There is a trend towards the creation of additional public companies at the municipal level. An analysis of 34 cities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia examines what explains this development. What influence does the different transparency of municipalities have? What effects do the...

There is a trend towards the creation of additional public companies at the municipal level. An analysis of 34 cities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia examines what explains this development. What influence does the different transparency of municipalities have? What effects do the...

The Lao PDR is facing unprecedented macroeconomic challenges, which jeopardize hard-won development gains. Over the past two decades, the country attracted considerable foreign investment and fostered regional integration, which contributed to a long period of high economic growth. Many human...

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) is facing economic challenges. The country is experiencing a growth slowdown with high levels of public debt. Growing current expenditure and debt service obligations amid sluggish tax revenue led to a widening fiscal deficit in the early 2010s, which...

Growth gathered momentum in 2023 on the back of recovering external demand, but exchange rate depreciation continues and inflation remains persistently high. Labor and FX shortages are intensifying. Public debt is assessed to be unsustainable, despite a tight fiscal stance. FX reserves remain low

Economic growth remains below pre-COVID-19 levels, mainly owing to protracted macroeconomic instability. Economic growth is estimated at 3.7 percent for 2023, with positive contributions from the services sector (for example, tourism, transport, and logistics) and mining. Electricity generation,...