World Bank Working Papers
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Options to Increase Access to Telecommunications Services in Rural and Low-Income Areas
by Arturo Muente-Kunigami
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Telecommunications sector policy-makers and regulators have a wide range of instruments available to them that can be used to increase access to telecommunications services in rural and low-income areas. The paper provides a review of these instruments, evaluating them against a set of criteria. It then goes on to identify a number of them that are worthy of further consideration by policy-makers and regulators while demonstrating that the effectiveness of the identified instruments can be greatly enhanced by the establishment of a conducive legal, regulatory and institutional framework. The paper concludes by confirming that while no single instrument taken in isolation can provide a full solution to universal access, a mix of the measures identified can be devised to achieve specific policy objectives in a particular country environment.
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Petroleum Exploration and Production Rights
Allocation Strategies And Design Issues
by Silvana Tordo
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Many governments rely on oil companies to efficiently exploit natural resources. Governments have the challenging task of deciding which companies should be awarded exclusive rights to explore, develop, and produce their petroleum resources, and on what conditions such rights should be awarded. This paper analyzes the available evidence on the advantages and disadvantages of various systems used by petroleum-producing countries to allocate petroleum exploration, development, and production rights, and considers the policy implications of each system. The experience of six petroleum-producing countries is presented in detail, and numerous other examples are provided to derive lessons of wider applicability. The paper presents various conclusions for policy makers about the optimal design of allocation systems.
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Enhancing Regional Trade Integration in Southeast Europe
by Borko Handjiski
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
The countries of the Southeast Europe region have the common objective of joining the European Union (EU). To achieve this goal, these countries have pursued closer integration with the EU and with each other, including signing the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). CEFTA aims to fully liberalize trade in the region and work toward greater cooperation in a number of trade-related areas, such as investment, services, public procurement, and intellectual property rights. This paper aims to help policy makers in Southeast Europe assess the impact of the recently introduced trade policy measures, and proposes actions that could complement these measures and help achieve greater regional trade integration. The paper considers intra-regional trade flows and the remaining nontariff barriers to trade, the benefits of allowing free movement of skilled labor in the region, and how adopting the EU's Common External Tariff could prevent trade diversion.
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The U.S.-Honduras Remittance Corridor
Acting On Opportunities To Increase Financial Inclusion And Foster Development Of A Transnational Ec
by Isaku Endo
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
This paper provides an overview of remittances and migration between Honduras and the United States and analyzes the remittance regulatory and market environment, including financial inclusion strategies, transnational economic activities, and the impact of remittances on the Honduran economy. 'The U.S.-Honduras Remittance Corridor' makes policy recommendations to the authorities of Honduras and the United States, especially for regulatory reforms that promote the integrity and efficiency of money transfer businesses. We also recommend the development of financial infrastructures in rural areas for better distribution of remittances. Furthermore, we suggest that public policy should be more focused on building an environment for investment in the community and developing local businesses that export to Honduran communities abroad.
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Strengthening the Education Sector Response to HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean
by World Bank
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
The Caribbean Region is second only to Africa in the impact of HIV and AIDS. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has responded to this challenge by promoting a multisectoral response to the epidemic. UNESCO has provided regional leadership in strengthening the education sector component of this response. In 2005, UNESCO launched, with CARICOM and the World Bank, a regioinal dialogue involving representatives of Ministries of Education, national HIV and AIDS coordinating councils, development partners, and regional institutions providing leadership in the HIV response, which led to the development and endorsement of a regional Proposal for Action: Accelerating the Education Sector Response to HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean Region. In June 2006, Ministers of Education and representatives of National AIDS AUthorities met in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, under the auspices of the CARICOM Council on Human and Social Development, and agreed to promote education sector leadership in addressing HIV and AIDS and to create a supportive policy and financial environment at national and regional levels. This report describes the development of these regional processes and how they have led to a stronger education sector response at the regional level. It also focuses on developments in three countries (Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia) as examples of how this regional effort translates into action at the national level.
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Challenges To Linking Remittances To The Use Of Formal Services
by Isaku Endo
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
This report, Remittance Corridors to Uganda: United Kingdom, United States, and South Africa, analyzes and compares three bilateral remittance corridors. The comparison highlights similarities and differences and the significance of the remittance-sending countries to Uganda in terms of volume, corridor formality, risks, and vulnerability to money laundering. It also describes Uganda as a remittance-receiving country and outlines the remittance flows, market players, distribution network, access and usage of remittance, regulatory framework, and measures taken toward anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). The issues and challenges faced by Uganda are identified and policy recommendations are made for both Uganda and remittance-sending countries.
