This note will examine the distributional and efficiency issues associated with the fiscal response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis in Da Nang city and nationally in Vietnam. More specifically, we look at the social assistance (cash transfer) programs. Did these programs efficiently reach...

The national economy of Vietnam was affected by the April 2020 lockdown meant to contain the domestic spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) virus and subsequent outbreaks in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Nevertheless, the economy showed exceptional resilience. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by...

This note analyzes the short-term effects of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) shock during the first year of the crisis and presents alternative medium-term recovery scenarios. It asks a set of questions, and in answering those questions, provides policy suggestions for the Vietnamese...

The objective of this report is to provide an update to the Government of Cabo Verde, think-tanks and researchers, and the public on the state of the Cabo Verde economy and its outlook, together with the structural reforms required to strengthen the foundations for private sector-led recovery...

Capital investment is essential for achieving sustainable cities. Melaka State's long-term sustainability can be improved through well-planned investments in various projects, such as the development of ports and rail connections, a robust public transportation network, and adequate flood...

Benefiting from successful economic transformation after independence and the start of EU accession negotiations, economic activity in Montenegro has been solid, supporting the rise in incomes their convergence with the ones in the European Union. Inflation has been modest and kept in check....

Malawi's economic growth has historically been undermined by exogenous, climate-induced shocks, as well as economic policies and management that have often exacerbated the impact of shocks. Yet since 2017, Malawi has been enjoying a period of economic stability, with double-digit inflation...

The objective of this public expenditure review (PER) is to provide the government with options for fiscal consolidation and support macroeconomic stability in the medium-term. This PER addresses the broad topic of expenditure efficiency and examines options for expenditure rationalization to...

The outbreak was declared a pandemic by the WHO on March 11 and the epicenter of the crisis has moved from China and Korea to the US and Western Europe. Infections are also increasing at a rapid pace in WBG client countries, with large uncertainty about the extent to which many countries are...

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can sometimes be perceived as a means for delivering infrastructure for free. A more nuanced but still inexact view is that they are a mechanism to overcome fiscal constraints. Some argue, perhaps rightly, that often governments enter PPP contracts without...