Despite the widespread tariff reductions
sparked by the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade
Agreement, borders in the region remain thick, with many
hurdles standing in the way of regional trade. Although
anecdotal evidence suggests that nontariff measures raise
trade costs and inhibit trade in the region, little is known
about the magnitude of these economic effects. This paper
uses a newly collected data set to quantify the incidence of

After a policy-engineered slowdown in
2012, which saw GDP growth decline to 4.8 percent, the
lowest since 2008, Bhutan's economy is expected to
rebound to 6.5 percent this year, supported by hydropower
construction and higher electricity and food production,
following favorable rains. The tight fiscal stance
introduced in 2012 has been maintained to bring spending in
line with lower non-hydro revenues and a slowdown in foreign

This Africa's pulse newsletter
includes the following headings: Sub-Saharan African
countries continue to grow at a steady pace; the
region's decade-long economic expansion appears
sustainable; and for newly resource-rich countries, strong
governance will be key to harnessing resource wealth for development

This report evaluates the outcomes of
World Bank Group support to Liberia from its post-war
reengagement in 2003 through 2011. The country has moved
from total disarray to a solid foundation for inclusive
development. Although development has not moved forward as
quickly as hoped, substantial progress has been made. Public
finance and key institutions have been rebuilt; crucial
transport facilities have been restored; and hospitals,

Although transfer of agricultural land
ownership through land reform had positive impacts on
productivity, investment, and political empowerment in many
cases, institutional arrangements in West Bengal -- which
made tenancy heritable and imposed a prohibition on
subleasing -- imply that early land reform benefits may not
be sustained and gains from this policy remain well below
potential. Data from a listing of 96,000 households in 200

The agricultural and food sector is an
ideal case for investigating the political economy of public
policies. Many of the policy developments in this sector
since the 1950s have been sudden and transformational, while
others have been gradual but persistent. This paper reviews
and synthesizes the literature on trends and fluctuations in
market distortions and the political-economy explanations
that have been advanced. Based on a rich global data set

This note presents an overview of
Mexico's forthcoming reform agenda-from the World
Bank's vantage point. It distills the main messages in
the policy notes that make up this compendium. The purpose
is not to provide definitive answers to the many policy
questions likely to occupy the New Mexican administration,
or to provide a comprehensive account of progress to date
and policy recommendations. Instead, it is to provide a view

This paper uses a three-round
4,000-household panel from Andhra Pradesh together with
administrative data to explore short and medium-term poverty
and welfare effects of the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme. Triple difference estimates suggest that
participants significantly increase consumption (protein and
energy intake) in the short run and accumulate more
nonfinancial assets in the medium term. Direct benefits

Addressing regional disparities in
access to public services is an emerging development
challenge for Thailand. A well-functioning system of
Central-Local Government Relations and proactive expenditure
policy can help achieve this goal. Providing responsive and
accountable public services are necessary for maintaining
trust of the citizens in government and fostering cohesion
within a unitary state like Thailand. Without a reversal of

Cities' development matters to
Pakistan. It is central to economic growth, job creation and
quality of life. This is also one of the core themes in the
2011 Government of Pakistan Framework for Economic Growth
(FEG). This paper explores the conditions for
growth-enhancing spatial change in Pakistan s cities.
Cities' development matters to Pakistan. Two strands of
analysis are developed. First, it reviews the performance

Through steady structural reforms and
good macroeconomic management, Tunisia has been successful
in sustaining growth. The country enjoyed a 4.8 percentage
average annual growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over
most of the 2000`s, placing the country among the leading
performers in the region. Most of the growth was driven by
private enterprises in the export sectors. Tunisia did
better than most countries in the region because it started

As a low-middle-income country with a
gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of US$1,715 and a
population of 30 million (nearly half of all of the Central
Asian population), Uzbekistan has seen stable economic
progress since the mid-2000s, both in terms of growth and
poverty reduction. Growth has averaged 8 percent per year
since 2004 and extreme poverty has declined from 27 percent
in 2000 to 15 percent in 2012. Encouraged by this