Other ESW Reports

253 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2209

This includes miscellaneous ESW types and pre-2003 ESW type reports that are subsequently completed and released.

Items in this collection

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Brazil - Minas Gerais - World Bank Partnership : Building on a Strong Foundation and Leading to Next Steps

( 2007-06-06) World Bank

This document, Minas Gerais World Bank partnership: building on a strong foundation and leading to next steps, points the direction for next steps and emphasizes the elements and principles of a possible follow-up operation to the Development Policy Loan (DPL) that completed disbursement in April 2007, recognizing that it was premature to discuss the specifics of such an operation during this exercise. These elements and principles would provide the incentives and motivations for the choice of focus sectors under a possible Bank operation with Minas Gerais. Lead actively by the Governor and Deputy Governor, the Minas authorities have clearly identified enhancing the living conditions of citizens in the state as the overall priority. Nevertheless, the Minas Gerais targets are ambitious and by international standards there is ample room for additional progress. The report points out that fiscal policies and public sector reforms in Minas Gerais could be expected to yield continued stronger than national average economic growth and progress in creating jobs. The focus of this Partnership document is mainly on the Plano Mineiro de Desenvolvimento Integrado (PMDI) 2007-2023 long-term development strategy with an emphasis on broadening reforms. In short, the sectoral assessments are at the heart of the Partnership dialogue and could be used as the foundation for future development of the relationship, especially in areas of technical assistance or future Bank operations with Minas Gerais.
Brazil : Jobs Report, Volume 1. Policy Briefing

(Washington, DC, 2002-12-20) World Bank

This report, conducted jointly by researchers in Brazil and at the World Bank, aims to address the debate on how the Brazilian labor market functions. It does so not by focusing on labor market functioning but on its outcomes. What is central are labor market outcomes, such as adequate employment growth so that job-seekers can find gainful employment, acceptable worker productivity levels that are fairly compensated, and reasonable income security for workers and their households. This report is structured as follows: Chapter 1 argues that labor laws have begun to show signs of obsolescence. Chapter 2 shows this is reflected in deteriorating outcomes. Key indicators--employment growth, labor force participation, unemployment rates, and income security--all point to worsening labor market functioning since the mid-1990s. The report then examines how changed macroeconomic circumstances call for changes in labor market institutions, regulations, and interventions. Using a characterization of the economy in which informality has a central role, Chapter 3 illustrates the correspondence between the three main macroeconomic phenomena of the 1990s--greater openness, stabilization, and fiscal adjustment--and Brazil's labor market priorities. Chapter 4 concludes that the labor market has signaled the shortage of educated workers since the 1990s, and the onus is now on the education and training systems to respond. Analysis of how Brazil's labor market functions in Chapter 5 points to evidence that indicates that Brazil's poorer workers and smaller firms are especially disadvantaged by how the labor market functions. The report identifies three sets of priorities for reform: changes in mandated non-wage benefits and minimum wage setting to price labor correctly and encourage empoloyment growth (Chapter 6), changes in severance legislation and functioning of labor courts to better align incentives and increase productivity (Chapter 7), and improvements in interventions to increase income security for all workers (Chapter 8). Chapter 9 summarizes and highlights the main policy implications. Volume 2 contains in-depth examination of the issues of interest in Brazil and the relevant international experience, on which Chapters 1 through 8 of the first volume are based.
Mexico : Technology, Wages and Employment, Volume 2. Technical Papers

(Washington, DC, 2001-12-13) World Bank

The report examines two components of new technology adoption by Mexican manufacturing firms. First, it questions which firms, under what circumstances, and performance adopt such technology. To measure performance, productivity wages, and net employment of a firm were used, leading to further questions on whether technological change helps workers - of a certain skill level - disproportionately. Second, it argues that adoption of new technologies happens under the right circumstances, and further reviews which are the firms, and circumstances surrounding the choice of technology. The analysis is based on data from the National Survey of Employment, Wages, Technology and Training (ENESTYC), and the National Industrial Survey (EIA) for 1992, 1995, and 1999. Results largely suggest that performance (including statistics, and measures on job creation, and/or job dislocation), is superior with technology adoption, though it does not imply performance increases in all firms. Rather, the effects of technology vary depending on location, and size of enterprise. Nonetheless, investments in human capital - training in conjunction with technology adoption - increases productivity benefits. In addition, the likelihood for new technologies, also varies markedly by time period, and, the complexity of the technology correlates both with the size, and skill levels of a firm's work force. Policy recommendations include widespread technology know-how, facilitating inter-firm linkages, supported by both government financing to encourage a competitive business environment, and by a continued increase in research and development funding, public as well as private funding.
Brazil - Broadening the Base for Growth : A Report on the State of Bahia

