUCs), which not only have significant responsibilities for delivering local services, but also often pose a significant pressure on LG budgets. On average, financial support to PUCs accounts for a quarter of local budgets. This chapter looks at the main issues and makes recommendations for efficiency gains. Chapter 4 discusses the most important public financial management issues for LGs, asking where better management and accountability could increase value-for-money and help extract additional benefits from current and capital expenditures. It examines budget preparation, execution, and reporting issues as a basis for recommending policies to increase transparency and accountability as well as more efficient use of resources. Chapter 5 summarizes the main conclusions and policy recommendations of the report.
South East Europe Municipal Finance Review : Local Government Finance in the Western Balkans

(Washington, DC, 2013-09) World Bank

This report addresses the limited access to local governments of data and knowledge of municipal finance issues in South East Europe (SEE). The objective of the analytical work under the SEE Municipal Finance Review (MFR) aims to (i) contribute to improved understanding of local government management and finance in the SEE Region; and (ii) contribute to improving the quality and consistency of key municipal finance data for improved evidence based policy making. The analysis presented in this report comprises the first attempt to review and analyze a regional set of disaggregated sub-national finance data in the SEE Region. Main findings of the MFR are presented in this report. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 provides an overview of the decentralization framework in the SEE Region, including on the administrative and political structure of sub-national governments, their population size and distribution, and the service functions assigned to local governments. Chapter 3 explains in more detail the local government finance framework. This includes an overview of the structure and composition of sub-national finances, in particular (i) revenue and expenditure assignments; (ii) transfers and intergovernmental fiscal relations; and (iii) the evolving framework and realities of sub-national borrowing and debt. Chapter 4 provides a summary of the key trends and findings from the cross-country, regional analysis, complemented by detailed analysis of the disaggregated datasets, where available. Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes conclusions and provides some recommendations for a possible way forward. In the medium to long term, access to municipal finance information would contribute to increasing transparency and accountability of local governments, improving revenue collection and expenditure performance, optimizing budget allocation procedures, and strengthen local authorities' role and position in intergovernmental fiscal considerations and negotiations in the SEE countries.
PFM Design under Capacity Constraints : Planning Public Financial Management Reforms in Pacific Island Countries

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-07) World Bank ; International Monetary Fund

This note is intended to inform Public Financial Management (PFM) reform in small Pacific Island Countries (PICs). PFM systems in PIC contexts are often very different from the sophisticated and comprehensive systems operating in larger, wealthier countries. The authors give two key messages. Firstly, PFM capacity should be prioritized to areas that matter most in achieving development outcomes, and reforms should be intended to address specific, identified, problems, rather than to achieve blueprint good practice standards. Secondly, with small numbers of staff and high staff turnover limiting potential for sustainable gains from standard capacity building solutions (such as training programs and workshops), broader options for meeting capacity gaps should be considered, including accessing ongoing support for specialized tasks or even the wholesale outsourcing of certain functions. The three main sections of this note are as follows: (i) how to plan PFM reforms, including through the development of PFM roadmaps; (ii) how to prioritize limited PFM reform capacity to address the most pressing constraints to development; and (iii) how to access additional capacity to implement and sustain required PFM reforms.
Public Sector-operated Price-comparison Websites : Case Studies and Good Practices

(Washington, DC, 2013-06) World Bank

This technical note is intended to provide regulators with concrete, practical information on operating price-comparison websites and the strategic considerations necessary to take into account when designing such sites. The technical note examines price-comparison websites operated by public sector entities in Canada, Hungary, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The technical note describes the price-comparison tools in these case study countries, comparing differing approaches and highlighting good practices found across countries. Institutional and structural arrangements were found to vary across case study countries. Price-comparison websites are operated by either a financial regulator (Hungary, Malaysia) or more commonly by a financial consumer agency set up by the government but operating as an independent agency (Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, United Kingdom). Typically, less sophisticated price-comparison websites provide basic price-comparison tools, while more sophisticated sites provide interactive product-selection tools and complementary educational materials in an intuitive, easy-to-use format.
FONDEN: Mexico's Natural Disaster Fund--A Review

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-05) World Bank

FONDEN (Natural Disasters Fund), Mexico's fund for natural disasters, was established in the late 1990s as a mechanism to support the rapid rehabilitation of federal and state infrastructure affected by adverse natural events. FONDEN was first created as a budget line in the Federal expenditure budget of 1996, and became operational in 1999. Funds from FONDEN could be used for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of: 1) public infrastructure at the three levels of government (federal, state, and municipal); 2) low-income housing; and 3) certain components of the natural environment. FONDEN consists of two complementary budget accounts, the FONDEN program for reconstruction and FOPREDEN program for prevention, and their respective financial accounts. The FONDEN program for reconstruction is FONDEN's primary budget account. It channels resources from the federal expenditure budget to specific reconstruction programs. The FOPREDEN program for prevention supports disaster prevention by funding activities related to risk assessment, risk reduction, and capacity building on disaster prevention. The FONDEN system is continuously evolving to integrate lessons learned over the course of years of experience.
Developing a Regulatory Framework for Municipal Borrowing in India

