Challenges of Growth and Globalization in the Middle East and North Africa

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 9781589062290
Total Pages : 44 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (622 download)

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Book Synopsis Challenges of Growth and Globalization in the Middle East and North Africa by : Mr.Hamid R Davoodi

Download or read book Challenges of Growth and Globalization in the Middle East and North Africa written by Mr.Hamid R Davoodi and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2003-09-05 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is an economically diverse region. Despite undertaking economic reforms in many countries, and having considerable success in avoiding crises and achieving macroeconomic stability, the region’s economic performance in the past 30 years has been below potential. This paper takes stock of the region’s relatively weak performance, explores the reasons for this out come, and proposes an agenda for urgent reforms.

Subsidy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1498350437
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (983 download)

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Book Synopsis Subsidy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa by : Mr.Carlo A Sdralevich

Download or read book Subsidy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa written by Mr.Carlo A Sdralevich and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-07-09 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries price subsidies are common, especially on food and fuels. However, these are neither well targeted nor cost effective as a social protection tool, often benefiting mainly the better off instead of the poor and vulnerable. This paper explores the challenges of replacing generalized price subsidies with more equitable social safety net instruments, including the short-term inflationary effects, and describes the features of successful subsidy reforms.

State-Owned Enterprises in Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia: Size, Costs, and Challenges

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Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1513594087
Total Pages : 153 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (135 download)

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Book Synopsis State-Owned Enterprises in Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia: Size, Costs, and Challenges by : Mr. Ernesto Ramirez Rigo

Download or read book State-Owned Enterprises in Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia: Size, Costs, and Challenges written by Mr. Ernesto Ramirez Rigo and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-09-20 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prior to the COVID-19 shock, the key challenge facing policymakers in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia region was how to generate strong, sustainable, job-rich, inclusive growth. Post-COVID-19, this challenge has only grown given the additional reduction in fiscal space due to the crisis and the increased need to support the recovery. The sizable state-owned enterprise (SOE) footprint in the region, together with its cost to the government, call for revisiting the SOE sector to help open fiscal space and look for growth opportunities.

The Economic Impact of Conflicts and the Refugee Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1475535783
Total Pages : 43 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (755 download)

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Book Synopsis The Economic Impact of Conflicts and the Refugee Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa by : Mr.Bjoern Rother

Download or read book The Economic Impact of Conflicts and the Refugee Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa written by Mr.Bjoern Rother and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2016-09-16 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent decades, the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) has experienced more frequent and severe conflicts than in any other region of the world, exacting a devastating human toll. The region now faces unprecedented challenges, including the emergence of violent non-state actors, significant destruction, and a refugee crisis bigger than any since World War II. This paper raises awareness of the economic costs of conflicts on the countries directly involved and on their neighbors. It argues that appropriate macroeconomic policies can help mitigate the impact of conflicts in the short term, and that fostering higher and more inclusive growth can help address some of the root causes of conflicts over the long term. The paper also highlights the crucial role of external partners, including the IMF, in helping MENA countries tackle these challenges.

Managing Fiscal Risks in the Middle East and North Africa

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 64 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Managing Fiscal Risks in the Middle East and North Africa by : Racheeda Boukezia

Download or read book Managing Fiscal Risks in the Middle East and North Africa written by Racheeda Boukezia and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2023-06-11 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Countries in the Middle East and North Africa are exposed to significant fiscal risks. This paper analyzes the sources of these fiscal risks in 17 low- and middle-income countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region, excluding high-income Gulf countries (MENAPEG), and discusses avenues for reform to strengthen fiscal risk management. The materialization of fiscal risks in MENAPEG has been driven by macroeconomic shocks, contingent liabilities, and tail-risk events. The region has a track record of volatile economic growth and sharp exchange rate movements. High dependence on hydrocarbon revenue among MENAPEG oil and gas exporters and pervasive universal subsidies generate considerable budgetary exposure to swings in commodity prices. Substantial government involvement in the economy and large state ownership of firms and banks exposes several MENAPEG countries to contingent liabilities from state-owned enterprises and the financial sector. Lastly, the region’s history of social unrest and conflicts together with tail-risk events such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and natural disasters and climate change, have been important sources of fiscal risks. Many of the factors historically associated with the materialization of fiscal risks in MENAPEG countries are likely to remain sources of vulnerability in the future, raising the need for robust fiscal risk management frameworks. Policy reform can strengthen fiscal risk management in MENAPEG. This paper describes precedents where progress is made and provides a broad analytical framework for policymakers to build upon to fully embrace fiscal risk management in all its dimensions. Going forward, it is crucial for national authorities to enhance their capacity to identify, quantify, and assess risk factors and their budget’s exposure to them. This should be followed by thorough fiscal risk analysis to inform policy decisions to mitigate risks. Where risks cannot be mitigated or are judged to be acceptable, countries should consider adopting appropriate medium-term fiscal frameworks to build buffers to deal with them.

