Want More Investment in African Infrastructure? Think Better Quality Institutions

An Article on How Institutional Reform Can Attract More Private Investment in Infrastructure.

A greater focus on regulatory quality and institutional reforms would bring much-needed extra private sector investment in Sub-Saharan Africa’s infrastructure, a new IFC study finds. Improvements in areas like strengthening the rule of law and lowering corruption levels would boost private investment by up to 0.8 percent of GDP over four years—or $20 billion. The benefits would reverberate across sectors including energy, environment, municipal services, telecommunications, information technology, transportation, and water

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The Birth of a Start-Up Support System

By Olivier Monnier and Abdoul Maiga

Tired of seeing plastic waste littering the streets of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, engineer Calvin Tiam took matters into his own hands.

With the help of Burkinabé and French research institutes, Tiam developed a technique for making furniture, roofing, and beacons from recycled polyethylene plastic packaging.

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Investments in Africa

These are certainly challenging times. And in these challenging times, in Africa, the private unnamedsector is doing interesting things.

The nine stories in this second edition of IFC Insights Africa, published for the 2023 Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, showcase the innovative ways African businesses—both large and small—are addressing some of the continent’s most pressing challenges, and improving lives and creating jobs while doing it.

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The Parallel Exchange Rate Problem: The World Bank’s Approach to Helping People in Developing Countries

The deterioration of economic conditions over the past few years and the growinghero_1140x500_exchange_rates.jpg depreciation pressures facing developing countries have led to a rise in the number of countries with active parallel currency markets.  Currently, around 24 emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) have active parallel currency markets. In at least 14 of them, the exchange rate premium—the difference between the official and the parallel rate—is a material problem, exceeding 10 percent (see the table).

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Once again, IDA steps up with flexibility and resources amid crises

It feels like a lifetime ago, but somehow also like it was yesterday, that the COVID-19 crisisida-hero.jpg descended upon our lives. It caused unimaginable upheaval—reversing gains and creating colossal new demands. As well-resourced countries worked quickly to protect their people, the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) stepped up to ensure the poorest people were not left behind in this race to recovery. 

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State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2023

STORY HIGHLIGHTSyemen-fscpp

  • Food insecurity is among the most pressing challenges in Yemen and over half of the population is food insecure.
  • Yemen has suffered from a series of food crises and climate change increases the risk of further crises.
  • A food security crisis preparedness plan has been developed to mitigate the impact of future food crises.

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Thriving: Making Cities Green, Resilient, and Inclusive in a Changing Climate

Cities, as engines of prosperity, are major contributors to climate change, generating about 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, as home to more than half of humanity, cities are on the front lines of climate change.

New analysis from the World Bank examines the two-way relationship between cities and climate change, concluding that cities also hold one of the keys to solving the climate crisis. With data from more than 10,000 cities, the report offers insight into how to help cities become greener, more resilient, and more inclusive – in other words, on how to help their cities thrive – in a changing climate.

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Shaping tomorrow’s debt restructuring system

STORY HIGHLIGHTSyemen-fscpp

  • Food insecurity is among the most pressing challenges in Yemen and over half of the population is food insecure.
  • Yemen has suffered from a series of food crises and climate change increases the risk of further crises.
  • A food security crisis preparedness plan has been developed to mitigate the impact of future food crises.

Continue reading