Under-pricing of diesel and kerosene continues to cause major financial problems for Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), which is losing over Tk 2 billion monthly. Global forecasts suggest that oil prices will continue to be over $US 50 per barrel for the next couple of years. Bangladesh's...

This paper examines the financing, pricing, and utilization of pharmaceuticals in China the pharmaceutical system as it has evolved, and some changes that would improve it in the context of the national health reform process. The present paper builds upon earlier critical reviews and other...

At the request of the Government of Egypt (GOE), the objective of this brief note is to provide concise recommendations on next steps for the National Housing Program (NHP). These recommendations and policy analysis are an elaboration of the framework for housing policy reform in urban areas in...

This document builds upon several recent studies and reports carried out in the 2006-2007 period. The first note, entitled analysis of housing supply mechanisms (World Bank), analyzes the situation of housing supply in urban areas in Egypt, including the study of existing formal and informal...

The objective of this study, requested by the Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development, is to assist the government of Egypt in: formulating a coherent national affordable housing strategy which puts in place an effective institutional and regulatory framework that creates the...

This note provides a short overview of urban land and housing market performance in Punjab Province of Pakistan. It describes the characteristics of well-functioning urban land and housing markets and argues that, at present, the Punjab's urban land and housing markets are not performing well....

Housing development has direct and indirect impacts on the environment. Through its design, construction, and operation, housing represents a significant point of direct consumption of natural materials, water, and energy. Therefore, greenhouse gas emissions embodied in housing can be very...

The objective of this Housing Sector Strategy Report is to assist the Government of Iran in aligning its housing policy with its overall national policy of growth-led distribution. The study opens with an overview of Iran's macroeconomic circumstances and the effect its volatile oil-dependent...