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Publication World Bank GovTech Operations in Jordan: A Digital Transformation Case Study(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-25) World BankGovTech is a whole-of-government approach that promotes simple, efficient and transparent government with the citizen at the center of reforms. While earlier e-government programs focused on building IT systems for public administration and moving services online that often remained analog in design, GovTech strategies aim to provide citizen-centric services that are digital by design and coordinated across the government, and it prioritizes two-way interaction with citizens by mainstreaming citizen engagement.Publication ID4D Diagnostic of ID Systems in Angola(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-15) World BankIn Angola, identification is a critical tool for accessing public services and facilitating inclusion and participation in local economic development. Birth registration is mandatory to obtain a National Identity (ID) card, which is a prerequisite for accessing numerous public services, including education, municipal administrative services, paying municipal fees, registering properties and vehicles, applying for a job, opening a bank account, or requesting a loan, among others. Since 2002, the Government of Angola has made great strides toward modernizing and expanding access to civil registration and identification through registration campaigns, adopting a modern ID card, and efforts to simplify procedures and digitize services. Nevertheless, significant barriers remain to improving identification coverage and accessibility. As a result, birth registration and identification are far from universal, with substantial disparities along age, rural-urban, gender, and socioeconomic divides. In the context of Angola’s digital acceleration efforts, in which it plans to digitalize public services and grow its digital economy (and, critically, introduce a digital ID solution), boosting ID coverage is critical to ensuring that digitalization does not exacerbate exclusion. This ID4D Diagnostic assesses the identification ecosystem in Angola and proposes reforms based on international good practice.Publication Lessons from Disaster Governance: Port of Beirut Explosion Reform Recovery and Reconstruction Framework(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-05) GFDRR; World BankLebanon’s experience of compounding crises over the past several years points to the nexus of fragility and disaster. The country has recently experienced one of the worst financial and economic crises in human history. The crisis derives from a set of structural causes of fragility: a combination of chronic macroeconomic imbalances and political inaction stemming from political polarization and decision-making paralysis. Lebanon’s economic model has failed to generate economic opportunities, leading to high levels of inequality and poverty. The privatization of services and their patronage-based access, coupled with the capture and mismanagement of public funds intended for infrastructure, have led to a decline in the quality of virtually all public services, including a near collapse in electricity provision. The international community’s response after this humanitarian disaster was an innovative institutional platform, the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF), aiming to facilitate recovery and reconstruction in the aftermath of the disaster while reactivating reforms to address the drivers of fragility in the country. Organized by the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), and the World Bank in December 2020, the 3RF not only provided a prioritized comprehensive plan across various sectors to support Beirut’s recovery and reconstruction but also included a second track to advance critical reforms to address governance challenges in Lebanon. The 3RF is a unique governance platform, backed by a fund-pooling facility (the Lebanon Financing Facility, or LFF), which links the unlocking of investments in Lebanon with the reform results so that nonhumanitarian assistance received through national institutions is conditional on the implementation of reform. While the people-centered recovery response concluded in June 2022, the 3RF continues on Track 2, which focuses on inclusive policy dialogue, the implementation of reforms, and the reconstruction of critical services and infrastructure.Publication Review of the Tax System in the Kyrgyz Republic(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-05) World BankTax revenues to GDP ratio in the Kyrgyz Republic is higher than most lower middle income countries at above 28 percent of GDP in 2022, but complex tax structure, narrow base and remaining weaknesses in tax administration pose risks to sustainability and create unequal tax burden across taxpayers. Revenue performance in 2021-23 improved significantly due to improvements in tax administration, but significant share of the improved tax collection is contributed by VAT on imports which is likely attributed to trade diversion after imposition of trade sanctions on Russia. The transit trade driven by the sanctions has increased substantially during 2022-2023 period. If the relative share of imports would have stayed at the actual 2021 level (64.5 percent), we estimate that the transit trade contributed to increase in VAT revenues of KGS 25.2 billion (equivalent of 2.6 percent of GDP) in 2022, and an estimated KGS 37.9 billion in additional VAT revenues (3.3 percent of estimated GDP) in 2023. These one-off exceptional revenues should be isolated and treated separately when making medium-to-longer run tax revenue forecasts and when considering tax policies. This report looks into three major issues, tax gap and how it could be reasonably reduced over the medium term; needed tax policy changes; and how administration provisions in tax legislation can support the same level of tax revenues, with more equitable distribution of tax burden promoting growth and lowering compliance costs. The report touches briefly on tax administration key issues, as ongoing tax administration reform agenda supported by the World Bank funded project is currently underway.Publication Designing an Independent Fiscal Institution for Poland(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-06-10) World BankUnlike common practices in other EU member states and despite being mandated by EU law, Poland still lacks a fully-fledged Independent Fiscal Institution. IFIs are impartial, expert bodies that help improve the transparency, accountability, and quality of fiscal policies, and support sound and sustainable public finances. They became important after the 2008-09 global financial crisis showed the need for better fiscal management. Their role is to use their analyses and advocacy skills to push for long-term stability in fiscal policies. Creating a robust and effective IFI in Poland could enhance the quality and credibility of fiscal policy in the context of shifting structural budgetary dynamics. While the country performed well in the post-EU accession period, achieving rapid income convergence, and maintaining fiscal stability, it has not always complied with EU fiscal rules. With fiscal challenges set to grow in the medium and long term (i.e., due to the impact of the ageing population and increasing defense spending) the case for the establishment of an IFI is even more compelling. Recognizing that need the Polish government has expressed interest in establishing a formal IFI to enhance the quality and credibility of the Polish fiscal framework. This report supports the government of Poland in designing and implementing an IFI, aligned with international best practices while considering the specificities of the country. The report summarizes the main conclusions and recommendations from the World Bank and Ministry of Finance collaboration started in January 2024. The project included a diagnostic assessment of the existing fiscal framework and institutions, based on a benchmarking exercise against international best practices and standards of EU IFIs. The recommendations use a conceptual framework that focuses on three key aspects: the Right Form, the Right People, the Right Behavior.Publication Haiti: Strengthening Customs Administration in an Insecure Environment(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-22) World BankThis report is motivated by three primary factors. First, customs administrations tend to continue to operate in crisis situations, contrary to other government services. Moreover, customs taxation is the simplest tax instrument to enforce during security crisis periods because it concerns traded goods, which are easier to tax than individuals or companies. Tax revenues in Haiti are low at 6.3 percent of GDP in FY23 and insufficient to provide adequate public services. As such, customs is the single largest source of domestic revenue and leakage in customs revenues is significant. Second, as noted, strengthened customs practices and applications have the potential to significantly strengthen the legitimacy of the State and build greater trust between the government and the citizenry, including better controlling transborder criminal activity. AGD has a high profile, and corruption, unfair treatment, and perceived ineffectiveness in the administration of customs practices is viewed as highly problematic by the citizenry. Third, the current insecure environment in Haiti, including the increasing gang presence and resultant personal security concerns, presents significant constraints and challenges in carrying out basic customs services and practices, not to mention meaningful reforms. AGD could benefit from lessons learned in other fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable settings (FCV) and better adapt to the current insecure environment.Publication Lebanon Digital ID Use Cases(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-20) World BankThis report summarizes the findings of a series of World Bank Digital Development missions from November 2022 to July 2023 to Lebanon focused on priority use cases for digital ID and authentication services. It outlines how digital identity, as part of a wider digital transformation program, could significantly improve the implementation and delivery of public services in Lebanon.Publication Lebanon ID Diagnostic(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-20) World BankThis diagnostic provides an overview of the foundational identity ecosystem in Lebanon, which is composed of the civil registry and the national identification systems.Publication Slovakia - Understanding the Productivity of Slovakia’s Local Governments: Key findings from an empirical study(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-07) World BankThis report employs a diverse range of data sources to examine district-level variations in public sector productivity in Slovakia. It leverages administrative data to measure productivity from the Fabasoft and Cezir data systems that provide detailed insights into case management and business licensing processes. Employment data, sourced from the government's job portal, sheds light on competition for public sector jobs. Additionally, a survey of district office public officials captures their management practices and attitudes. By incorporating these varied data sources, the report offers a comprehensive understanding of productivity factors and management dynamics within district offices, enabling a complex and informed assessment of the determinants of public sector productivity.Publication Estonia - State of the public service: Evidence from a Survey of Public Officials : Key findings from an empirical study(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-02) World BankAdministrative divisions extend beyond mere map boundaries as they significantly impact people's lives, influencing the availability and quality of public goods such as green spaces, transportation, waste management, and education. Local governance affects individuals from an early age, managing kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, and later, household utilities, cultural and sports facilities, public health, and care for the elderly. The European Commission recognizes the significant variation in services provided by local governments in Estonia, emphasizing the importance of understanding local government (LG) administrative practices to improve governance and enhance service delivery through targeted interventions.