Cash transfers can effectively mitigate the impacts of energy subsidy reforms on vulnerable households. Our report explores successful experiences from various countries, providing insights into…

Anit Mukherjee, Defne Gencer, Mohamed Almenfi, Ugo Gentilini, Yuko Okamura |

What is fundamentally required for a digital economic transformation at China’s scale to be replicable in Indonesia and other middle-income countries? We believe there are three things to consider…

Brian A. Wong, Maria Monica Wihardja |

East Asia entered the COVID-19 pandemic first and is likely to be the first region to recover. The region can turn this crisis to its long-term advantage by adopting bold and imaginative policies…

Victoria Kwakwa |

Since fintech offers the chance to boost economic growth and expand financial inclusion in all countries, the IMF and World Bank surveyed central banks, finance ministries, and other relevant…

Tobias Adrian, Ceyla Pazarbasioglu |

The traditional route of industrialization for developing countries may no longer be available for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This should not be a source of regret, as the…

Ferid Belhaj, Rabah Arezki |

View from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic / World Bank Published in digital portal El Dinero In the past, a company in the Dominican Republic facing financial difficulties, such as falling…

Andrés F. Martínez, Annabel González |

It takes a lot to do a first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) well. In the past 12 months, we witnessed the successful financial close of two landmark PPPs: the Tibar Bay Port PPP—a first for…

Jemima Sy |

Aracelis owns a hair salon in Santo Domingo. Like all the other owners of the nearly 20, 000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Dominican Republic, she dreams about making her…

John Martin Wilson, Annabel González |

As recently as 2006, Timor-Leste was in crisis. Only a few years into independence, the country was torn by riots and political turmoil. Not surprisingly, its business climate was one of the…

Christopher Bleakley |

Over the past 15 years, China has emerged as one of the world’s financial inclusion success stories. While much attention has been paid to the rapid innovation and massive scaling of Chinese…

Jennifer Chien, Douglas Randall |