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Public Investment Management in the New EU Member States
Strengthening Planning And Implementation Of Transport Infrastructure Investments
by Thomas Laursen
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
This paper describes the characteristics of public investment management (PIM) in seven EU countries as it applies to a single sector-transport infrastructure. The report highlights some of the common challenges that four relatively new EU member states-Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Latvia-face as they plan and execute their transport infrastructure projects. It recognizes the importance that EU-mandated processes and procedures have in shaping national systems in the new member states (NMS), but the report finds that actual practices often fall short of EU goals due to capacity constraints, weak institutional structures, and other factors. The experiences of the NMS are compared with those of more developed economies (namely Spain, the UK, and Ireland) to assess whether the later countries have faced similar challenges in managing public investment, and if so, what measures they have adopted to overcome them. This comparative analysis serves to draw out several good practice examples that are relevant for all countries. How those practices are applied in each country is a matter for further study, as each country considers its own political culture and administrative tradition. This paper is a first step toward building dialogue among public finance practitioners in Central and Eastern Europe on how to make public investment projects more effective and efficient over the long term.
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Residential Electricity Subsidies in Mexico
Exploring Options For Reform And For Enhancing The Impact On The Poor
by Kristin Komives
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Large and growing subsidies to residential consumers in Mexico have become a major policy concern. This report explains the growth of subsidies, the current distribution of subsidies across income classes, and uses utility and household survey data to simulate how alternative subsidy mechanisms could improve distributional and fiscal performance. The goal is to help inform discussion in Mexico about how to reduce subsidies and redirect them toward the poor. The findings also offer lessons for other countries that are planning tariff reforms in their electricity sectors.
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Sustainability of Pension Systems in the New EU Member States and Croatia
Coping With Aging Challenges And Fiscal Pressures
by Leszek Kasek
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
This study finds that pension reforms in recent years have improved the efficiency and sustainability of pension systems in the new member states of the European Union and Croatia. However, for many countries, these probably have not gone far enough to ensure long-term sustainability, given the aging of the population. Reforms have included changes to Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) systems, including increases in retirement ages (not at least for women), new benefit formulas, and new indexation mechanism. Some countries (Latvia and Poland) have further strengthened the link of contributions and benefits to the sustainability of the PAYG system through the introduction of national defined contribution accounts. The link is strengthened also by moving to a point system, which has been adopted by many of the countries. Several countries have introduced a second, private, pension pillar, funded through diversion of part of the pension contributions, thereby diversifying risk. However, some countries (in particular the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Romania) will need to do more to safeguard the long-term viability of their pension systems, while others face challenges to ensure equitable pension systems and adequate living standards for all elderly people.
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Migrant Remittance Flows
Findings From A Global Survey Of Central Banks
by Jacqueline Irving
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Drawing on the findings from responses to a survey conducted in 2008–09 from 114 central banks worldwide (of which 33 are in Africa), this paper aims to better understand how central banks and other national institutions regulate and collect data and other information on cross-border remittance flows. Findings indicate that, although the vast majority of countries, in both sending and receiving countries, collect data on remittances, and 43 percent of receiving countries estimate informal remittances, there is a need for more frequent and better coordinated data collection, both across national institutions and among different divisions within the same national institution, as well as between countries. Survey results also indicate that many new market entrants' transfer activities are unregulated. Countries must take into account new channels and technologies, such as mobile phone service providers, in monitoring remittance flows. It will be important for national regulatory authorities to work closely with mobile telecoms network operators to strike the right regulatory balance, to better understand these new channels' associated risks and fully tap their potential for fostering inexpensive, efficient remittance transfer services. The high cost of transfers was cited in the survey as the top factor inhibiting migrants from using formal channels. Many countries, particularly in Africa, have made progress in rendering exclusivity contracts illegal, which helps increase competitiveness and reduce transfer costs. But further policy reforms and initiatives are needed to address the high costs of remittances. The joint African Development Bank-World Bank Africa Migration Project and G-8 Global Remittances Working Group provided partial funding support for this study.
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Investment Matters
The Role And Patterns Of Investment In Southeast Europe
by Borko Handjiski
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
The purpose of this book is to provide policy insights to decision-makers, academics and researchers on investment flows and patterns in Southeast Europe. The report explores some of the determinants of private investment, such as: the financing sources for investment, the contribution of FDI and the role of public investment. It finds that investment rates in Southeast Europe are substantially lower than among the EU-8 and the fast growing East Asian economies, which could explain partly the slower economic growth in Southeast Europe.
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Alternative Remittance Systems and Terrorism Financing
Issues In Risk Management
by Matteo Vaccani
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Combating Terrorism Financing Through Effective Risk Management of Alternative Remittance Systems
In today's interconnected world, alternative remittance systems (ARS) play a crucial role in facilitating financial transactions, particularly in developing economies. However, these systems can also be vulnerable to abuse by terrorist financiers. This working paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the risks associated with ARS and offers practical strategies for mitigating these risks.