Monetary Issues in the Middle East and North Africa Region

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1484349032
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (843 download)

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Book Synopsis Monetary Issues in the Middle East and North Africa Region by : Mr.Simon Gray

Download or read book Monetary Issues in the Middle East and North Africa Region written by Mr.Simon Gray and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-05-10 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper documents the main themes covered in two seminars (December 2011 and September 2012) on monetary policy and implementation at the IMF—Middle East Center for Economics and Finance, and includes country case studies. Against the backdrop of the global financial crisis and swings in cross-border capital flows, operational frameworks have become more flexible, and liquidity management has impacted the relationship between the policy rate corridor and market rates. The balance sheet structure of central banks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) shows differences between oil exporters and others, while a few countries have exhibited notable changes since early 2011. Collateral now has a significant financial stability function. Although only one MENA country is part of the G20, implementation of the Basel III bank capital adequacy and liquidity rules will most likely impact banks’ way of doing business in MENA countries, even if indirectly.

Knowledge Economies in the Middle East and North Africa

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 9780821357019
Total Pages : 94 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (57 download)

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Book Synopsis Knowledge Economies in the Middle East and North Africa by : Jean-Eric Aubert

Download or read book Knowledge Economies in the Middle East and North Africa written by Jean-Eric Aubert and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been facing considerable economic challenges. Left behind by the industrial revolution, overly dependent on oil resources, and on the fringes of the globalization process, a number of MENA countries have embarked on structural reforms to overcome economic stagnation, mounting unemployment, and increasing poverty. At the same time, there is growing awareness worldwide that the knowledge revolution offers new opportunities for growth resulting from the availability of information and communication technologies and from the advent of a new form of global economic development rooted in the concept of the knowledge economy, which is based on the creation, acquisition, distribution, and use of knowledge. This book, developed from papers prepared for a World Bank sponsored conference, assesses the challenges confronting the regionA's countries and analyzes their readiness for the knowledge economy based on a set of indicators. It provides quantitative analysis to help benchmark the countries against worldwide knowledge economy trends, identifies key implementation issues, and presents relevant policy experiences. The basic policy elements that underpin a strategy to prepare for a knowledge-based economy are discussed, including: the renovation of education systems, the creation of a climate conducive to innovation, and the development of an efficient telecommunications infrastructure as the foundation of a new era. The formulation of national visions and strategies is also discussed. Examples from the region and other parts of the world illustrate the chapters. A set of data that makes it possible to benchmark and position countriesA' readiness for the knowledge economy is presented in an appendix.

Public-Private Partnerships In Pursuit of Risk Sharing and Value for Money

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Author :
Publisher : OECD Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9264046739
Total Pages : 145 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (64 download)

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Book Synopsis Public-Private Partnerships In Pursuit of Risk Sharing and Value for Money by : OECD

Download or read book Public-Private Partnerships In Pursuit of Risk Sharing and Value for Money written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2008-05-21 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights good practices and summarises what countries should consider before entering into public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Global Risk Agility and Decision Making

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1349948608
Total Pages : 439 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (499 download)

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Book Synopsis Global Risk Agility and Decision Making by : Daniel Wagner

Download or read book Global Risk Agility and Decision Making written by Daniel Wagner and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-08-12 with total page 439 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Global Risk Agility and Decision Making, Daniel Wagner and Dante Disparte, two leading authorities in global risk management, make a compelling case for the need to bring traditional approaches to risk management and decision making into the twenty-first century. Based on their own deep and multi-faceted experience in risk management across numerous firms in dozens of countries, the authors call for a greater sense of urgency from corporate boards, decision makers, line managers, policymakers, and risk practitioners to address and resolve the plethora of challenges facing today’s private and public sector organizations. Set against the era of manmade risk, where transnational terrorism, cyber risk, and climate change are making traditional risk models increasingly obsolete, they argue that remaining passively on the side-lines of the global economy is dangerous, and that understanding and actively engaging the world is central to achieving risk agility. Their definition of risk agility taps into the survival and risk-taking instincts of the entrepreneur while establishing an organizational imperative focused on collective survival. The agile risk manager is part sociologist, anthropologist, psychologist, and quant. Risk agility implies not treating risk as a cost of doing business, but as a catalyst for growth. Wagner and Disparte bring the concept of risk agility to life through a series of case studies that cut across industries, countries and the public and private sectors. The rich, real-world examples underscore how once mighty organizations can be brought to their knees—and even their demise by simple miscalculations or a failure to just do the right thing. The reader is offered deep insights into specific risk domains that are shaping our world, including terrorism, cyber risk, climate change, and economic resource nationalism, as well as a frame of reference from which to think about risk management and decision making in our increasingly complicated world. This easily digestible book will shed new light on the often complex discipline of risk management. Readers will learn how risk management is being transformed from a business prevention function to a values-based framework for thriving in increasingly perilous times. From tackling governance structures and the tone at the top to advocating for greater transparency and adherence to value systems, this book will establish a new generation of risk leader, with clarion voices calling for greater risk agility. The rise of agile decision makers coincides with greater resilience and responsiveness in the era of manmade risk.

Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives

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Author :
Publisher : OECD Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9264473041
Total Pages : 253 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (644 download)

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Book Synopsis Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives by : OECD

Download or read book Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives highlights the considerable progress in investment policies made by the region’s governments over the past decade. Yet, the reform momentum needs to be sustained and deepened for the benefits of investment to be shared with society at large and for growth to be sustainable, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global economic upheaval.

Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa

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Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1442203978
Total Pages : 606 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

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Book Synopsis Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa by : Sanja Kelly

Download or read book Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa written by Sanja Kelly and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2010-07-16 with total page 606 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Freedom HouseOs innovative publication WomenOs Rights in the Middle East and North Africa: Progress Amid Resistance analyzes the status of women in the region, with a special focus on the gains and setbacks for womenOs rights since the first edition was released in 2005. The study presents a comparative evaluation of conditions for women in 17 countries and one territory: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (Palestinian Authority and Israeli-Occupied Territories), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The publication identifies the causes and consequences of gender inequality in the Middle East, and provides concrete recommendations for national and international policymakers and implementers. Freedom House is an independent nongovernmental organization that supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights. The project has been embraced as a resource not only by international players like the United Nations and the World Bank, but also by regional womenOs rights organizations, individual activists, scholars, and governments worldwide. WomenOs rights in each country are assessed in five key areas: (1) Nondiscrimination and Access to Justice; (2) Autonomy, Security, and Freedom of the Person; (3) Economic Rights and Equal Opportunity; (4) Political Rights and Civic Voice; and (5) Social and Cultural Rights. The methodology is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the study results are presented through a set of numerical scores and analytical narrative reports.

Challenges Of Economic Development In The Middle East And North Africa Region

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Author :
Publisher : World Scientific
ISBN 13 : 9814471658
Total Pages : 566 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (144 download)

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Book Synopsis Challenges Of Economic Development In The Middle East And North Africa Region by : Julia C Devlin

Download or read book Challenges Of Economic Development In The Middle East And North Africa Region written by Julia C Devlin and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2010-01-20 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book surveys major economic issues in the development of countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region since World War II. It presents a framework of analysis highlighting underlying continuities in the region's approach to issues of growth, management of oil and natural resources, post-conflict environments, progress in trade liberalization and regional integration, the use of industrial policy, labor market adjustment and unemployment, educational attainment and poverty incidence. At the same time, this book focuses on emerging differences across countries in the region in the prevailing approach to addressing such challenges most notably between the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council and other MENA countries.This book also incorporates a discussion of tools and methods used by development practitioners and briefly examines issues of aid effectiveness. The approach used is intended to appeal to a wide audience including students of economic development, political scientists and development practitioners.

Protecting All

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Author :
Publisher : Human Development Perspectives
ISBN 13 : 9781464814273
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (142 download)

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Book Synopsis Protecting All by : Truman Packard

