Publication: Guinea-Bissau - Cashew and Beyond : Diversification Through Trade
Date
2010-05-01
ISSN
Published
2010-05-01
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Guinea-Bissau is highly dependent on
international trade even when compared to other nations of
its size and income level. However, it is equally clear that
the country could derive far more benefit from its
international trade opportunities than it does at the
present time. This study examines how to do this, looking
not only at trade policy, the investment climate, and
infrastructure, but also five key sectors where specific
opportunities exist. There are three recommendations which
stand out as having a particularly important and pervasive
effect on trade and its potential role in raising incomes
and reducing poverty. Indeed, they can be regarded as
preconditions for significant progress. It is of primary
importance that the job of formulating and implementing
economic policy be put on a more stable and long term basis
The extreme instability in Guinea-Bissau's government
has meant that cabinet ministers and lower officials change
on an annual or even more frequent basis. This situation
makes long term planning and sustained implementation
virtually impossible and the formulation of coherent policy
equally difficult. To these, one might add the illegal drug
trade which can undermine the best economic policies through
an escalation of crime, corruption and addiction, as already
observed in some other countries. However, this important
issue has not been addressed in this report.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2010. Guinea-Bissau - Cashew and Beyond : Diversification Through Trade. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2869 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”