Publication: South East Europe Regular Economic Report No. 5 : First Insights into Promoting Shared Prosperity in South East Europe
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2014-04
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2014-04-15
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Long-term economic growth is the key driver for increasing the economic wellbeing of the population, but the pattern and the incidence of growth also matter. Economic growth narrowly based on certain enclave sectors or benefitting small groups is neither socially stable nor sustainable. Along these lines, the World Bank recently revised its institutional strategy, establishing two goals, namely: (i) ending extreme global poverty, the traditional goal of the institution, by reducing the percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day globally to 3 percent by 2030, and (ii) promoting shared prosperity by fostering income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population. Furthermore, as an overarching condition, the World Bank aims to achieve those goals in a way that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable to ensure that welfare of the population is not increased at the expense of future generations or specific groups in society. This paper presents first insights into shared prosperity in SEE6 countries. First, it looks at the incidence of growth in SEE6 in the context of the Europe and Central Asia region to determine whether economic growth knowledge gaps are discussed in the paper. The analysis is limited by the availability of micro-data and thus covers different periods by country, depending on each one's most recent data available. Unless otherwise noted, periods refer to: Albania (2008-2012), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2007), Kosovo (2006-2011), FYR Macedonia (2003-2008), Montenegro (2006-2011) and Serbia (2007-2010).
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“World Bank. 2014. South East Europe Regular Economic Report No. 5 : First Insights into Promoting Shared Prosperity in South East Europe. South East Europe regular economic report;no. 5. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17786 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication South East Europe Regular Economic Report, No. 3(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-12)After two years of fragile recovery from the global recession, as a group the six South East European countries (SEE6) Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia are experiencing a double-dip recession in 2012. Deteriorating external conditions, the impact of the severe winter on economic activity, and a continuing rise in unemployment early in the year took a toll on consumption, investments, and exports. In this fragile environment, Serbia, Albania, and Montenegro in particular will need to persevere in reducing fiscal deficits and bringing down debt, even as they must continue to improve the investment climate and reform labor markets and the public sector. In all SEE6 countries, public sector arrears pose special challenges to fiscal management and the private sector, and there are unfinished, structural reforms agendas. After two years of deep crisis, a sluggish recovery, rising unemployment and poverty, and a continuing recession even with the best efforts on fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, which must continue there is a danger that SEE6 countries are caught in a vicious circle that reinforces the cycle of long-term austerity, low if not negative growth, high debt, and even higher risks of social upheaval. To prevent this outcome, this report argues, SEE6 governments need to redouble their efforts to accelerate fiscal and structural reforms. These countries have largely exhausted their fiscal space and reduced public investment (except Kosovo, an outlier) to a fraction of what is needed to maintain public capital stock in critical infrastructure. Private investment is suppressed by the lack of productive, complementary public investments, slow credit recovery, and depressed domestic demand. External demand is minimal, and exports are not only too few, they are prevented from becoming an immediate, new engine of growth by infrastructure, finance, and other deficiencies. If such accelerated reforms materialize, external support well-coordinated and targeting the region as a whole, not just individual countries from the European Union (EU) and global international financial institutions (IFIs) could help ease the transition to a more sustained growth in medium term. In November 2012, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Bank announced 30 billion in financing for Central and South East European countries over the next two years. In SEE6 countries, this timely initiative would likely be delivered via the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) and other IFI resources. Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) resources will also be important, especially in supporting institutional reform and rural development. By focusing on major infrastructure of regional significance (rail, highways, energy, and gas) and on jobs and small and medium enterprises, the efficiency of investments, growth, and employment could be substantially heightened. However, additional financing for growth and jobs could prove effective only if accompanied by intensified fiscal and structural reforms, especially in the areas of investment climate, labor markets, and governance.Publication South East Europe Regular Economic Report No. 6 : Brittle recovery(Washington, DC, 2014-05)This report covers economic developments, prospects, and policies in six South Eastern European countries (SEE6): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. South East Europe (SEE6)'s economy recovered from the 2012 recession, growing by 2.2 percent on average in 2013. Each of the SEE6 countries marked positive growth rates in 2013, with growth at or exceeding 3 percent in Kosovo, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro. External demand for SEE6 exports, especially by the European Union (EU), was the key driver of the recovery. On the production side, SEE6 drivers of growth were mixed, but in all countries a good agricultural year supported economic activity. An export-led recovery combined with depressed domestic demand