This paper is for government officials, financial regulators, and law enforcement agencies seeking to strengthen their counter-terrorism financing efforts. It offers insights into:
- Understanding the anatomy of ARS and their vulnerabilities.
- Developing effective risk mitigation measures.
- Balancing security concerns with the need to maintain financial inclusion.
- Improving international cooperation in combating terrorist financing.
Gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in regulating ARS and protecting financial systems from abuse.
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Restoring Balance
Bangladesh's Rural Energy Realities
by M. Asaduzzaman
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Empowering Rural Bangladesh Through Sustainable Energy SolutionsRestoring Balance: Bangladesh's Rural Energy Realities examines the critical role of energy in the economic and social development of rural Bangladesh. This study highlights the challenges faced by rural communities, including limited access to electricity, reliance on unsustainable biomass, and the health risks associated with indoor air pollution.
Discover how access to modern energy services can transform rural livelihoods, improve education, and empower women. This report offers valuable insights and policy recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and development practitioners seeking to promote sustainable energy solutions and reduce poverty in Bangladesh and similar developing countries. Learn how strategic interventions can unlock the potential of rural communities and create a brighter future for all.
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The Media and Development
What's The Story?
by Gareth Locksley
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
The media's contribution to development occurs simultaneously along five closely intermingled influences: plurality and transparency, behavioral, infrastructure and platform, economic, and trade. The media are at the cutting edge of technological change, where the digitalization of content, Next Generation Networks, falling device and distribution costs, ever-increasing abundance and new business models are overturning the pre-existing order of markets and the media, though broadcasting, particularly radio, remain crucial in developing countries. This offers new development opportunities requiring new policy initiatives, and the realization of this by the development community. In many instances the media has yet to attain its appropriate status on the list of development priorities.
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In Search of Land and Housing in the New South Africa
The Case Of Ethembalethu
by Stephen Berrisford
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
This study outlines the difficulties poor communities face in accessing peri-urban land in South Africa that could have implications and lessons for similar communities in other countries facing spatial segregation issues. 'In Search of Land and Housing in the New South Africa' focused on one community, composed largely of laid-off farm workers that wanted to buy their own farm in a peri-urban area west of Johannesburg. Their dream was to establish a mixed-use settlement. They wanted to call the village Ethambalethu-'Our Hope.' About 250 families started their own association and savings scheme to make their dream a reality. By 1997, they had saved enough money to make their first purchase offer. A decade later, the community's dream is still not a reality. The families have faced numerous obstacles: two cancelled sale agreements, wrongful arrest, being sued in court, an out-of-court settlement for which community members were paid to not move into the white neighborhood, and large sums of their own money spent on consultants and environmental impact studies. In an agreement with the Mogale City Municipality, where the land is located, the community now has at least a confirmed right to occupy the land. But it does not yet legally own the land, and is still trying to get permission to build on and work the land. The case of Ethembalethu is not unique. Millions of black South Africans live in peri-urban areas. Yet, government programs, development planning and environmental regulations, and the current land and housing markets do not support realization of their aspirations to become homeowners on sites of their choice.
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Accelerating Clean Energy Technology Research, Development, and Deployment
Lessons From Non-energy Sectors
by Patrick Avato
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Climate change is one of the key challenges of this century. At the same time, energy use-the primary source of climate-altering global greenhouse gas emissions-is increasing at unprecedented rates and is vital to the continued economic growth of developing countries. This poses a serious dilemma that can only be reconciled with new and improved clean energy technologies that balance climate change mitigation and increased energy needs in developing countries. Despite a recent increase in investment, public and private research, development, and deployment (RD&D) funding rates are well below historical levels. In addition, significant barriers impede the ability to develop new technologies, such as the uncertain future value of CO2 emissions, intellectual property rights issues, limited incentives to commercialize technologies for developing countries, and challenges with technology transfer. These factors must be overcome to accelerate innovation in the energy sector. To introduce new thinking to address these concerns, this report examines four cases from outside the energy sector where creative approaches to RD&D have successfully overcome similar barriers. The case studies review approaches to innovation by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, Advanced Market Commitments for Vaccines, the Human Genome Project, and the concept of Distributed Innovation. These case studies show how creative efforts can generate valuable public goods via: (i) international partnerships between public and private actors, (ii) information sharing and intellectual property rights, and (iii) novel financing schemes.
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Governance of Technical Education in India
Key Issues, Principles, And Case Studies
by Various Authors
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Reforming India's Technical Education System: Key Issues and Global InsightsIndia's technical education system is vast and complex, demanding significant reforms. This working paper, stemming from a recent Learning Forum, presents a nine-point agenda for achieving good governance, a critical element for successful reform implementation.
