Since 2008, the Government of Seychelles
has successfully undertaken major reforms to secure
macroeconomic stability and create conditions for
sustainable, private sector-led growth. The continuous
strengthening of Seychelles' public financial
management (PFM) system plays a central role in facilitating
fiscal consolidation and improving the delivery of
government services. Over the past few years, the government

Countries everywhere are divided into
two distinct spatial realms: one urban, one rural. Classic
models of development predict faster growth in the urban
sector, causing rapid migration from rural areas to cities,
lifting average incomes in both places. The process
continues until the marginal productivity of labor is
equalized across the two realms. The pattern of rising
urbanization accompanying economic growth has become one of

This paper describes the serious fiscal
crisis faced by cities around the world following the Great
Recession of 2008. Five years later, the after-effects of
this major crisis continue to be felt and limit economic
opportunities in cities. Section 1 summarizes how the crisis
was triggered and how it unfolded in the US, then spread to
the rest of world -- highlighting the links between
financial sector and housing sector. Section 2 discusses the

After 15 years of political stagnation
due to political troubles from 1990 to 2005, Togo is now
enjoying political stability and economical revival.
Agricultural sector is doing especially well and the
government is reviewing the public expenditures in this
domain. The goal is to learn lessons from the past in terms
of budget and to increase the performances of the programs
to come. The objectives of this document are: a) better

The transport sector is an important
economic sector in Belarus, contributing 6.7 percent of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2008 and 6.6 percent in
2009. Belarus has been a net exporter of practically all
modes of transport services. The country serves as a transit
transport corridor between the European Union (EU) and
Russia and potentially between the EU and Asia; thus, the
strategic geographical location of Belarus places the

Cities and the people who live in them
account for more than 80 percent of the world's total
greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, more than 80 percent
of the overall annual global costs of adaptation to climate
change are estimated to be borne by urban areas. This issues
brief looks at potential financing opportunities and costs
of mitigation and adaptation in the urban context.
Wide-ranging potential sources for finance for climate

The objective of this paper is to
present a succinct and up-to-date review of the urban sector
in Egypt, with a focus on issues for which there is new
insight or emerging government interest. The two main themes
of the report are the challenges facing the urban sector and
the policy implications at various levels of government.
Some of the reports mains findings are: urbanization in
Egypt takes on forms and processes which are not well

The objective of this paper is to
present a succinct and up-to-date review of the urban sector
in Egypt, with a focus on issues for which there is new
insight or emerging government interest. The two main themes
of the report are the challenges facing the urban sector and
the policy implications at various levels of government.
Some of the reports mains findings are: urbanization in
Egypt takes on forms and processes which are not well

The present study examines the
challenges facing municipal governments in FYR Macedonia.
The introductory chapter provides some further context for
these developments, in terms of the challenges they pose
for urban areas and their governments. Chapter Two examines
issues for financial management of municipalities under the
decentralized regime, and the attendant need for improving
local government capacity. The third chapter highlights

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was
selected as a case study because it is one of the countries
in the region that has had rapid success in scaling up
infrastructure in a relatively short period of time. Also,
the Government of Pakistan (GoP) is seeking to attract
participation of investors from the UAE into domestic
infrastructure projects. The study also briefly considers
the potential impact of the infrastructure development boom

The objective of this policy note on
land is to assist the Government of Moldova in improving the
effectiveness of land management in agriculture, with a view
to enhancing the sector's contribution to
Moldova's economic growth and poverty reduction
objectives. The note reviews the progress that has been
made to date on land reform in Moldova, and provides
rigorous economic analysis of the impacts of the reforms and

Lao PDR economic performance has
continued to improve during 2006. Real GDP grew at 7.0
percent in 2005 and is now expected to be slightly higher at
7.3 percent in 2006. This growth is in large part due to
foreign investment inflows in mining and hydro-power and
growing mineral exports, but the share of non-mining
contributions has increased this year, reaching 4.9 out of
7.3 percent. Agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors