Access to energy is fundamental to improving quality of life and is a key imperative for economic development" (Energy Poverty Action). This is particularly true in Central Asia where winters are harsh and long. Changes in energy prices affect the purchasing power of households, hitting the poor...

This study estimates the rates of return (RoR) of non-contributory social transfer programmes in Cambodia using household data and going beyond standard cost efficiency analyses by developing a dynamic micro simulation. It shows that social protection promotes equitable economic growth by...

The purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate the well-being of elderly left behind by migrant household members in Moldova. Using data derived from a nationally-representative, large-scale household survey conducted between September 2011 and February of 2012 among 3,255 households in...

Raising energy prices to cost-recovery tariffs has several implications. The implicit (quasi-fiscal) subsidization of the energy sector will be reduced to a large extent. Energy companies will have higher revenues, and consumers will be faced with a major increase of their energy bills and...

The Kyrgyz Republic has enjoyed remarkable success in poverty reduction in recent years. Poverty headcounts were halved between 2005 (63.9 per cent) and 2008 (31.3 per cent), before they slightly increased again to 33.7 per cent (2010). However, these aggregate figures mask individual or...

Since the end of 2007, countries in Central Asia have been struck by two major consecutive shocks: the food and fuel price increase in 2007-08, and the global economic and financial crisis that began at the end of 2008. Households, both poor and not poor, are directly and adversely affected by...

This paper empirically evaluates the well-being of children "left behind" by migrant household members in Moldova. Using data derived from a nationally-representative, large-scale household survey conducted between September 2011 and February 2012 among 3,255 households (1,801 of which contained...

The objective of social protection policies is to help families, individuals and communities with the prevention and mitigation of social and economic risks. Social protection policies are a range of public interventions to support the poor and vulnerable, and assist families, individuals and...