This document is designed to promote the development of infrastructure services in Honduras, with the aim of improving the country's competitiveness and contributing to poverty reduction. Its central argument is that Honduras needs a significant increase in private investment in infrastructure...

This is the International Finance Corporation (IFC) annual report for FY2000, which outlines its increased gross approvals, led by a record of new investments in Sub-Saharan Africa; the realization of its second-highest-ever annual net income; and, the significant resurgence in commercial bank...

All countries fund safety net programs for the protection of their people. Though an increasing number of safety net programs are extremely well thought out, adroitly implemented, and demonstrably effective, many others are not. This book aims to assist those concerned with social policy to...

Tunisia has successfully shifted from resource-based exports dominated by oil and gas to manufactures and services. The economy is now driven mainly by textile, electrical, mechanical, and food processing exports; tourism and related activities; and production of olives and cereals. Real Gross...

Promoting women's economic empowerment is increasingly seen as an important driving force behind economic growth and the fight against poverty. Women's economic participation as entrepreneurs, employees, and leaders is recognized as a measure of a country's economic viability and dynamism. The...

The 1997 Bank reforms that introduced the matrix management concept aimed to adapt the organization to changing circumstances and address concerns among external stakeholders about the role of aid in development. The reforms were motivated largely by widespread recognition that the Bank's...

This paper updates the 1997 World Bank Health, Nutrition, and Population Strategy to enhance Bank capacity so that it continues to contribute to this virtuous circle in light of the momentous changes of the past decade in the architecture of development assistance for health (DAH) and of...

Well-governed countries is better able to formulate growth-enhancing policies, deliver essential services to the poor, and regulate financial and product markets. The appeal of governance reform and the fight against corruption can resonate widely across diverse countries and social groups, as...

This book examines the effects of the changing global geography of production for the growth prospects of East Asian economies. The authors conclude that in the face of a global environment, economies in East Asia need to adapt to the changing character of global production networks and to...

Doing business 2008 is the fifth in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 178...