resulted in a significant narrowing of current account imbalances in all SEE6 countries. Foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio investment financed most of the current account deficits in SEE6. Overall, SEE6 countries are having limited success in translating the economic recovery into job creation. SEE6 countries reduced their fiscal deficits to 3.8 percent of GDP in 2013 from 4.3 percent of GDP in 2012. The pace of fiscal adjustment and still nascent economic growth were insufficient to reverse public debt dynamics in SEE6. In a low-inflation environment, SEE6 central banks moderately loosened monetary policy. The financial sector remained broadly stable, albeit fragile, in the course of 2013. The SEE region is projected to grow at 1.9 percent in 2014 and 2.6 percent in 2015 on the back of external demand. The positive growth since mid-2013 and the still accommodative monetary conditions of the Euro Area are likely to continue help SEE6 exports to grow, despite notable risks related to the outlook for the Euro Area (related to the slow reform implementation and prolonged period of low inflation or risk of deflation).Publication South East Europe Regular Economic Report, No. 5 : Slow Road to Recovery(Washington, DC, 2013-12-09)The South East Europe (SEE6) region exited from recession in the first half of 2013, supported by a nascent recovery in the Euro area. Industry-especially manufacturing exports and energy drove the recovery. The region experienced a welcome surge in exports in 2013, particularly car exports from Serbia. Unemployment in the region, at about 24 percent on average, began to decline in the first half of 2013 from its peak crisis levels. While employment grew in Albania, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro, it remained depressed in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unemployment in the region, at about 24 percent on average, began to decline in the first half of 2013 from its peak crisis levels. While employment grew in Albania, FYR Macedonia and Montenegro, it remained depressed in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. But even where employment has recovered meaningfully since 2010, the gains were not broad-based and mostly concentrated in services Near-term economic growth will be too weak to support substantial gains in employment. Weak domestic demand depressed imports in all countries but Serbia, where their rise was led by raw materials and parts used in export-oriented industries. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remained sluggish in SEE6, rising only by 0.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), but its share of financing of the current account increased. Remittances continued to be resilient overall, but the Greek crisis began to take its toll, especially on Albania. Foreign banks' deleveraging from SEE6, rising Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) and weak credit growth underpinned the need for vigorous reforms to reduce vulnerabilities in the financial sector. European banks continued to deleverage and reduced their exposure to the SEE6 region. With the aim of improving their resilience and supervisory capacity, the SEE6 countries made some progress in implementing banking reforms over the past year.Publication South East Europe Regular Economic Report, No. 8, Fall 2015(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-09)Economic activity in the six South East European countries (SEE6) is picking up speed, and growth in the region is expected to average 1.8 percent for 2015. The highest growth rates projected are 3.4 percent for Montenegro and 3.2 percent for FYR Macedonia; the lowest is Serbia’s 0.5 percent. Although they trail the rest of the SEE6 region, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were hit heavily by floods in mid-2014, are recovering faster than expected. As 2015 progresses, a recovery in domestic demand is stimulating economic growth throughout the region. Private investment has become the main driver of growth. Developments in the global economy have also helped, especially lower oil prices and a pick-up in demand in the European Union (EU), a major market for the region.Publication South East Europe Regular Economic Report, January 2015 : Coping with Floods, Strengthening Growth(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-01)Coping with Floods, Strengthening Growth, from the South East Europe Regular Economic Report explains that South East Europe s (SEE6) s economy is estimated to have stagnated in 2014 on the back of flood-induced contraction in Serbia and a sharp slowdown in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. The regional economy grew 0.2 percent in 2014, insufficient to improve living standards or to make a dent in the region s high unemployment rate. External demand for SEE6 exports was a key positive contributor to economic growth in 2014 as the region s exports gained market share, despite the weak Eurozone performance and disappointing global recovery. Domestic demand remained subdued because of delayed or reduced public and private investments and weak consumption. Devastating floods in large parts of the region further weighed on the SEE6 economic activity in 2014. The weak regional economic performance masks notable differences among the SEE6 countries. In 2014, the Serbian economy is estimated to have contracted by 2 percent for a third time since the global crisis and Bosnia and Herzegovina is stagnating. Economic growth rates in Kosovo and Montenegro are estimated to have moderated in 2014. Only Albania and FYR Macedonia showed signs of a more sustained recovery on the back of increasing exports, particularly in the second half of the year. The floods were the main culprit behind the weak domestic demand and the overall sluggish economic performance in SEE6. Robust exports only partially offset the SEE6 s weak domestic demand, leaving external imbalances in vulnerability. The average fiscal deficit in SEE6 is estimated to have increased by 0.4 percent of GDP to 4.2 percent in 2014 due to faster growth in expenditures than revenues. The SEE6 region as a whole is projected to grow 1.3 percent in 2015, supported by a slowly recovering external demand, especially in Europe, and stabilization of international energy prices at around current levels.
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