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Options to Improve the Flow of Funds for Front-line Health Workers
No full textThis report reflects on the findings
from an internal control assessment of health service
delivery units for primary health care, as well as a
subsequent options analysis. Together, they show significant
opportunities for improved systemic efficiency, as
low-value, frequent transactions (that are primarily
non-salary expenditures including fuel and travel
allowances) comprise over fifty percent of total health
expenditure transactions in Pakistan. However, they make up
only two three percent of the total health budget. Although
minor in size and value, these multiple transactions go
through the complete approval cycle, causing delayed
payments and resulting in an increased administrative
burden, with a considerable negative impact on service delivery
Unleashing Sources of Growth: Innovation, SMEs and Startups
No full textThe economy is estimated to have
grown by 2.6 percent in 2024, surpassing expectations due to
an unexpected surge in activity but the recovery continued
to lag behind peers. The latest gross domestic product (GDP)
release showed that growth picked up at 3.0 percent
year-on-year in 2024 Q3. In Q3 2024, the current account
surplus rose to 1.5 percent of GDP as the trade balance
benefited from robust global demand. Inflation edged up due
to the removal of diesel subsidies but remained among the
lowest in ASEAN due to remaining energy subsidies and weak
domestic demand. Thailand’s financial system remained
stable, but credit conditions have tightened amid government
efforts to tackle high household debt. Despite the recent
rollout of the cash transfer scheme, the fiscal stance
turned less expansionary as capital spending slipped due to
the delayed budget. The economy is set to gain momentum in
2025, driven by stronger domestic demand and fiscal
stimulus, while external factors will slow slightly. With
the planned fiscal stimulus and accelerated budget
execution, the expansionary fiscal stance will support the
economic recovery
Minimum Wage Policy and Poverty in Indonesia
No full textThis paper investigates whether the
minimum wage policy significantly reduced poverty in Java
Island, Indonesia, between 2002 and 2014. Its identification
strategy exploits variation in minimum wages over time
within pairs of geographically proximate districts. The
study finds that the minimum wage has a distributional
impact on wage workers just below the 20th percentile up to
those in the middle of the wage distribution, with no
overall loss of employment. However, the minimum wage policy
has no distributional impact on per capita household
expenditure and a limited effect on changes in poverty status
Trends in Livestock Ownership Among the Nomadic Population in Somalia
No full textIn 2022, the nomadic population, comprising just over 10 percent of the Somali population, faced the highest levels of monetary, non-monetary, and extreme poverty, along with the greatest inequality. Nomadic households have the highest poverty rates and often lack sufficient livestock to escape poverty. Livestock ownership among the poorer nomadic households appears to have been worst affected by the recent drought. Nomadic households can be supported by policies that promote herd accumulation and improve their access to key inputs
Experimental Evidence from Rural Burundi
No full textThis study employs a cluster
randomized controlled trial and administrative health center
data to investigate the effects of authorizing community
health workers to deliver a new generation of contraceptive
injections directly to women during routine home visits
following comprehensive training. The paper observes a
significant increase of approximately 70 percent in the
administered quantity of these injections, which provide
average protection for three months. However, the results
suggest that the intervention does not produce a
statistically significant change in contraceptive coverage
because of significant substitution effects away from
long-acting contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices
that women might otherwise have adopted
Participation in Pension Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
No full textLow- and middle-income countries are aging rapidly but stagnation of growth in participation in pension programs, due to widespread informal employment, presents a major fiscal challenge. Some claim that improving the design of pension program rules can encourage more pension contributions, while others push for universal non-contributory pensions. This paper reviews the recent academic literature on the determinants of active participation in pension systems in high- informality settings. An emerging body of evidence shows that participation responds significantly to financial incentives as well as nonfinancial obstacles. At the same time, pensions are imperfect substitutes for other strategies to cover longevity risk, including support through the family, which will remain crucial for many older people in fiscally constrained environments. Therefore, policy makers should integrate the design of contributory pensions, social pensions, and policies that facilitate other forms of elderly support and consider how all three interact. To inform such efforts, these interactions must be more systematically investigated, and the empirical evidence must be expanded beyond a small number of middle-income countries
