'..in many developing countries, there are large differences in economic conditions and the standard of living between regions, and even between communities within the same region. In many countries, poverty has a clear geographic dimension, since the poor are often concentrated in pockets of poverty. Therefore, the design of poverty alleviation policies must also have a signficant spatial component.' Although development projects are carefully designed and meticulously evaluated for cost effectiveness and benefits, too many of them are not sufficiently targeted geographically. The growing...

This book discusses the prevalent process of commodity market reform in the specific context of cocoa, coffee, cotton, grains and sugar markets, and provides lessons by selectively drawing on cross-country experience in those markets. The commodity markets covered in this book deserve special attention for the following reasons - They play an important role in many developing countries; These markets illustrate how well special features can influence the reform process and illustrate the importance of taking initial conditions into account when designing reform; Experience from commodity...

Vietnam's rapid growth has transformed the country, reducing poverty from about 75 percent of the population to about 50 percent. At the same time, its transition from a planned to a market economy has created new challenges for public policy in a wide range of areas. This volume explores issues such as which macroeconomic and structural reforms led to growth, what effect reform has had on the household economy, and how the transition has affected education, health, fertility, and child nutrition. It provides an analysis of economic and social policies and shows how micro-level data can be...

Tax Reform in Developing Countries carefully examines the experience of eight developing countries that have undergone -- and in some instances are still undergoing -- significant and comprehensive tax reform. The countries are Bolivia, Colombia, Indonesia, Jamaica, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, and Turkey. It draws on their experiences to find lessons learned and to see how they may be applied to other countries on the road to tax reform. Equal attention is given to the process of tax reform, how it is implemented, and the substance or results of reform efforts. Throughout, the focus is on the...

This book discusses the essential strategic, legal, economic, and institutional issues relating to privatization of state-owned enterprises, with an emphasis on the policy dimensions of privatization. Special attention is given to issues arising in the context of liberalization and privatization of the telecommunications and other infrastructure sectors. The author draws on experiences of countries in all regions to illustrate the dynamic character of privatization. He demonstrates the complexity of the problems that can arise during this process, examines the relevance of available...