Finance & Economics | WPN World People News

Poland has built up a small but solid presence in international development and should now focus its limited resources on areas where it can make the most impact, allocating more funds to bilateral aid in priority countries and sectors, according to a new OECD Review.

Fishing less, and better, could generate an additional $83 billion each year for the fisheries sector, creating a much-needed revenue stream in developing countries and improving global food security, according to a new World Bank Group report.

On February 13, 2017 the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation discussions with Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), and considered and endorsed the staff appraisal without a meeting on a lapse-of-time basis.

The World Bank Group’s Global Index Insurance Facility (GIIF) and African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re) have entered into an agreement to carry out a risk-sharing facility, in form of an experience account, to decrease premium levels for insured farmers and encourage local companies to create affordable insurance products.

A new report by the World Bank highlights Tajikistan’s need to prioritize job creation in order to achieve its development objectives and reduce poverty. The report, Tajikistan Jobs Diagnostic: Strategic Framework for Jobs, analyzes the main challenges the country faces in creating jobs and sets out policy recommendations to enable the creation of more and better jobs that are also more inclusive of women and youth.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Aliona Cebotari visited Santo Domingo during January 31–February 10, 2017, to conduct Article IV Consultation discussions. The mission met with government and Central Bank officials, think tanks, and the private sector. It exchanged views on economic developments and outlook, as well as policy challenges going forward.

● It is key to develop a medium-term strategy to generate government revenues in Arab countries to finance spending that promotes growth, equity, and inclusiveness.

● Gradual fiscal consolidation and vigorous implementation of structural reforms will help the UAE economy adjust to lower oil price

The World Bank and the Ministry of Economic Development of Kosovo have concluded the Women in Online Work (WoW) pilot project, which helped train over 150 young, unemployed and underemployed women in skills demanded by the ever-growing online, freelancing market.

The IMF’s South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) was officially inaugurated by Secretary Shaktikanta Das of India’s Ministry of Finance in New Delhi on February 13, 2017. Deputy Managing Director Carla Grasso and senior officials from the center’s six South Asian member countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and development partners attended the event.

Africa’s cities are growing in population – adding the size of another Nigeria to cities by 2025 – so have a critical role to play in their countries’ economic growth, says a new World Bank report released on February 9. Improving conditions for people and businesses in African cities by aggressively investing in infrastructure and reforming land markets is the key to accelerating economic growth, adding jobs, and improving city competitiveness.