(Washington, DC, 2001-10-26) World Bank

Over the last thirty years, Bahia has transformed itself from a somnolent rural economy to the leading manufacturing state of the Northeast. In the process, the state government has developed a reputation as a modernizing, fiscally responsible administration. But problems remain. Growth rates, even since the last recession, have been modest. Poverty remains widespread. The aim of this report is to define ways which the state can take to provide the basis for sustained, broad-based economic growth. Overall, the report is optimistic about Bahia's prospects. The economy is increasingly diversified. New entrants to the labor force, while still under-skilled, are better educated than their forebears. The state's strong fiscal condition gives it room to address gaps in social services. But a less capital-biased growth strategy, combined with 1) federal-level reforms in fiscal policy, labor legislation, and pension regulation; and 2) state-level reforms in the management of social services, would enhance the state's growth prospects and hasten the reduction of poverty.
Mexico : Land Policy--A Decade after the Ejido Reform

(Washington, DC, 2001-06-15) World Bank

This study aims to assess the extent to which reforms have actually been implemented, the impact they have had on the rural population, and the challenges which, as a consequence, need to be addressed by the new administration. This report is organized as follows: Section 1 describes Mexico's rural economy. It reviews the broad context of macro, trade, and sector-level reforms, the strengths and weaknesses of both the productive and socio-economic structure of agriculture and the social sector, highlighting in particular the socio-economic and natural resource characteristics that make the ejido sector central to Mexico's development. Section 2 details the rationale behind the 1992 legal reforms intended to to end almost a century of politically motivated interventions in the internal structure of te ejido and improve the functioning of land and labor markets in the social sector. This section reviews the way reforms were implemented, the procedural safeguards adopted to prevent abuse, and the advances, both in terms of numbers as well as impact, made in implementing them. Section 3 assesses PROCEDE (the National Certifcation Program of Ejido Rights and Urban Lots) and its impact on the functioning of land rental and sales markets, ejidatarios' access to credit, and investment. Section 4 sums up policy recommendations in six key areas, including land policy, completion of PROCEDE, and ensuring the sustainability of the advances made under PROCEDE.
Nicaragua : Pension Reform Proposal

( 2000-04-03) World Bank

The study reviews the current social security system, and its characteristics, analyzing the shortcomings of the Old Age, Disability and Survivor's Insurance (IVM) system, based on a defined benefit Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) scheme, no longer viable, given its low payroll taxes, overly generous benefits, and high rates of evasion, all systemic problems, which combined with institutional, and administrative weaknesses of the Instituto Nicaraguense de Seguridad Social (INSS), caused a cash deficit since 1997, and depletion of its reserves for the immediate future. The report explores long term finances, and the rationale for undertaking a systemic reform with mandatory, and defined contributions, based on individual capitalization accounts. It recommends closing the current PAYG system to new entrants, with the proviso for those aged 45-50, to opt for the new system, granting recognition for their acquired rights. General revenues, payroll taxes, and pension fund reserves, or other possible sources, should finance the transition to the new scheme, to be administered by pension fund managers. Funds should be invested both domestically, and abroad, ensuring diversification of the portfolio, as well as protection from local economic, and political manipulation.
Dominican Republic : Social and Structural Policy Review, Volume 2

(Washington, DC, 2000-03-23) World Bank

The report outlines the macroeconomic stability in the Dominican Republic during the 1990s, suggesting its strong economic growth, and poverty reduction, will contribute to the gradual transformation the country is undergoing towards policy reform. It analyzes poverty, especially severe in rural areas, where misdirected agriculture policies, and insufficient public investments, such as education, limit opportunities. But, the advancing trade liberalization, is expected to reduce export taxes, and although displaced industrial, and agricultural activities will be subjected to adjustment costs, there will nonetheless be improvements in consumers' welfare, and real wages. However, public resources for education remain very low, particularly for secondary education, and this should be considered as key element of the government's poverty reduction strategy, in addition to the establishment of safety nets to curtail malnutrition, and expand health, and sanitation programs, to tackle the extreme poverty. Recommendations suggest, first, to reduce macroeconomic vulnerabilities, through tight fiscal, and monetary policies, and, second, implement reforms, to prod a business environment, and, a strengthened banking sector, through market, and regulatory mechanisms.