"The authors compare the two merger control systems currently employed worldwide: a mandatory system based on merger size threshold and a voluntary system with ex-post monitoring and fines. The voluntary system possesses two informational advantages: (i) the enforcement agency employs more...

This report analyzes the dynamics of violent crime in Brazil. What factors are driving the overall crime decline in Brazil? Why is violent crime declining in some states while it is increasing in others? What types of interventions could help to reduce youth violence? These are the questions...

"One of the most contentious debates today is whether pollution-intensive industries from rich countries relocate to poor countries with weaker environmental standards, turning them into "pollution havens." Empirical studies to date show little evidence to support the pollution haven hypothesis,...

Improving debt transparency is critical for promoting debt sustainability and creditworthiness assessments, increasing the accuracy of public debt information, and protecting the interests of a diverse range of stakeholders. The importance of debt transparency, the costs associated with the lack...

A joint Government of Honduras and World Bank team conducted a study in Honduras between January and June 2017, using the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Disclosure Diagnostic template recommended by the World Bank Framework for Disclosure of Information in PPPs. This study has been...

Good practices reduce costs and produce timely results; poor practices lead to waste and delays and are often the cause for allegations of corruption and Government inefficiency. Enhanced transparency in procurement through voluntary disclosure under the Right to Information (RTI) Act (2005)' is...

Private investment in agriculture in developing countries, both domestic and foreign, has been on the rise for nearly two decades. This paper focuses on large-scale agricultural projects in developing countries, involving the lease of farmland, which rose sharply after the food crisis of 2008....