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Publication
The Africa Competitiveness Report 2015
(Geneva: World Economic Forum, 2015-06-01)The Africa Competitiveness Report 2015 comes out at a promising time for the continent: for 15 years growth rates have averaged over 5 percent, and rapid population growth holds the promise of a large emerging consumer market as well as an unprecedented labor force that - if leveraged - can provide significant growth opportunities. Moreover, the expansion of innovative business models, such as mobile technology services, is indicative of the continents growth potential. However, Africa continues to be largely agrarian, with an economy that is underpinned by resource-driven growth and a large and expanding informal sector. Indeed, more than a decade of consistently high growth rates have not yet trickled down to significant parts of the population: nearly one out of two Africans continue to live in extreme poverty, and income inequality in the region remains among the highest in the world. What is more, across sectors - from agriculture to manufacturing and services - productivity levels remain low. It will be necessary to raise productivity across all sectors of the economy to achieve higher growth and create quality employment, and turn this progress into sustainable inclusive growth. -
Publication
Broadband for Africa : Developing Backbone Communications Networks
(World Bank, 2010)Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa see information and communication technology (ICT) as a necessary foundation for long-term economic development. While the region has been very successful in increasing access to basic voice communications, there has been no comparable improvement in broadband connectivity. In fact, the broadband access gap between Sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world is getting wider just as the gap in basic voice communications is getting smaller. Increasing access to broadband connectivity is therefore emerging as a high priority for policy makers across the continent. This book begins with a brief review of the ICT market and considers the extent of demand for broadband and the ICT services that high-capacity backbone networks make possible. This is followed by a review of the existing coverage of backbone networks in the region, a discussion of how this compares with other parts of the world, and an analysis of the possible explanations for the current pattern of network development. Finally, the book presents a set of policy options that governments in Sub-Saharan Africa might consider in promoting the development of backbone networks in their countries. -
Publication
Africa at a Turning Point? : Growth, Aid, and External Shocks
(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2008)This book is a collection of essays that seeks to answer three interrelated sets of questions about Africa's recent growth recovery. The first set of essays addresses questions about the drivers and durability of Africa's growth. How different is current economic performance compared to Africa's long history of boom-bust cycles? Have African countries learned to avoid past mistakes and pursued the right policies? How much of the current performance depends on good luck such as favorable commodity prices or the recovery of external assistance and how much depends on hard-won economic policy reforms. A second set of essays looks at the role of donor flows. External assistance plays a larger role in Africa's growth story than in any other part of the developing world. As a result, the economic management of external assistance is a major public policy challenge, and donor behavior is a significant source of external risk. The third set of essays looks at questions arising from commodity price shocks especially from changes in the price of oil. Relative to factors such as policy failures, conflicts, and natural disasters, how important are commodity price shocks in explaining output variability in African countries? Compared to the oil price shocks in the 1970s, why have recent higher oil prices apparently had less impact on Africa's growth? Oil is also now an important source of revenue for several oil exporting countries in Africa; what are the economic challenges faced by those countries? How should one analyze the macroeconomic and distributional impact of external and oil price shocks? As the essays in this volume show, laying the policy and institutional basis for longer-term growth, managing volatile commodity prices and aid flows, and turning growth in average incomes into growth in all incomes remain formidable but manageable challenges if Africa is to reach its turning point. -
Publication
Sustaining and Sharing Economic Growth in Tanzania : Contents of CD Rom
(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2007)This book is designed to contribute to the government's thinking on how best to translate broad MKUKUTA (the government of Tanzania's National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty) policy objectives into practical tactics and programs well suited to Tanzania's economic priorities and to the removal of key institutional and infrastructure bottlenecks. The book aims to respond to three fundamental questions: (a) what factors explain Tanzania's recent acceleration in economic growth, (b) how well has the accelerated growth translated into reduced poverty, and (c) what needs to be done to sustain growth that is also pro-poor. This book focuses on three issues that are central to the success of Tanzania's poverty reduction efforts: What factors explain Tanzania's recent acceleration in economic growth? Has the accelerated economic growth translated into reduced poverty? What must be done to sustain economic growth that is pro-poor? The book presents evidence from the macroeconomic, sectoral, firm, and household levels that shed light on these questions. In addition, the book examines the effectiveness of measures that support the poor in efforts to accumulate human and physical capital, which would enhance their prospects of contributing to economic growth. Finally, it is important to mention that this book is a compilation of chapters written by authors from the African Development Bank (Peter Mwanakatwe), COWI Consultants (Kerstin Pfliegner), independent consultancies (Marianne Simonsen and Annabella Skof), and the World Bank (Jean-Eric Aubert, Vandana Chandra, Louise Fox, Henry Gordon, Johannes Hoogeveen, Pooja Kacker, Ying Li, Allister Moon, Philip Mpango, Ravi Ruparel, Anuja Utz, Robert J. Utz, and Michael Wong). -
Publication
Sustaining and Sharing Economic Growth in Tanzania
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2007)This book is designed to contribute to the government's thinking on how best to translate broad MKUKUTA (the government of Tanzania's National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty) policy objectives into practical tactics and programs well suited to Tanzania's economic priorities and to the removal of key institutional and infrastructure bottlenecks. The book aims to respond to three fundamental questions: (a) what factors explain Tanzania's recent acceleration in economic growth, (b) how well has the accelerated growth translated into reduced poverty, and (c) what needs to be done to sustain growth that is also pro-poor. This book focuses on three issues that are central to the success of Tanzania's poverty reduction efforts: What factors explain Tanzania's recent acceleration in economic growth? Has the accelerated economic growth translated into reduced poverty? What must be done to sustain economic growth that is pro-poor? The book presents evidence from the macroeconomic, sectoral, firm, and household levels that shed light on these questions. In addition, the book examines the effectiveness of measures that support the poor in efforts to accumulate human and physical capital, which would enhance their prospects of contributing to economic growth. Finally, it is important to mention that this book is a compilation of chapters written by authors from the African Development Bank (Peter Mwanakatwe), COWI Consultants (Kerstin Pfliegner), independent consultancies (Marianne Simonsen and Annabella Skof), and the World Bank (Jean-Eric Aubert, Vandana Chandra, Louise Fox, Henry Gordon, Johannes Hoogeveen, Pooja Kacker, Ying Li, Allister Moon, Philip Mpango, Ravi Ruparel, Anuja Utz, Robert J. Utz, and Michael Wong). -
