Other ESW Reports

298 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

https://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 - 10 of 72

Transmission Pricing Methodologies for use in the Pan-Arab Electricity Market
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-22) Kamh, Mohamed Zakaria; Alhaddad, Waleed Tayseer; Bowman, Doug
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2017 sets the vision and governance framework for establishing a Pan-Arab Electricity Market (PAEM). The signing of the MOU officially launched a five-stage development plan. The World Bank has engaged with the League of Arab States (LAS) to support establishing the envisaged PAEM and enhance the enabling environment for advancement of trade in the region. In this regard, detailed market rules and a formal transmission pricing regime have not yet been developed for the approval of the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity (AMCE). Few, if any, PAEM countries have unbundled their domestic electricity markets and introduced competition via a fair and open transmission access and pricing regime with multiple buyers and sellers. For this and other reasons, cross-border electricity trade among the countries in the Pan Arab region has been limited, and only 5–7 percent of cross-border interconnection capacity is utilized. Electricity trade in the Pan-Arab region is generally negotiated between governments on a country-to-country basis. Transmission pricing is for the most part ignored (trade takes place only when adequate transmission capacity is available), except in cases when third-party transit/ wheeling is involved, e.g., Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. In such cases, the involved countries enter into a wheeling arrangement for each individual trade, an inefficient and time-consuming process and a deterrent to cross-border electricity trade. Historically, countries have been paid for providing wheeling service, but the pricing formula for wheeling has not been transparent or published. A transparent and uniform approach to pricing third party wheeling transactions is needed to eliminate one of the many barriers to electricity trade in the region. The purpose of this report is twofold: 1. Provide background material on what constitutes mainstream regulatory practice with respect to transmission tariff design to inform and guide the Pan-Arab Advisory and Regulatory Committee (ARC), the Arab Transmission System Operators (TSOs) Committee, and PAEM stakeholders on transmission tariff design as the PAEM evolves. 2. Propose a simple transmission tariff design for pricing wheeling transactions between PAEM members in the near term. The recommended wheeling tariff design is an option among others than can be used by the Pan Arab ARC , when established, in its review and approval of transmission tariffs applied to trade in the PAEM.
Nature-Related Risk Assessment Approaches for the Financial Sector: Applicable Approaches and Implications in East Asia and Pacific
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-12) World , Bank
This paper analyzes several existing approaches and data platforms for assessing nature-related financial risk in the East Asia and Pacific region and examines the current level of disclosure by companies in East Asia and Pacific countries. Chapter 2 discusses how companies and financial institutions can assess their impact on nature using existing approaches, following the TNFD’s LEAP process. Chapter 3 explores specific data related to East Asia and Pacific countries from different platforms. It is noted that in some East Asia and Pacific countries, there are very few publicly listed companies, making it hard to find relevant corporate data. The chapter also highlights the challenges of applying existing approaches to developing economies. Chapter 4 compares sustainability disclosure standards and nature-related risk assessments in various East Asia and Pacific countries and analyzes reports on country-specific risks and companies’ own disclosures. Finally, chapter 5 summarizes the paper’s key findings, discusses its contributions and limitations, and suggests areas for future improvement. It proposes that financial regulators could improve by enhancing the availability of nature-related data, developing material indicators and metrics, instituting sustainability reporting requirements for financial institutions and corporations, supporting academic research to assess nature-related financial risks, and fostering regional cooperation.
