Benin has been implementing a national poverty reduction strategy for sustainable human development. The government of Benin judiciously stressed the development of the social sector and improved governance to develop human resources and enhance the effectiveness of its actions so as to lay the...

Gasoline and diesel fuel are heavily taxed in many developed and some emerging and developing countries. Outside of the United States and Europe, however, there has been little attempt to quantify the external costs of vehicle use, so policymakers lack guidance on whether prevailing tax rates...

This paper reviews Zambia’s Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Implementation Progress Report. The report reviews the status of the Poverty Reducing Programs (PRPs) for July 2003–June 2004. It notes improvement in funding to priority PRPs from K140 billion in January...

This paper reviews Zambia’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Implementation Progress Report covering January 2002–June 2003. The report describes the first one and half years of the implementation of the PRSP in four strategic areas, namely economic and social sectors,...

This paper examines Cambodia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Progress. The Cambodian economy grew by 5.2 percent in 2003 compared with 5.5 percent in 2002, led by continued growth in garments exports, a rebound in overall investments and an upward surge in agricultural production. The...

Using the modern theory of public economics as the point of departure, this paper outlines a basic principle for setting taxes and/or prices of commodities based on two key criteria, efficiency and equity. The paper shows that for petroleum products, the basic principle needs modification in the...

The paper provides an overview of recent economic and social developments in Cameroon. The state and the dynamics of poverty has been analyzed. The pillars of the short- and medium-term growth and poverty reduction strategy have been described. The paper provides a quantitative assessment and...

Fiscal instruments are potentially among the most effective, and cost-effective, options for addressing externalities related to poor air quality, urban road congestion, and greenhouse gases. This paper takes a case study, focused on Mauritius (a pioneer in the use of green taxes) to illustrate...

Rwanda’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) covers the period 2008–12 and provides a medium-term framework for achieving the country’s long-term development aspirations as embodied in Rwanda Vision 2020, the seven-year Government of Rwanda (GoR)...

The Annual Progress Report for Cameroon assesses the major achievements of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper under the staff-monitored program (SMP). It highlights the coherence in government action, the introduction of administrative management in strategic programming and planning tools,...