The COVID-19 pandemic has, with alarming speed, dealt a heavy blow to an already-weak global economy, which is expected to slide into its deepest recession since the second world war, despite unprecedented policy support. The global recession would be deeper if countries take longer to bring the...

Although many developing countries have yet to meet the considerable prerequisites for establishing wholesale power markets, a significant minority of larger middle-income countries have introduced diverse markets in the past 25 years. Cost-based pools proved particularly popular in Latin...

This report is an output of the Better Regulation for Growth Program between the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and IC, the Investment Climate Advisory Services of the World Bank Group. The reports identifies a set of minimum...

The purpose of this report is to introduce and present key components of the regulatory governance agenda, and to discuss its relevance for developing countries. The paper identifies failings and knowledge gaps relevant to the implementation of regulatory governance initiatives, and it discusses...

Over the last few years the Standard Cost Model (SCM) has become the regulatory reform tool of choice in European Union (EU) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for identifying and reducing regulatory compliance costs. SCM provides a relatively simple...

Deep reforms of the Philippine power sector began in 2001, aiming at competitive wholesale and retail markets. This case study analyzes the Philippine experience with wholesale electricity markets at the generation level, including design, implementation, and outcomes. The spot market began...

The Colombian power market was established in 1995, driven primarily by concerns about the reliability of supply in the largely hydro-based domestic power system. The power sector reform was expected to help avoid blackouts by attracting private investment and increasing the efficiency of...

The Peruvian power market was established in 1992, amid serious supply constraints and financially distressed power utilities. Since its inception, the market has been adapted by competitive market reforms and adaptations due to government-driven public policy objectives. This paper analyzes the...

The role of 'first movers' in fragile states is critical: they grow and diversify markets in ways that no other firms do, generating disproportionate impact in terms of development and stability. But pioneer firms are rare in fragile states. This study documents their profile, their challenges,...