The Economic Opportunity for Financial Inclusion of Forcibly Displaced People (FDP) by the Financial Sector in Brazil
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-06-21) International Finance Corporation (IFC)
This study was commissioned by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to identify opportunities that foster the financial inclusion of the community of Forcibly Displaced People (FDP) in Brazil. The study provides concrete business opportunities for the provision of sustainable financial services to refugees and migrants in the country. It also provides recommendations for the financial sector and other stakeholders who aim to serve the FDP community locally. For the study, the term FDP includes both refugees and migrants, from different nationalities, living in Brazil for more than six months. The following analysis and insights are based on a comprehensive market assessment on the current demand and supply of financial and non-financial services for FDP in Brazil. An online survey resulted from 1,070 respondents captured data on the socioeconomic profiles of the FDP population in Brazil, as well as their needs for financial and non-financial services. On the demand side, 20 individual in-depth interviews and 8 focus groups with refugees and migrants mainly from Venezuela, Bolivia, and Haiti were conducted. On the supply side, desk research was conducted, and interviews were held with representatives from 16 Brazilian Financial Service Providers (FSPs), including: large private banks, mid-sized private financial institutions, fintech and digital banks, Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), public financial institutions, and state development agencies. Additional interviews were conducted with international and local organizations that support the FDP population in Brazil. This study provides the necessary inputs to elaborate or improve institutional strategies that recognize the economic opportunity related to the financial inclusion of the FDP community in Brazil. Realistic business cases illustrate the additional market potential and strategic opportunities for FSPs.
The Evolution, Practice and Impact of Participatory Budgeting in Kenya: The Kenya Accountable Devolution Program
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-15) World Bank
Citizen engagement is critical to achieving an effective devolution process. The success of devolution in delivering good quality services in Kenya is inextricably linked to the extent to which counties provide their citizens with adequate information on budgets and service delivery performance, empower them to participate and contribute to decision-making, and are held accountable. For a decade, counties in Kenya have been translating into action the legal principles on transparency, accountability, and public participation as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Although this has not been an easy task, counties have made notable progress, establishing systems, structures, processes, and practices for meaningful citizen engagement. One of the innovative practices adopted is participatory budgeting. With training and technical assistance from the World Bank through the Kenya Accountable Devolution Program (KADP), several counties have been implementing participatory budgeting since 2015 as an approach to achieving more inclusive and effective government.
Double Trouble? Assessing Climate Physical and Transition Risks for the Moroccan Banking Sector
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-11) World Bank
There is growing awareness globally about the potential impacts of climate change on financial stability. Climate-related financial risks can be broadly grouped into two categories: (i) climate physical risks, which are financial risks stemming from the gradual and abrupt impacts of climate change (primarily droughts and floods in the case of Morocco, as highlighted by the ongoing severe drought event and recent floods), and (ii) climate transition risks, which are financial risks that can result from the transition to a low-carbon economy, for example, due to changes in climate policy, technology, or market sentiment. The purpose of this report is to better understand the impact of these climate risks on Morocco’s banking sector. This includes understanding the banking sector’s exposure to sectors and regions that are vulnerable to climate physical and transition risks, as well as a quantification of climate impacts on banks’ balance sheets under different scenarios. This report also takes stock of the Moroccan banking sector’s current risk management practices and the supervisory response to climate-related financial risks.
Integrity Compliance Programs for SMEs: Practical Guidance and Resources
(Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea, 2024-03-11) Ministry of Justice, Republic of Korea; World Bank
Small and medium-sized enterprises, or “SMEs,” play a major role in global economic development. This Guide aims to provide SMEs with a useful framework for developing effective Integrity Compliance Programs, or “ICPs,” tailored to their own business models, budgets, and risk profiles. It distills prevailing best practices and guidelines from leading national and international institutions. Many SMEs worldwide have collaborated with the World Bank Integrity Compliance Office, or “ICO,” to develop creative strategies for devising and implementing ICPs, mitigating the risk of misconduct in their operations, and even more broadly, among their business networks. This Guide describes some of these strategies. It is hoped that this Guide, which explains certain core principles, internal controls, and essential elements of ICPs, will be of real, practical value for SMEs seeking to build a culture of integrity in their businesses and communities.
Partnering with the World Bank through Trust Funds and Umbrella 2.0 Programs: A Guide for Development Partners
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-02-14) World Bank
This Guide provides a brief overview of World Bank Trust Funds—what they are, what they fund, and the operating environment in which they are managed. It also describes the Umbrella 2.0 Program, an approach to organizing and managing trust funds for greater development impact. In addition, it highlights and provides links to key policies underpinning implementation of activities carried out by the World Bank or by recipients of its funds—policies that apply equally to activities funded by trust fund contributions.
