Ghana, like many other African
countries, had made a commitment in 2003 to allocate at
least ten percent of their national budgetary resources to
develop the agricultural sector by 2008, following the
adoption of the Comprehensive African Agriculture
Development Programme (CAADP), with an aim towards realizing
food security and poverty reduction. This Agriculture Public
Expenditure Review (AgPER) for Ghana analyzes data on public

The economic recession, the end of
stimulus funding and central government cutbacks, rising
social costs and aging, and the need for infrastructure
upgrading for urbanization are putting enormous fiscal
stress on cities. The financing capacity of municipalities
is greatly affected because of the decline in the tax base,
expenditure pressures, and growing and more expensive debt.
Today's urban fiscal crisis is similar to that

The forestry sector in Moldova faces
significant governance and sustainability challenges. The
insufficient level of forest coverage in Moldova has a
serious impact on environment and overall economic growth in
the country. The situation is exacerbated by the reportedly
intense pressure on forest resources exerted by the human
factor. Illegal logging and grazing are considered as
significant factors that contribute to forest loss. There is

Delivering on results is a key to
achieving our Latin America and Caribbean strategy. This
publication presents some of the recent results achieved by
the World Bank Group, our clients, and our partners in the
Latin America and Caribbean Region. The stories reflect our
effort to help clients solve their development challenges
quickly and effectively by providing a suite of financing,
advisory and convening services. This is a way to

Transforming agriculture in Africa is
not simply about helping Africa; it is essential for
ensuring global food security. But Africa s agriculture is
also of critical importance when it comes to meeting the
world s future needs for food and fiber. With the global
population expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, food
security producing enough food of sufficient quality and
making it accessible and affordable for consumers around the

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

This paper uses data from a large survey
of Chinese firms to investigate whether local government
efforts to facilitate market development improve firm
efficiency. Both government provision of information about
products, markets, and innovation and government assistance
in arranging loans are positively associated with firm
efficiency. Those private firms with weak access to and
knowledge of financial, input, and product markets benefit

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

The rural sector, defined here as the
economic sector that falls under the scope of the Ministry
of Agriculture and Water (MAH), the Ministry of Animal
Resources (MRA), and the Ministry of the Environment and
Sustainable Development (MEDD), is one of the pillars of the
Burkina Faso economy. Although its contribution to GDP has
decreased in recent times from 35 percent in 1999 to 30
percent in 2011 due to the development of the other sectors

This paper explores the building blocks of an institutional framework to govern borrowing by subnational entities to finance infrastructure investment. The framework should help in achieving sustainable financing of development needs and sound management of fiscal risks. Based on international experience, the authors suggest a minimum set of indicators for monitoring fiscal and debt developments. Recognizing the different nature and operations of the subnational entities, they propose specific indicators for special purpose vehicles and the government's general budget.

Ulaanbaatar's (UB) population has
swollen from half a million in 2001 to approximately 1.2
million in 2011, accounting for over 40 percent of the
country's population. This trend is likely to continue
as economic growth is increasingly concentrated in UB. With
its growing population and concerns in rising inequality,
the city is facing increasing pressure to maintain and
expand service provision (especially infrastructure). The

Local populations' economic opportunities can be enhanced through special arrangements governing movement of people and goods in neighboring areas. For instance, in the Tajikistan-Uzbekistan border-crossing points (BCPs), preferential treatment accorded to residents in contiguous regions varies from one BCP to another, even within one borderline, restricting the distance allowed for travel into the territory of another country to the closest large city or marketplace.