Delve into case studies from five Indian state governments and international examples, exploring the trade-offs, challenges, and experiences in balancing institutional autonomy with governmental oversight. Discover how to direct strategic economic development and enhance participation in higher education. This insightful resource is for policymakers, institutional leaders, and researchers seeking to navigate the complexities of higher education reform in India and beyond.
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Rural Informatization in China
by Christina Zhen-Wei Qiang
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
China's recent economic growth has expanded industrialization and urbanization, upgraded consumption, increased social mobility, and initiated a shift from an agricultural-based economy to one based on services and industry. However, more than half of China's population still lives in rural areas, where the average per capital income is less than a third of the urban average. The government of China has increased its commitment to rural development and poverty-reduction programs, with attention to narrowing the rural-urban divide. Informatization-defined as the transformation of an economy and society driven by information and communications technology (ICT)-is increasingly being explored as a way of helping poor people. Rural Informatization in China presents an overview and in-depth analysis of rural ICT initiatives in China. This study reviews the present-day status of China's rural informatization infrastructure, examines and summarizes by organizational model the key initiatives in the past decade, and provides policy recommendations to address current challenges. Case studies of different financing models of rural ICT initiatives from China and other countries are included.
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New Technologies, New Risks?
Innovation And Countering The Financing Of Terrorism
by Andrew Zerzan
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
Navigating the murky waters of financial innovation and terrorist financing. This World Bank Working Paper explores the intersection of new technologies and the financing of terrorism, offering insights for policymakers and financial institutions.
The paper examines value cards, mobile financial services, online banking, and digital currencies, outlining their functionalities, analyzing their inherent risks, and identifying mitigation strategies. It addresses the critical need to balance innovation with security, ensuring that laws and regulations protect market integrity while fostering economic development. Discover how governments and providers are working to reduce the attractiveness of these technologies to financiers of terrorism and what steps can be taken to promote a safer financial landscape. This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand and address the evolving challenges at the intersection of technology and global security.
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Public Expenditure Policies in Southeast Europe
by Various Authors
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
The countries of Southeast Europe have undergone a significant transition over the past decade. Helped by macroeconomic stabilization and efforts in advancing structural reforms, real GDP growth has picked up this century. Fiscal adjustment has been an integral part of the transition. Expenditure cuts have helped trim spending relative to GDP in most countries in the region and cut fiscal deficits everywhere except in Serbia. Progress in fiscal consolidation has been substantial, but in several of the countries the government's presence in the economy remains oversized. Costs related to advancing EU integration and completing reforms are expected to generate further pressures for public spending. Creating the fiscal space for addressing such pressures would require a further reduction in existing spending, given that there is still scope for increasing tax rates. The report identifies key remaining challenges and proposes a menu of options in further reforms in sectors that account for the largest shares of public spending, and where reforms are likely to have significant budgetary implications. The sectors discussed in the report are social protection, health, education, public administration, and infrastructure.
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Private Health Sector Assessment in Kenya
by Jeff Barnes
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
A comprehensive analysis of Kenya's private health sector and policy recommendations. This World Bank Working Paper examines the Kenyan health sector, focusing on the private sector's role in improving access and quality of care. It synthesizes an assessment of the health sector with an analysis of the market, considering the legal and regulatory framework, policy enforcement, human resource capacity, and financing.
The report identifies key challenges and opportunities for public-private partnerships, offering strategic recommendations for policymakers, healthcare providers, and development partners. It explores health financing, quality of care, and the distribution of health products, providing insights for a more effective and equitable health system in Kenya. This report is for policymakers, healthcare providers, researchers, and development partners interested in the Kenyan health sector.
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Satisfaction With Life and Service Delivery in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union
Some Insights From The 2006 Life In Transition Survey
by Salman Zaidi
Part of the World Bank Working Papers series
The past two decades in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have been times of tremendous change, with countries undergoing rapid transformation from centrally-planned to market-oriented economies. While poverty increased during the initial years of transition, primarily on account of the sharp economic contraction, the resurgence of economic growth in the region since 1998 has resulted in a rebound in household incomes and living standards. Data from the 2006 Life in Transition Survey (LiTS)-a joint initiative of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank-provides a unique opportunity to investigate the extent to which citizens of ECA countries are satisfied with their lives and with the performances of their governments, and to study key factors influencing their outlook in a systematic way across all countries of the region. The main objective of the LiTS was to assess the impact of transition on people, covering four main themes. First, it collected personal information on aspects of material well-being, including household expenditures, possession of consumer goods such as a car or mobile phone, and access to local public services and utilities. Second, the survey included measures of satisfaction and attitudes towards economic and political reforms as well as public service delivery. Third, the LiTS captured individual 'histories'-key events and episodes that may have influenced their attitudes towards reforms, and information on family background, employment, and coping strategies. Finally, the survey also attempted to capture the extent to which crime and corruption are affecting peoples' lives, and the extent to which individuals' trust in other people and in state institutions has changed over time.
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