The Effects of Matching Grants on Technology Startups: The Case of Korea’s TIPS
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-01-22) World Bank
This report investigates the case of a Korean public-private matching grant program called the Tech Incubator Program for Startup (TIPS). Launched in 2013, the program provides a package of support to selected startups, including matching grant for research and development (R and D) and mentorship, for up to three years. After ten years in operation, TIPS is particularly well suited to answer the question of whether public funding can help startups innovate and subsequently improve their performance. Using a dataset that includes 1,650 startups that applied for TIPS between 2013 and 2020, this research analyzes the effects of TIPS on recipients’ performance and offers empirical evidence to inform entrepreneurship policy. The results show that TIPS positively affected startup performance one year after selection in terms of innovation input and output, although it did not have a significant effect on revenue or research collaboration activities. The report concludes with five lessons derived from Korea’s policy experience in designing and implementing TIPS: (i) a well-designed coordination mechanism may serve as a viable public-private partnership model for fostering innovative startups, (ii) a co-investment model can crowd in private investment and achieve a multiplier effect by reducing the risk of investment in early-stage startups, (iii) complementary supports that target different stages of the startup lifecycle are needed, (iv) patient capital and continuity in entrepreneurial policy with a long-term view are key to nurturing a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, and (v) constant engagement with beneficiaries through data collection and monitoring enables the development of a dynamic monitoring and evaluation mechanism.
Establishing Efficient and Effective Insurance Guarantee Schemes
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-12-14) World Bank
A well-developed efficient insurance sector plays an important role in any economy. This role is supported by effective regulation and supervision with the aim of having a sound insurance sector that is growing, offering adequate covers, contributing to employment and investment, ensuring reduced exposure to poverty, and increasing shared prosperity. These objectives go beyond merely protecting the interests of policyholders. They recognize that the insurance sector plays a much larger role in the economy, even for those who are not policyholders or beneficiaries. Failure of insurers can undermine these objectives. Failure events might best be defined broadly and from a consumer perspective rather than through a literal analysis of a legal definition. It is clear that such events could have an adverse impact on both the policyholders and beneficiaries directly involved as well as the broader market. As a result, the insurance sector maintains a high level of resilient providers with a well-developed system catering to orderly resolution. It is also noted that politics can add to the challenges of managing an insurer failure. Media and local politics can lead to significant pressure either regionally or nationally. While the normal activity of dealing with a crisis event is drawing heavily on the resources of the supervisory authorities, this additional layer of activity is usually not trivial. In some situations, political engagement is needed to secure the necessary mechanisms for resolution. Given the variety of actual situations that arise, it is often the case that politicians need to be engaged in the solution.
Unlocking the Potential of Women and Adolescent Girls in Madagascar - Challenges and Opportunities in Increasing Women’s and Girls’ Economic Empowerment: Cahier 3
(Washington, DC, 2023-10-04) World Bank
This thematic note is part of a broader mixed-method study on gender inequalities in Madagascar, which intends to illustrate the key gender gaps in the country and shed light on the unique challenges that young Malagasy women face in their educational, professional, and family trajectories. Due to the persistence of financial, social, and institutional barriers, Malagasy women and girls encounter significant disadvantages across all dimensions of well-being and are unable to access opportunities in an equal manner with men and boys in the country. They are largely constrained in their ability to accumulate human capital in education and health, and to participate in economic opportunities; and they face severe limitations in agency and decision-making, particularly with respect to family formation. Women and girls also appear to be disproportionally affected by the impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, which further widen preexisting gender gaps and amplify vulnerability to poverty, violence, and discrimination. This thematic note provides in-depth insights into the status of women and girls’ economic opportunities in Madagascar and proposes several strategic lines of action to enhance women’s economic empowerment. This note is accompanied by the overview of all study findings and three thematic notes that present in-depth insights in the following key dimensions: education, health, and agency.