This Selected Issues paper examines the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the recent acceleration of labor productivity growth in the United States. The analysis reveals that the increase of total factor productivity (TFP) growth is a broad phenomenon that encompasses...

This paper explores the factors that have led to a Canada-U.S. productivity gap using a sectoral growth accounting approach. Both fiscal and monetary policies have had significant effects on the saving rate. The Canadian dollar’s appreciation was followed by a protracted period of...

This 2010 Progress Report on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) focuses on the poverty condition in Mali. The incidence of poverty in Mali fell from 55.6 percent in 2001 to 43.6 percent in 2010. Over the past decade, poverty has fallen in rural areas, in Bamako, and in other urban...

This paper discusses Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2007–11 for The Gambia. PRSP II builds on the long-term development Vision 2020 of The Gambia. It also takes cognizance of the fact that implementation of PRSP I suffered from revenue shortfalls as the IMF suspended its program...

The Seventh National Development Plan of the Maldives envisages sustainable development with economic growth, social equity, environment protection, and good governance. The report assesses the policies and strategies needed to achieve the goals as well as the agencies responsible to implement...

Although Afghanistan has made significant gains over the years, vulnerabilities remain. The economic program Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) has been developed to sustain democracy, reduce poverty, and improve growth. ANDS, an important milestone in the rebuilding and...

The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) describes The Gambia’s macroeconomic, structural, and social policies in support of growth and poverty reduction, external financing needs, and major sources of financing. Since PRSP I had experienced some setbacks during its implementation,...

This paper presents the Annual Progress Report (APR) 2004 on Senegal’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The APR analyzes the 2004 macroeconomic framework for the purpose of comparing the forecasts under the various scenarios and the results obtained. Budgetary programming and...

This paper examines Sierra Leone’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Preparation Status Report. The government of Sierra Leone submitted its last PRSP preparation status report to the Executive Boards of the IMF and the World Bank in June 2003. However, the projected completion date...

This paper examines Congo’s Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP). Congo’s I-PRSP explains the features and causes of poverty in Congo. It provides a short- and medium-term vision of development as well as a strategic orientation for a return to sustainable and equitable growth....