(World Bank, New Delhi, 2011-09) World Bank

This report provides an overview of the municipal debt market as it exists and has evolved over the past ten years. It provides an assessment of trends and patterns from both bank and bond sources covering all types of municipal governments. The overall objective of the work is to assess the regulatory environment pertaining to municipal borrowing in the country and to generate recommendations to improve this in a manner which expands municipal access to private debt finance while ensuring that risk is appropriately allocated and properly priced. More particularly, this report: 1) outlines the need and rationale for expanding access to credit finance on part of municipalities in India; 2) provides an overview of the existing municipal debt market; 3) provides an overview of the chief characteristics of the regulatory environment pertaining to municipal borrowing in India, places the existing regulatory system in international context, and outlines a suggested overall direction for reform; and 4) provides specific recommendations to improve the regulatory regimes over which the state and union governments have respective control.
Romania - Functional Review : Regional Development and Tourism

(Washington, DC, 2011-06) World Bank

The Functional Review of the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism (MRDT FR) assesses the key functional strengths and weakness of MRDT with respect to its mandate and recommends actions that can help strengthen its efficiency and effectiveness. The review covers the main general directorates (DGs) and departments of MRDT, as well as related institutions such as URBAN-INCERC and the National Housing Agency. The report has six main chapters in addition to the executive summary: Introduction, Overview of MRDT, Policy Management, Operational Management, Budget and Financial Management, and Public Procurement.
The Need, Capacity and Willingness of Regional Governments to Finance Public Infrastructure from Long-Term Loans

(Washington, DC, 2011-06) World Bank

This report reviews the need for long-term loans for regional governments, assesses the capacity of regional governments to repay long-term loans, identifies existing constraints to long-term borrowing by the regions, and recommends options for removing or mitigating existing constraints. The Government of Indonesia issued a government regulation on regional borrowing and unlike its legal predecessor, the newer regulation allows regional governments to borrow long term for public infrastructure projects that are indirectly revenue-generating, such as roads and flood control systems. Until the late 1990s, a major portion of long-term loans to regional governments was financed by international financial institutions, mainly the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. In view of the need to increase investments in public infrastructure, and the absence of a domestic market for long-term financing, Government of Indonesia is currently considering re-opening this window by establishing a Municipal Development Fund in the Ministry of Finance.
Colombia - Programmatic Strategic Engagement on Public Sector Management and Governance : Concept Note

(Washington, DC, 2011-03-14) World Bank

This concept note presents the strategic engagement of the World Bank in the areas of public sector management and governance in Colombia. It describes the short and medium term approach through which the Bank will provide support to the country on those areas of reform, as well as their links and synergies with other sectors activities. It also provides a summary of the Bank's public sector management and governance recent activities and their links with the program proposed by this strategy. This concept note lays out the strategy and program of financial support, knowledge and convening services to continue supporting the Government's public sector reform agenda in a demand-driven and flexible manner. The program aims to contribute to improve sustained and inclusive growth and competitiveness through strengthened government's management and improved service delivery. Its objectives are aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP) pillars and cross-cutting themes of good governance and regional development and integration, as well the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) outcomes. The remainder of this note is structured as follows: (i) section two summarizes the trend public sector reforms have been following in Colombia; (ii) section three provides an overview of the trajectory the reform key National Government Management Institutions (NGMI) has followed in Colombia, summarizing the current status of Government's efforts in this area and outlining the pending policy reform agenda; (iii) section four presents a review of past Bank engagement in NGMI' s reforms and a description of the strategy to respond to the Government's priorities and pending reform agenda, including key expected outputs; (iv) section five provides an overview of the trajectory decentralization reform has followed in Colombia, summarizing the current status of Government's efforts in this area and outlining the pending policy reform agenda; (v) section six presents a review of past Bank engagement in decentralization reforms and a description of the strategy to respond to the Government's priorities and pending reform agenda, including key expected outputs; and, (vi) section seven contains a resource section, describing the timeline of proposed activities, budget, team composition, and processes for quality review, monitoring and evaluation.
Pakistan : Contingent Liabilities from Public Private Partnerships

(Washington, DC, 2010-07) World Bank

This final report is the fourth and final deliverable in Castalia's assignment, funded by the World Bank, to improve how contingent liabilities are managed in Pakistan. The report presents recommendations on how Pakistan should improve its policies and processes for issuing and managing contingent liabilities associated with public private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure. The contents of this report are organized as follows: section two explains why it is important for Pakistan to establish sound policies for managing contingent liabilities, based on the Government's existing exposure and gaps in the policies and processes that are currently in place. The Status Quo Report presented in appendix A provides an assessment of the Government's exposure to contingent liabilities and the existing policies and processes that are in place. Section three explains how Pakistan can better manage contingent liabilities by presenting recommendations to eight specific functions that will strengthen existing PPP policies. Section four analyzes options for who should perform the functions for managing contingent liabilities, and explains why we recommend empowering existing institutions in the preferred institutional framework. Section five presents the steps we suggest that the Government follows to implement these recommendations and operationalize an effective contingent liabilities management framework. Finally, section six presents assessment of international experience and good practice in managing contingent liabilities to provide additional context for recommendations in Pakistan. Appendix A includes the Status Quo Report from the first stage of this assignment. Appendix B includes a summary of the stakeholder consultation workshop conducted in Islamabad on July 21 to receive feedback on the draft recommendations for this assignment.