Publication: Swaziland : Reducing Poverty Through Shared Growth
Loading...
Date
2000-01-12
ISSN
Published
2000-01-12
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
The people of Swaziland are its greatest resource. Yet, social and economic indicators of household welfare converge to confirm fundamental inequalities in access to incomes and assets, and the existence of significant poverty and deprivation. Furthermore, as the regional economic and social climate is transformed, the fragile gains of the past are being fast eroded. At this historic juncture, the Swazi poor need to come to the fore of the public policy framework. There is an urgent need to catalyze a new pattern of pro-poor development in Swaziland where the poor participate and share fully in growth, human development, and social protection. The report calls for prioritizing the following actions: 1) enabling the growth of smallholder agriculture, 2) ensuring effective human development investments, 3) insuring the poor against major risks, and 4) strengthening institutions to increase the poverty impact of policies. The achievement of all these will require fundamental change across sectors and leadership to carry forward the change.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2000. Swaziland : Reducing Poverty Through Shared Growth. Public expenditure review (PER);. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/15107 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Growth, Distribution, and Poverty in Africa : Messages from the 1990s(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2002)This book synthesizes, and elaborates on the results of a series of country studies, completed under the Poverty Dynamics in Africa Initiative, organized by the Africa Region of the Bank. These studies made use of vastly improved household survey data, which have enhanced understanding of African poverty dynamics during the past decade. The book examines the main factors behind observed poverty changes in eight countries - Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. After reviewing the trends in income poverty and other, more direct measures of well-being (such as education, health, and nutrition), the authors go beyond the aggregate numbers, and highlight the insights to be gained from unraveling the microeconomic data. These data reveal systematic distributional effects, linking growth and poverty, which lead to some groups' gaining from episodes of economic growth, and others being left behind. It further describes those groups left behind, and calls for public action to ensure that all poor Africans gain from future economic growth.Publication Making the New Indonesia Work for the Poor(Washington, DC, 2006-11)Indonesia stands at the threshold of a new era and at an important juncture of its history. After the historic economic, political and social upheavals at the end of the 1990s, Indonesia has started to regain its footing. The country has largely recovered from the economic and financial crisis that threw millions of its citizens back into poverty in 1998 and saw it regress to a low-income status. Recently, it has once again crossed the threshold, making it one of the world's emergent middle-income countries. Likewise, poverty rates that increased by over one-third during the crisis fell back to pre-crisis levels in 2005, despite rising somewhat in 2006 largely driven by hefty rice price increases in late 2005 and early 2006. Meanwhile, politically and socially Indonesia has seen some major transformations: it is now a country with a vibrant emergent democracy, a newly decentralized government, and far greater social openness and public debate. The purpose of this report is to identify the nature and key constraints to poverty reduction in today's Indonesia and to provide concrete recommendations on how Indonesia can move forward to achieve its poverty reduction objectives. It aims to contribute to the policy debate and decision-making process in Indonesia by putting forth: (i) new and more comprehensive analysis of empirical poverty diagnostics; and (ii) suggestions on concrete policies and programs for a strategic action-plan to achieve Indonesia's stated poverty-reduction objectives. This report lays out how Indonesia can better align policies and programs to achieve the key poverty indicators in which Indonesia is lagging and that are identified by planning documents such as the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction (SNPK) and Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJM).Publication Poverty Reduction in Egypt : Diagnosis and Strategy, Volume 1. Main Report(Washington, DC, 2002-06-29)The report, the first in an ongoing program, presents the results of a statistical analysis of household-level data for the periods 1995/1996, and 1999/2000, as a contribution to the preparation of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy in Egypt. Despite considerable progress towards improving some of the non-income dimensions of poverty, more needs to be done to ease poverty. The main findings suggest a changing picture of poverty in the country, where poverty patterns changed from the urban-rural divide that had characterized the past, to a geographical/regional pattern, highlighting the lack of education as the strongest correlate of poverty. Statistics show that while inequality rose slightly for Egypt as a whole, the level was still comparable to other middle income countries; unemployment was high in urban areas; and, gender differences in poverty were small at an overall level, but were significant across regions, particularly in rural areas. Given the changing, complex picture of poverty in Egypt, a poverty reduction strategy will have to be comprehensive, yet flexible, hence, the report suggests a more sustainable growth in jobs, productivity, and incomes for the poorest; improved educational opportunities both for men, and women; reversal of growing, regional disparities in incomes, opportunities, and services; and, provision of safety nets that protect the most vulnerable.Publication Repbulic of Chad Poverty Notes : Dynamics of Poverty and Inequality following the Rise of the Oil Sector(Washington, DC, 2013-09)Chad's chronically unstable security situation has long undermined broad-based economic growth and sustainable poverty reduction. Since independence in 1960 Chad has suffered from sporadic political violence and ongoing tensions between different factions. The country's fragile security has been further compromised by interference from neighboring states and spillover effects from regional conflicts. However, after rebel attacks in 2008 and 2009, and following the recent conclusion of a peace agreement between Chad and Sudan, the security situation in the country has remained relatively calm, presenting a valuable window of opportunity for development efforts to take root. The objective of this Poverty Note is to examine changes in poverty and inequality in Chad since the emergence of the oil sector. It will focus on the evolution of poverty indicators from the 2003 pre-oil baseline captured in the Chadian Household Consumption and Informal Sector Survey, or ECOSIT2 to the more recent findings of the 2011 ECOSIT3 and compare current monetary and nonmonetary poverty conditions in Chad with those of comparable countries. It will go on to assess the impact of oil production on the non-oil sectors of the Chadian economy. Finally, it will evaluate the extent to which public expenditures in the social sectors benefit the poor by analyzing the progressivity of social spending.Publication Nepal : Public Expenditure Review, Volume 3. Social Sectors(Washington, DC, 2000-03-31)The report is an overview of Nepal's economic