Growth in the Kyrgyz Republic slowed significantly in 2014, reflecting the deteriorating external environment and supply-side constraints. Economic growth fell to 3.6 percent in 2014 from 10.9 percent in the previous year, partly because exports to Russia and other neighboring countries plunged....

This review of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) finance support programs aims to enhance the efficiency of SME finance support in Chile. Chile's good economic policies have successfully promoted growth, but inequality has remained high. Supporting access to finance for SMEs is an...

Caribbean countries share a number of characteristics which make them vulnerable to external threats, including small populations, limited economies of scale, and undiversified economies. The COVID-19 pandemic through 2020has added to the severity of consequences for these countries' disaster...

The objective of the report is to inform the preparation of a Government Program for establishing the status of customers in need, the scope of their rights, and protection measures to help them meet demands for electricity in case of electricity tariff increases. The report analyzes patterns of...

Mismanaged plastic waste has growing economic and environmental consequences. USD 80-120 billion worth of plastic packaging is lost from the global economy each year due to lack of recycling and suboptimal value creation where recycling exists. Globally, 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic...

Real GDP growth exceeded 6 percent during the two years before COVID-19 (coronavirus) struck, supported by rebounding confidence, investment, low interest rates, and growing tourism. Investment accounted for over 22 percent of GDP in 2019, three-fifths of which was private. The tourism market...

The global COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the largest public health initiative ever undertaken, presents challenges unprecedented in scale, speed and specificities, especially in low and middle-income countries. In November 2020, anticipating the availability of safe and effective vaccines for...