This paper reviews Uzbekistan’s Interim Welfare Improvement Strategy Paper (I-WISP). I-WISP defines the main directions and measures aimed at improving living standards and reducing poverty among the population of Uzbekistan for 2005–10. The strategy is designed to further expand...

This Selected Issues paper reviews the extent to which growth in Ethiopia has translated into higher living standards. A key feature of the economic strategy has been an explicit commitment to poverty reduction and structural transformation. This is underpinned by the vision of a...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note (JSAN) reviews the Second Accelerated Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (SDARP) of Niger, which provides a framework for implementing the government’s growth and poverty reduction agenda. It provides a thorough poverty diagnosis, sectoral plans,...

This paper discusses Second National Poverty Reduction Strategy II (NPRS-II) (2012–2016) for Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. A comparison of the results of the 2000 and 2010 poverty profile, based on the average income method, shows that there was progress in reducing poverty,...

This paper on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers on Guinea explains medium-term development framework to achieve Millennium Development Goals and fulfill the authorities’ vision of Guinea as an emerging economy in 15 to 25 years, respectful of human rights and gender equality and...

In South Africa, long-term insurers experienced some strains during the financial crisis, but there were no crisis-related failures. The capital markets suffered sharp declines but no systemic failures. The three standards assessments have found the regulatory system fundamentally sound. The...

A very ambitious fiscal adjustment effort is under way. Fiscal institutional and sectoral reforms have been elaborated for a more durable adjustment. Greece’s determination toward a comprehensive modernization of the health sector, beginning with a far-reaching reform of state enterprises...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note (JSAN) reviews Togo's Interim-Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), which is aimed to strengthen political and economic governance, support economic recovery, and reduce poverty. The I-PRSP recognizes challenges to achieve the MDGs and the risks to its...

Although progress has been made in strengthening the Swiss economy, systemic risks posed by large banks as well as revisions to the macroprudential framework are still in train. The authorities welcomed the too-big-to-fail (TBTF) legislation and intervention of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) on...

This Selected Issues paper investigates the possible contribution of activation strategies—in a broad sense—to improve employment rates in Finland. It summarizes recent labor market developments in Finland, and investigates respectively the limitation of current unemployment and...