Publication
Private Solutions for Infrastructure in Rwanda : A Country Framework Report
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2005)This report aims to provide an objective assessment of the condition of Rwanda's infrastructure sectors and of the institutional and policy frameworks that are associated with them. It also provides a clear route map for infrastructure sector reform, as well as highlighting both the opportunities that exist for the private sector and the role that the donor community can play in assisting the Government with establishing priorities in infrastructure. -
Publication
Private Solutions for Infrastructure in Lesotho : A Country Framework Report
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2004)The report looks at Lesotho, a predominantly mountainous, land-locked, poor country with a small population, limited natural resources, and a very fragile ecology. It has low gross national income, and a significant poverty level. To ameliorate this condition, the government has embarked on a pro-poor, growth strategy that includes public, and private investment in infrastructure. It explores the level of private participation at this phase in the evolution of the reforms, which is considerable, given the country's small size, limited institutional capacity, and lack of public and private investment capital. Telecommunications has recorded the most significant reform of any of the infrastructure sectors. Other than telecommunications, reforms in other sectors have not advanced significantly. Not surprisingly, the report identifies specific lessons learned from the telecommunications sector, and examines their relevance to reform efforts under way in the other sectors. In summary, this report finds that private participation in infrastructure could offer Lesotho three key advantages: 1) augmenting budget resources in cases where the private sector undertakes to finance projects, or services that would not otherwise be funded, 2) improving the quality and efficiency of service delivery, and, 3) accelerating investments in infrastructure. By the same token, the report makes clear that private participation in infrastructure (PPI) carries significant down-side risks that, despite the best of intentions, could lead to negative fiscal impacts, lower than expected service quality, disruptions to service, or more dire consequences. The report presents an action plan with three primary elements: 1) the creation of a PPI Facilitation Unit to assist line ministries in implementing PPI projects; 2) specific priorities pertinent to each respective infrastructure sector; and, 3) cross-cutting reform measures addressing policy, regulatory, and legal actions needed to provide an enabling framework, and facilitating environment for PPI projects. -
Publication
Standards and Global Trade : A Voice for Africa
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2003)The book provides information, and guidance for policymakers, the development community, and others in the critical area of "behind the border" barriers to trade. With a view to promoting efforts to strengthen Africa's capacity to meet trade standards, and comply with technical regulations, the book examines the link between those standards, and regulations and export success in case studies of five countries: Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda. Each chapter describe the economic context of trade standards in a country, and examines the mechanisms by which standards, and regulations are established, and revised at the local, and international levels. The authors - local experts in the region - review existing trade regulations, and determine the extent to which they are consistent with international practices. They also analyze each country's physical infrastructure, organizational capacities, and current standard implementation process, and, consider the probable impact of new standards, regulations, and related production/marketing practices in key industries. The first comprehensive assessment of the relationship between trade standards, and development priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa, this book offers concrete action plans for supporting African firms, and farmers in their efforts to improve product quality, and reach international markets in key commodity sectors. -
Publication
Strategic Action Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden : Country Reports
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2001)The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden contain some of the world's most important coastal and marine environments and resources. In view of their environmental uniqueness, the threats they are facing, and the need for actions, the preparation of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden was initiated in October 1995. THE SAP process, coordinated by the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), has been undertaken with support from the countries of the region, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), selected international development institutions, and donor organizations. The SAP supports and facilitates the primary goal of PERSGA, which is the conservation of the environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The goals of the SAP are to develop a regional framework for protecting the environment and the sustainable development of coastal and marine resources. The Program outlined in the SAP focuses on both preventive and curative measures required to maintain the rich and diverse coastal and marine resources of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The SAP is a significant process for reaching agreement concerning environmental trends, threats, and priorities at a regional level. It is also a product in the form of an Action Programme which provides a framework for continued cooperation in reaching short-, medium-, and long-term goals through a series of complementary actions at all levels. -
Publication
Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?
(Washington, DC, 2000-04-30)Major changes are needed if Africans and their children are to claim the 21st century. With the rapidly growing population, 5 percent annual growth is needed simply to keep the number of poor from rising. Halving severe poverty by 2015 will require annual growth of more than 7 percent, along with a more equitable distribution of income. Trends in Africa will need to change radically for a catch-up process to materialize. This will require determined leadership within Africa. It will require better governance developing stable and representative constitutional arrangements, implementing the rule of law, managing resources transparently, and delivering services effectively to communities and firms. It will require greater investment in Africas people as well as measures that encourage private investment in infrastructure and production. And it will require better support and perhaps more support from the international development community. In facing these challenges, Africa has enormous potential including the potential of its women, who now provide more than half of the regions labor but lack equal access to education and factors of production. This report brings together the recent body of work particularly that emanating from Africa itself to show how some African countries are approaching common issues. African economies and sub-regions are diverse and each will have to find its way to address the challenges of the 21st century.