Awareness, Access, and Perceptions around Parental benefits among Urban Argentinians
No full textThis paper examines parental benefits
in Argentina, focusing on their role in addressing gender
inequality and labor market challenges during pregnancy and
post-childbirth. Drawing on the International Labor
Organization (ILO) Convention 183, the study extends its
core elements of maternity protection to evaluate the needs
of formal and informal sector workers. Using desk research
and a survey of 832 urban Argentinians, the findings
highlight a benefits system that is more inclusive than many
in the region, with a Parenthood score above the Latin
American and Caribbean average. However, significant gaps
persist, including disparities between formal and informal
workers, complex eligibility rules, insufficient leave
durations, limited monitoring mechanisms, and unmet parental
needs. To enhance inclusivity and accessibility, the paper
recommends extending minimum leave durations, financing
paternity leave through social security contributions,
simplifying income support programs, improving data
transparency, addressing childcare gaps for working parents,
and fostering compliance with family-friendly workplace
policies. Additionally, there is a need for economic
analysis of these programs' fiscal costs and
sustainability, particularly given their reliance on hybrid
financing models. The study advocates a shift from
maternity-focused policies to a comprehensive parental
benefits framework that integrates fathers, aligns with
labor market dynamics, promotes gender equality, and ensures
long-term fiscal sustainability
Closing the Data Gap for Transboundary Water in Africa
No full textAfrica's rapidly increasing
population, expanding economies, and changing climate are
driving increased water demand, while outdated data systems
hinder effective management. Remote sensing technology
offers a solution by providing continuous, reliable data for
water planning and monitoring. The Water Data Revolution
(WDR) initiative, launched in 2021, aims to bridge the gap
between technological advancements and practical user needs.
This initiative, supported by the Cooperation in
International Waters in Africa (CIWA) program, connects
users to data through a multifaceted approach, ensuring both
utility and transparency
Turkmenistan Economic Report
No full textTurkmenistan is a land-locked, upper middle-income country, characterized by a rigid statist economic model, and driven by natural gas exports. Turkmenistan went through a period of adjustment as it first met with lower oil and gas prices and was further affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with lower hydrocarbon demand, globally. In 2021–23, hydrocarbon global demand and prices rebounded, boosting economic activity and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. In February 2022, Turkmenistan adopted its long-term 2022-2052 National Program of Socio-Economic Development and the medium-term 2022-2028 Presidential Program to implement the longer-term program. The outlook is positive for 2025, with overall commodity prices expected to remain well above pre-pandemic levels. The boost to hydrocarbon production will help to increase Turkmenistan’s trade surplus further and maintain current account surpluses in 2024 and 2025. Faster expansion of gas production and exports, as well as strong revenue from energy and non-energy products, are projected to maintain the state budget balance in small surplus in 2024 and 2025. The outlook is subject to significant uncertainty and risks. Turkmenistan needs to navigate a series of challenges as it aims to progress to sustainability and reach high-income status
Injecting Dynamism into the Private Sector
No full textThe new political context emerging
from the May 2024 elections provides a unique opportunity
for South Africa. The alignment of economic and political
incentives, in the sense that improving the economy is
essential for gaining political power, offers a platform to
launch a decisive transformation process, even if there is
not yet an agreement on which economic reforms to implement.
Such alignment was key behind the successful economic
transformation of China in the early 1980s, Vietnam in the
late 1980s and 1990s, Poland in the 2010s, and India in the
early 2020s. Those successes were anchored on a development
bargain, whereby the country’s elites shifted from
protecting their own positions to gambling on a growth-based
future. This report offers pragmatic policy options,
tailored for South African policymakers who want to obtain
short-term results, while creating momentum for structural
reforms, resume growth, and improve the overall welfare of
their citizens, especially the most disadvantaged