This report, initiated at the request of His Excellency President Alassane Ouattara to Hafez M. H. Ghanem, the World Bank Group Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, is the first country application of the new regional strategy, Supporting Africa's Transformation. Albert...

The Angolan economy is at a significant juncture. The current growth model based on oil wealth is nearly exhausted and has not delivered inclusive growth and shared prosperity. Angola faces two broad policy challenges that need to be addressed urgently: macroeconomic stabilization and a more...

Since its independence in 1991 and until prior to the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2008-09, Armenia was considered an important success story among the transition economies. Indeed, over several years, the country displayed a record of sustained macroeconomic achievements, reflected in high...

Ecuador faces the challenge of consolidating the social gains achieved during the last decade while addressing the excesses committed the commodity boom period, when the state was the main drive of economic growth and the private sector remained subdue. This policy note diagnoses the nature of...

Over the last two decades, successive governments and business leaders in the former Yugoslav Republic of (FYR) Macedonia have been actively working to transform the country's economy and put it on a higher, technology-based, growth trajectory. For a small, landlocked country with a limited...

Between 2010 and 2018, Bhutan's economic performance in the real growth of gross domestic product (GDP) was respectable, averaging more than 5 percent a year. This was driven by hydropower, services, and agriculture. However, there is growing pressure to diversify production. Hydropower...

In an economy driven by its vital industrial sector, tackling the advancing threats of high energy consumption and GHG emissions has been a key challenge for pursuing energy efficiency in Korea. To aid policy makers promote energy efficiency in the industry sector, this report offers a...

This study aims to explore ways in which key competencies of the oil and gas industry could be leveraged to support the diversification of the Chadian economy. The analysis focused on identifying opportunities and prioritizing core competencies in specific segments of the oil and gas value chain...

For the economy to attain its full potential, the Philippines requires an efficient water transport system. However, this is presently not the case. The domestic shipping industry is characterized by high costs, low quality of service, and a poor safety record. Logistics cost accounts for 24-53...

Sri Lanka needs to address new challenges if it is to sustain its strong record of economic growth and poverty reduction. The country has in many respects been a development success story, with average growth exceeding 6 percent and a threefold decline in poverty using the national poverty line...