development, comprising five volumes, which include the main report, followed by reviews on agricultural and rural development, on the social sectors, and, the transport sector. Although development progress is noteworthy in many areas, considerable evidence of improper resource spending exist, thus, the main objective of this report is to identify the incentives, and institutional factors that contributed to this spending, and propose recommendations. Systemic factors have consistently hindered implementation, and development results, such as deficient budget planning, resource allocation, and expenditure management, coupled with the lack of ownership of projects, and programs which contributed to poor performance. Institutional weakness, and governance issues remain the most critical aspects affecting effectiveness of public spending across sectors in Nepal. The report suggests that traditional budget reforms alone, will not be effective to improve public resource management, rather, changes in the political environment, and institutional capacity are required, prior to the much needed reforms. Given the fiscal constraints, the government should promote private participation to undertake economic activities, and, further enhance and promote, public involvement in social sectors development, and greater local ownership of public expenditure programs.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Mexico Poverty and Equity Assessment(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-02-20)This Mexico Poverty and Equity Assessment reviews the evidence about poverty and equity in Mexico over the last two decades, compares it to comparable international experience, and identifies a set of critical areas of policy intervention to answer the opening question. The report aims at contributing to an open conversation in Mexico about how to achieve this essential policy objective. This report postulates three main policy areas needed for poverty eradication in Mexico: inclusive growth, efficient social policy, and infrastructure to confront vulnerability. The report includes four sections, the first three of which collect evidence about poverty, social deprivations, and vulnerability and how the evolution of these three correlates to patterns of economic growth, social protection policy and territorial development. The fourth section provides some quantitative benchmarks of what it would take to eradicate extreme poverty in Mexico. Poverty in Mexico is defined not only in monetary terms, but also in a multidimensional manner that includes social deprivations. These are social deprivations that often define formal-vs-informal employment, so policy changes that close these carencias, as they are called in Mexico, will also reduce the informality gap. This report documents the evolution of poverty, social deprivations, and vulnerability to poverty. It explains the main forces that have driven this evolution and advises that many of these forces may not operate the same in the future as they did in the past. It provides the basis to argue that short to medium term extreme poverty eradication requires newer policy actions in terms of inclusive growth, more efficient social policy, and investments in physical and social infrastructure to reduce vulnerability. The report indicates that short to medium term eradication to extreme poverty is a major, but within reach, development challenge for Mexico.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Financing Firm Growth(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-13)Well-functioning capital markets can foster economic growth and allocate resources efficiently. Firms can tap into a broader funding base by issuing debt and equity in capital markets, often at cheaper rates and longer tenors than through other sources of external finance, such as banks. However, capital markets in low- and middle-income countries have lagged those in high-income countries. Accordingly, the firms in those countries have more often relied on bank financing or retained earnings to fund investment and expansion, and they have experienced greater financial constraints than their counterparts in high-income countries. Financing Firm Growth: The Role of Capital Markets in Low- and Middle-Income Countries shows that the gap in capital market financing between low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries has narrowed, with resulting benefits for both the firms accessing those markets and for the countries in which they operate. The analysis reveals greater participation by firms from low- and middle-income countries in capital markets since the 2000s. Most of these firms are new participants in capital markets, and they tend to be smaller, younger, and more productive than those already participating. Firms are deploying capital raised in markets to become more productive—investing in physical assets, hiring more workers, and expanding operations, spurring growth both at the firm level and within their economies. To reach these findings, the analysis used a novel database of the universe of bond and equity issuances from companies between 1990 and 2022. The insights leverage data from nearly 80,000 firms worldwide, focusing on how 20,000 firms across 106 low- and middle-income countries access and use capital market financing. --- “Financing Firm Growth is a groundbreaking exploration that delves into the vital role that capital markets play in driving business expansion in low- and middle-income countries. Backed by data from 80,000 firms across 147 economies, the authors explore the factors underlying capital market growth and its benefits for economies and firms at all levels of development. This book is a must-read for investors, policy makers, and economists shaping the future of global finance.” — Laura Alfaro, Warren Alpert Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business SchoolPublication The Mexican Social Protection System in Health(World Bank, Washington DC, 2013-01)With a population of 113 million and a per-capita Gross Domestic Product, or GDP of US$10,064 (current U.S. dollars), Mexico is one of the largest and highest-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The country has benefited from sustained economic growth during the last decade, which was temporarily interrupted by the financial and economic crisis. Real GDP is projected to grow 3.8 percent and 3.6 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively (International Monetary Fund, or IMF 2012). Despite this growth, poverty in the country remains high; with half of the population living below the national poverty line. The country is also highly heterogeneous, with large socioeconomic differences across states and across urban and rural areas. In 2010, while the extreme poverty ratio in the Federal District and the states of Colima and Nuevo Leon was below 3 percent, in Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca it was 25 percent or higher. These large regional differences are also found in other indicators of well-being, such as years of schooling, housing conditions, and access to social services. This case study assesses key features and achievements of the Social Protection System in Health (Sistema de Proteccion Social en Salud) in Mexico, and particularly of its main pillar, Popular Health Insurance (Seguro Popular, PHI). It analyzes the contribution of this policy to the establishment and implementation of universal health coverage in Mexico. In 2003, with the reform of the General Health Law, the PHI was institutionalized as a subsidized health insurance scheme open to the population not covered by the social security schemes. Today, the PHI covers all of its intended affiliates, about 52 million people