Download or read book Protecting All written by Truman Packard and published by Human Development Perspectives. This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This white paper focusses on the policy interventions made to help people manage risk, uncertainty and the losses from events whose impacts are channeled primarily through the labor market. The objectives of the white paper are: to scrutinize the relevance and effects of prevailing risk-sharing policies in low- and middle-income countries; take account of how global drivers of disruption shape and diversify how people work; in light of this diversity, propose alternative risk-sharing policies, or ways to augment and improve current policies to be more relevant and responsive to peoples' needs; and map a reasonable transition path from the current to an alternative policy approach that substantially extends protection to a greater portion of working people and their families. This white paper is a contribution to the broader, global discussion of the changing nature of work and how policy can shape its implications for the wellbeing of people. We use the term risk-sharing policies broadly in reference to the set of institutions, regulations and interventions that societies put in place to help households manage shocks to their livelihoods. These policies include formal rules and structures that regulate market interactions (worker protections and other labor market institutions) that help people pool risks (social assistance and social insurance), to save and insure affordably and effectively (mandatory and incentivized individual savings and other financial instruments) and to recover from losses in the wake of livelihood shocks ('active' reemployment measures). Effective risk-sharing policies are foundational to building equity, resilience and opportunity, the strategic objectives of the World Bank's Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice. Given failures of factor markets and the market for risk in particular the rationale for policy intervention to augment the options that people have to manage shocks to their livelihoods is well-understood and accepted. By helping to prevent vulnerable people from falling into poverty --and people in the poorest households from falling deeper into poverty-- effective risk-sharing interventions dramatically reduce poverty. Households and communities with access to effective risk-sharing instruments can better maintain and continue to invest in these vital assets, first and foremost, their human capital, and in doing so can reduce the likelihood that poverty and vulnerability will be transmitted from one generation to the next. Risk-sharing policies foster enterprise and development by ensuring that people can take appropriate risks required to grasp opportunities and secure their stake in a growing economy."--

The Global Findex Database 2017

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464812683
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis The Global Findex Database 2017 by : Asli Demirguc-Kunt

Download or read book The Global Findex Database 2017 written by Asli Demirguc-Kunt and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2018-04-19 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2011 the World Bank—with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—launched the Global Findex database, the world's most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Drawing on survey data collected in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the Global Findex database covers more than 140 economies around the world. The initial survey round was followed by a second one in 2014 and by a third in 2017. Compiled using nationally representative surveys of more than 150,000 adults age 15 and above in over 140 economies, The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It has additional data on the use of financial technology (or fintech), including the use of mobile phones and the Internet to conduct financial transactions. The data reveal opportunities to expand access to financial services among people who do not have an account—the unbanked—as well as to promote greater use of digital financial services among those who do have an account. The Global Findex database has become a mainstay of global efforts to promote financial inclusion. In addition to being widely cited by scholars and development practitioners, Global Findex data are used to track progress toward the World Bank goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The database, the full text of the report, and the underlying country-level data for all figures—along with the questionnaire, the survey methodology, and other relevant materials—are available at www.worldbank.org/globalfindex.

Benefits and Costs of Bank Capital

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1513539337
Total Pages : 38 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (135 download)

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Book Synopsis Benefits and Costs of Bank Capital by : Jihad Dagher

Download or read book Benefits and Costs of Bank Capital written by Jihad Dagher and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The appropriate level of bank capital and, more generally, a bank’s capacity to absorb losses, has been at the core of the post-crisis policy debate. This paper contributes to the debate by focusing on how much capital would have been needed to avoid imposing losses on bank creditors or resorting to public recapitalizations of banks in past banking crises. The paper also looks at the welfare costs of tighter capital regulation by reviewing the evidence on its potential impact on bank credit and lending rates. Its findings broadly support the range of loss absorbency suggested by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the Basel Committee for systemically important banks.

Social Capital and Risk Sharing

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1137476052
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (374 download)

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Book Synopsis Social Capital and Risk Sharing by : Abbas Mirakhor

Download or read book Social Capital and Risk Sharing written by Abbas Mirakhor and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-12-30 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This exciting new addition to Palgrave Studies in Islamic Banking, Finance, and Economics argues that social capital can facilitate rule-compliance and co-operation in the sharing of risk in financial and economic activities.

Pensions in the Middle East and North Africa

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 0821361856
Total Pages : 286 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (213 download)

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Book Synopsis Pensions in the Middle East and North Africa by : Edward Whitehouse

Download or read book Pensions in the Middle East and North Africa written by Edward Whitehouse and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first comprehensive assessment of pension systems in the Middle East and North Africa. While other regions—Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, in particular—have been actively introducing reforms to their pension systems, Middle East and North African countries have lagged behind. This is explained, in part, by the common belief that, because demographics remain favorable—the countries are young and the labor force is expanding rapidly—financial problems are far in the future; as a result, pension reform does not have to be a priority in the broader policy agenda.However, the authors show that aging is not the only factor behind a financial crisis; the problem is the generosity of the current schemes. Moreover, badly designed benefit formulas and eligibility conditions introduce unnecessary economic distortions and make the systems vulnerable to adverse distributional transfers. The book does not present a general model that could solve the problems of all pension systems in Middle East and North Africa countries. Instead the authors focus on outlining a framework for guiding discussions on pension reform and making objective policy choices.This assessment will be useful for policy makers and government officials involved in pension reform in the Middle East and North Africa region.