This paper examines the Progress Report for Albania’s National Strategy for Socio-Economic Development (NSSED). 2002 was the first year of implementing the NSSED. The implementation process has been oriented toward achieving the annual objectives and in accordance with the program of...

This paper discusses the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Burundi. The PRSP comes two and a half years after the approval in January 2004 by the Executive Boards of the IMF and the World Bank of the Interim PRSP (I-PRSP). The PRSP is also the outgrowth of a long period of negotiations...

This paper focuses on the Medium-Term Development Program for the Kyrgyz Republic. The aim of this program is to put the economy of the country into a sustainable vector of development and improve the budget status to prevent social effects, increase living standard, and reduce poverty in the...

The paper explores the quality of the recent high-growth episode in sub-Saharan Africa by examining the following two questions: (i) what has been the nature and pattern of SSA growth over the past 15 years and how does it compare with previous episodes? (ii) has this growth had an impact on...

Despite the rapid economic growth and poverty reduction, inequality in Asia worsened during last two decades. We focus on the determinants of growth inclusiveness and suggest options for reform. A cross cross-country empirical analysis suggests that fiscal redistribution, monetary policy aimed...

The paper examines Senegal’s growth performance from the perspective of its povertyreducing and distributional characteristics, and discusses policies that might help make growth more inclusive. The main findings are that poverty has fallen in the last two decades, but poverty reduction has...

We document the evolution of poverty and inequality across Indian states during the recent period of rapid growth (2004-09), and examine the role of growth and distribution in reducing poverty. Robust economic growth has been a major driver of poverty reduction and inclusiveness in India. We...

This paper aims to assess the economic impact of the IMF’s support through its facilities for low-income countries. It relies on two complementary econometric analyses: the first investigates the longer-term impact of IMF engagement—primarily through successive medium-term programs under the...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix reviews Mozambique’s impressive economic growth, its composition, and its impact on poverty reduction over the past decade. The paper highlights that improvements in total factor productivity, resulting from a stable macroeconomic...

This paper presents key findings of the Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement for Bolivia. Bolivia is a country that is perceived as having one of the best structural reform records in Latin America but experienced sluggish per capita growth, and made virtually no progress in...