The Romanian government recognizes that
there are current and future problems related to the risk of
old-age poverty among elderly farmers, and has been working
on sustainable solutions to avert this risk. The main
objective of this report is to provide recommendations to
the policy makers in Romania in designing a non-contributory
program for poor elderly, including farmers. To this end,
the report (i) evaluates the current semi-subsistence

This report presents the outcomes of the
functional review of Romania's agricultural
administration. Given the sectoral and territorial relevance
of its regulatory domain, Romania s Agricultural and Rural
Development Administration is a key administrative body
undergoing this Functional Review. The review will examine
whether the policy goals and objectives of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) and its agencies

Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in
India, has 170 million inhabitants who represent 16.2
percent of India's population. Uttar Pradesh (UP) is
classified as one of the 'lagging states of India'
for its slow growth, low human development indicators and
high concentration of the poor. UP occupies an important
position in India because of its size and as a determinant
of the country's overall progress. UP has continuously

Agriculture sector growth has made a
powerful contribution to post-war economic recovery in
Tajikistan, accounting for approximately one third of
overall economic growth from 1998 to 2004. Sector output
increased by 65 percent in real terms during this period,
and has now returned to the level extant at independence in
1990. Total Factor Productivity (TFP) has also increased, by
3 percent per year. Despite this progress, there is

This report describes the results of a
ROSC assessment of the accounting, financial reporting and
auditing requirements and practices of the Republic of
Tajikistan's enterprise and financial sectors. The
report assesses the quality of the Tajik financial reporting
framework and makes policy recommendations for improvement.
With a gross national income per capita of US$430,
Tajikistan remains the poorest country in the former Soviet

This policy note, Environmental
Management for a Sustainable Economic Development Strategy
for Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, investigates six environmental
management topics which will affect the capacity of the
province to develop the economy and need to be underpinned
by strong environmental and natural resource management. The
six topics cover: agriculture, forestry, fisheries, land and
water, environmental law and regulations, and spatial

Belarus has a large and extensive social
protection system (SP) covering a significant share of the
population. Belarus has adopted a single methodology for
calculating income to target Public Targeted Social
Assistance (GASP). This methodology also is used when
testing an applicant's income/means for some of the
child benefits. To reduce the leakage of benefits to the
non-poor while expanding GASP, this note assesses the

This final report is the fifth
deliverable for the World Bank funded project
'operational design for the project development fund
and for the viability gap fund'. Taking into account
feedback and further consideration of issues rose in the
previous Reports, it aims to: provide high level
recommendations on the overall Public Private Partnership
(PPP) framework in Pakistan, recognizing international best

The purpose of this Transport Sector
Note (TSN) is to assist the Palestinian Authority (PA) in
developing a strategy for the sector that can aid in
addressing the immediate constraints and transport issues in
support of the PA's effort to revive the national
economy, improve mobility and reduce poverty. The TSN also
aims to assist the responsible sector ministries prepare a
coherent strategic framework and program for the sector.

The present report was prepared upon the
request of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to inform
policy decisions on reforming the existing safety net. The
report aims at providing analytical underpinning of the
country's ongoing safety net reform, along with venue
for policy discussions with the Government and stakeholders
on the immediate as well as on the longer-term challenges
related to designing and implementing of a modern national

Azerbaijan experienced a 'golden
age' in the last decade, during which the average
growth rate reached record high levels and poverty decreased
significantly. On average, the economy grew by 15.3 percent
per year in real terms during this period, mainly driven by
the oil sector (21.5 percent growth per year), but with a
significant contribution from the non-oil sector (11.1
percent per year). As a result, poverty declined

In societies with widespread gender
discrimination, development programs that encourage female
participation in local governance can potentially redress
gender imbalances in economic, political, and social
outcomes. Using a randomized field experiment encompassing
500 Afghan villages, this study finds that a development
program which incorporates mandated female participation
increases female mobility and involvement in income