World Bank Discussion Papers
17 items available
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Informal documents that present unpolished results of research or country analysis. They are circulated to encourage discussion and comment. Papers for which rapid publication is particularly important were often issued in this series. This series was superseded by the World Bank Working Papers series in 2003 and the World Bank Studies series in 2010.
Items in this collection
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Publication
The Indian Pharmaceutical Sector : Issues and Options for Health Sector Reform
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2002-09)This report assesses the pharmaceutical sector in India, particularly focusing on four key issues related to the production, procurement, and distribution of drugs in India: a) availability, b) affordability; c) quality, and d) the rational use of drugs. The results of a survey of three states indicate considerable variation across states in the above four areas in both public and private sectors. The report concludes that problems with the availability, affordability, and rational use of good quality, cost-effective, essential drugs have persisted in most parts of India, and that these health-related issues need be addressed as a priority. An overarching recommendation is the need to focus on strengthening the implementation and regulation of the pharmaceutical sector at the state level, rather than on simply introducing new regulations. Adequate pharmaceutical quality assurance needs to be particularly emphasized as, in its absence, other reform measures could be rendered moot. Similarly, the rational use of drugs needs to be emphasized as it is likely to yield significant cost savings to the government and to consumers, in addition to its positive impact on health. -
Publication
Electronic Finance : A New Approach to Financial Sector Development ?
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2002-03)In recent years, electronic finance, especially online banking, and brokerage services, has reshaped the financial landscape. This paper reviews these developments, and analyzes their implications for consumers, governments, and financial service providers. First, it reviews the e-finance (r)evolution in emerging, and other markets, and projects its future growth. It then analyzes e-finance impact on the structure of, and competition in the financial services industry. After that, it assesses how e-finance, and globalization more generally, affects financial sector policies in emerging markets, including the need for changes in the approach to financial sector development. The paper then examines governments' changing role in the financial sector, and identifies opportunities that e-finance offers countries to leapfrog. Finally, the paper includes for policymakers, and others involved in financial sector reform in emerging markets, detailed information, and Web links on public policy activities related to e-finance. -
Publication
Closing the Gap in Access to Rural Communications : Chile 1995-2002
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2002-02)The study documents, and reviews the Chilean experience in rural telecommunications, by focusing on the principles, practical organization, basic design, and outstanding issues for extension of a more advanced form of approach to communication, and access to information. It examines in depth the results, and success factors of the Telecommunications Development Fund, established in 1994, a success largely due to the extensive reliance on market forces to determine, and allocate subsidies, to minimal regulatory intervention, and relatively simple processing. The design of the Fund proved robust, and remains the leading example of a cost-effective solution to reduce access gaps in basic communication in emerging economies. However, questions remain on the sustainability of services for the long run, on how to support the small, but still excluded rural population, and on potential, further needs in urban areas. -
Publication
Telecommunications and Information Services for the Poor : Toward a Strategy for Universal Access
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2002)Access to information, and communications technologies has become crucial to a sustainable agenda of economic development, and poverty reduction, and yet access remains concentrated in a few regions and population groups, with the contours of this new "digital divide" closely following, and supplementing existing income, and economic divides. However, technological innovations, economic pressures, and regulatory reforms, are making access to information, and communications technologies more affordable, and, providing opportunities to close the digital divide. This discussion paper outlines a number of policy, and regulatory measures, including incentives to attract investors to high cost, or challenging areas, that can be used under different scenarios, to close the digital divide. While Bank Group experience shows an increasing number of projects with specific universal access components, this paper proposes alternatives for Bank Group support for universal access policies, through an appropriate mix of technical assistance, and investments. -
Publication
Participation in Project Preparation : Lessons from World Bank-assisted Projects in India
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2001-05)The study assesses the extent to which the India program, is meeting the Bank's objective of mainstreaming participatory approaches, in project preparation, and design. From a variety of social, and natural resource management sectors, ten projects were selected, appraised during 1990 and 1998, in which participation was an overall project objective. Key findings suggest that beneficiary participation was successful, contributing to participatory designs in many projects. Social assessments were used more often than before, while involvement of primary beneficiaries improved during the 1990s, reflecting a change in the ways of thinking of, both Bank staff, and Government officials. Participatory work improved significantly, showing a move from a focus on social mitigation of potentially adverse impacts, to proactive work, with broader operational frameworks for participation in project planning. Direct beneficiary participation, was less common in strategy, and policy formulation, but more common in formulating local-level project approaches, though the level of primary beneficiary participation, never went beyond information sharing, and consultation. However, there was an increased collaboration with primary stakeholders, and, capacity building, and empowerment did take place. The study stipulates the potential of beneficiaries is underutilized, and challenges participatory management, to improve processes so as to adapt to the social, and institutional context, and, to consider participation within a broader local capacity. -
Publication
Measuring and Apportioning Rents from Hydroelectric Power Developments
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2000-07)This paper deals with economic rents arising from the development of hydroelectric generation on international watercourses. The paper briefly defines the concept of economic rent and its application to hydroelectric developments. It explores two areas of precedents that shows how the concept could be applied in developments on international watercourses. First, it looks at international law on the ownership and rights of use of such watercourses. Then it looks at past instances of international watercourse development that have used the idea of rent, or rent-like concepts, to determine how to share the benefits from the development. The paper notes that international convention and practice on this topic expect that riparian countries will negotiate the sharing of benefits from international developments. What the paper then seeks is a guide to such negotiations. The paper also devotes some attention to methods for quantifying the rents generated by projects in various situations: where a competitive market exists for the project's output; where no market exists; or where the hydroelectric development is part of a multipurpose project. In general, the total benefit from a cooperative development of an international watercourse is greater than the benefits from separate independent developments. Each participant should get from the cooperative development at least as much rent as it could have obtained from an independent development. -
Publication
Financing of Private Hydropower Projects
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2000-07)This study provides an overview of the issues and challenges related to the private financing of hydropower projects in developing countries. From the very limited pool of projects that have already reached or are nearing financial closure, ten have been chosen for the study from five countries with the most active in promoting private hydro development. Collectively the case study projects provide a reasonable cross-section of private hydro schemes that have been or are being developed. The financing of greenfield private infrastructure on a limited-recourse basis in developing countries faces certain common issues irrespective of the type of project. However, hydropower faces additional difficulties caused by the site-specific nature of projects, high construction risk and long construction periods, their capital-intensive nature with a high proportion of local costs, unpredictable output subject to river flows and broader water management constraints, complex concession process to achieve transparency in the award and pricing of output, and environmental sensitivities. The study suggests the need for longer-term financing to better suit hydropower characteristics, a regulatory framework and realistic public-private risk-sharing arrangements responsive to the requirements of hydropower projects, and the careful preparation of projects by the public sector to enable their formulation on an adequate technical and contractual basis for development as a private concession.