Iran's economic performance in the last two decades has been very disappointing. This is highlighted by the fact that per capita GDP was 16 percent lower in 1998 than in 1979. However, the most important single reason for this poor performance was not any domestic economic policy, but the long...

Investment commitments to infrastructure projects with private participation (Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI) projects) reaching closure in developing countries grew by 22 percent in the third quarter of 2009, and by 10 percent in the first three quarters of the year, compared with...

Azerbaijan's oil and gas boom presents a rare opportunity to accelerate improvements in the quality of life of all its citizens. Its per capita income is $5,100 in 2008, up nearly 400 percent from 2004 in current USD terms; it could potentially exceed $6,500 by 2013 and higher beyond that....

Despite having one of the world's highest rates of population growth, Uganda has an impressive record of economic growth and poverty reduction. Over a period of approximately 20 years, from the 1990s until around 2010, the average annual rate of economic growth stood at around 7 percent. During...

The second Lao PDR investment climate assessment identifies the key constraints of the country's non-resource sector firms. This Assessment summarizes the results of a national survey conducted in late-2009 and draws on extensive interviews with policymakers and practitioners. Survey results...

This report examines the fiscal prospects of major units of sub-national government in the voivodship (province) of Mazowieckie and proposes a series of reforms in recurrent spending and capital investment planning. Mazowieckie, the seat of Warsaw, is the heart of the Polish economy. While...

This research report examines the technical efficiency and impact of the Zambia Fertilizer Support Program (FSP). The FSP was launched by the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) in 2002 as a temporary measure to provide subsidized hybrid maize seed and fertilizer packages to smallholder...

The ex-post impact assessment of the Limiting Administrative Regulation and Administrative Control on Economic Activity Act (LARACEAA) is part of the World Bank's support to the Government of Bulgaria through on-going analytical and advisory work in the area of regulatory reform. The purpose of...

The global economic crisis seriously threatens the economic growth and poverty reduction that Armenia achieved in recent years. The most recent data indicate that the economy is now shrinking, with prospects worsening in 2009 and 2010 when the full impact of the crisis is expected to unfold....

There are visible signs that the global financial crisis is affecting economic growth and poverty reduction in Bulgaria. After a period of strong economic growth through 2008, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009 is projected to shrink by 3.5 percent due to the crisis, with important...