The substantial infrastructure needs in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot be met without sizeable private-sector financing. Anecdotal evidence from a recent IFC study shows improved regulatory frameworks…

Zivanemoyo Chinzara, Sebastien Dessus, Stephan Dreyhaupt |

One objective of fiscal policy is to stabilize a country’s macroeconomic environment. Countercyclical fiscal measures intend to offset the effects of the economic cycle on a country’s economy. For…

Jose Luis Diaz Sanchez, Joana Monteiro da Mota |

I write this blog from Ambovombe Androy, one of the three districts in Southern Madagascar under a food insecurity emergency. Consecutive years of severe droughts in a region where more than 90%…

Francis Muamba Mulangu |

Customs revenues are a major source of government revenue in developing countries, typically accounting for 30 to 50 percent of overall tax revenues, but their collection is often hampered by…

Ana Fernandes, Bob Rijkers, Gael Raballand, Cyril Chalendard |

It was in 2015 during the summer. I was a second-year university student in Antananarivo, and I was volunteering for a project launched by UNESCO Madagascar and the Ministry of Education.

Lanja Randrianarison |

Today, on the occasion of the World Youth Skills Day , we are pleased to announce the winners of the Blog4Dev 2021 competition.

Hafez Ghanem, Ousmane Diagana |

The archetype of the strong African woman standing as an unmoving pillar of her community is one that transcends national borders on the African continent. While in the past, this image often…

Nayé Bathily |

Madagascar's tax collection as a share of GDP is just under 11 percent. Poor compliance by citizens who owe taxes remains a major reason for low tax collection. Mobile text reminders had a…

Tiago Carneiro Peixoto, Herilala Axel Fanomezantsoa, Fredrik Sjoberg, Jonathan Mellon |

“We are truly free, and as long as the tractor is working and helping us generate income, there’s no going back.” On my recent trip to Chad, I was impressed by the optimism and confidence of women…

Annette Dixon |

Afghanistan. Photo by Steve Utterwulghe. This latest blog post should start with a mea culpa. Indeed, my 2015 work plan for public-private dialogue (PPD) did start in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, not…

Steve Utterwulghe |