Investment Rating - The report indicates a strong commitment to mobilizing private sector solutions for development, with a record investment of $56 billion in fiscal year 2024, including over $22 billion mobilized from partners [3][24][31]. Core Insights - The World Bank Group is enhancing its operational effectiveness to address intertwined global challenges such as poverty, climate change, and food insecurity, with a commitment to provide electricity access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030 [4][16]. - The IFC is focusing on innovative financial instruments and partnerships to boost private sector investment in emerging markets, aiming to increase annual guarantee issuance to $20 billion by 2030 [10][38]. - The report emphasizes the importance of digital transformation, with a digital lending portfolio totaling $5.6 billion as of June 2024, aimed at establishing the foundations of a digital economy in developing countries [17][19]. Summary by Sections Leadership Perspectives - The leadership highlights the need for a better bank to tackle pressing global challenges and emphasizes the importance of partnerships with the private sector [4][10][20]. Results - The World Bank Group committed $117.5 billion in fiscal 2024, with $31.7 billion from IFC, reflecting a significant increase in financing to address development needs [4][56]. - The IFC's net income for fiscal 2024 was $1.485 billion, with total assets amounting to $108.187 billion [58]. Strategy in Action - The IFC is channeling 45% of its annual financing to climate action by 2025, focusing on both mitigation and adaptation efforts [15][7]. - The report outlines the establishment of the Private Sector Investment Lab to address barriers to private sector investment in emerging markets [38][39]. Critical Functions - The report discusses the Global Emerging Markets Risk Database (GEMS) Consortium, which aims to enhance transparency and mobilize private investment in emerging markets [39]. - The Knowledge Compact for Action is introduced as a strategy to leverage knowledge and expertise in crafting development plans [40][41].

WORLD BANK GROUP EALTH TAXES A series on Fiscal Policy & Health Knowledge Note Saving Lives while Raising Revenue: Opportunities in Brazil's reform of indirect taxes to improve Tobacco, Alcohol, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Excise Taxes Disclosure Auth olic Disclosure Autho | --- | --- | |--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...

olic Disclosure Auth The regulation of platform-based work: Recent regulatory initiatives and insights for developing countries olic Disclosure Authoriz olic Disclosure Autho Disclosyre Authoriz Maho Hatayama Dagmara Maj-Swistak ORLD BANK GROUP Table of Contents Executive Summary 6 1. Introduction 8 2. How are labor regulations adapted to protect platform-based work? 11 3. What can we learn from specific regulatory attempts? 14 3.1. Classifying employment status for platform-based work 14 3.2. Improving wor ...

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - The Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) aims to strengthen education systems and improve learning outcomes globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries [40][41] - The FLC has catalyzed approximately $16.5 billion in funding through the World Bank, benefiting over 36 million students and 5 million teachers across 86 countries [78][79] - The report emphasizes the urgency of addressing learning poverty, which risks significant future economic losses estimated at $21 trillion [17][20] Summary by Sections Trust Fund Overview and Highlights - The FLC supports foundational learning, focusing on literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills as essential for overall educational development [80] - The FLC has awarded 39 catalytic grants totaling around $21 million to 29 countries, with a significant increase in disbursements by nearly 20% compared to the previous period [46][47] Implementation Progress - The Accelerator Program has set learning targets and developed Investment Cases in several countries, enhancing accountability and likelihood of achieving learning outcomes [32][54] - The FLC has produced 57 country briefs using data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2021, supporting national learning assessment systems [33][62] Risks and Challenges - The report does not provide specific details on risks and challenges Looking Ahead - Future activities will continue to focus on improving foundational learning outcomes, with an emphasis on collaboration with global education partners [42][43] Trust Fund Financials - The FLC has leveraged significant funding from various donors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office [48][50]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry. Core Insights - The report emphasizes the importance of valuing water as a natural capital asset to enhance economic understanding and policy-making related to water resources [11][12][16]. - It identifies three approaches for estimating the value of water: asset-by-asset, use-by-use, and service-by-service, with the service-by-service approach being the most feasible at the required scale [11][12][16]. - The report highlights the need for improved data and methodologies to generate reliable estimates of water value, which is currently underrepresented in national wealth accounts [11][12][16]. Summary by Sections Introduction - Water consumption is increasing globally due to population growth and economic development, while availability is affected by climate change and declining quality [11]. - The report aims to assess the feasibility of valuing water in at least 150 countries for inclusion in the Changing Wealth of Nations (CWON) [11][12]. Water Valuation Options - Three approaches to water valuation are discussed: 1. **Asset-by-Asset**: A bottom-up assessment based on the trade of water-related assets, currently limited by data availability [12]. 2. **Use-by-Use**: A bottom-up approach assessing water use across various industries, requiring detailed country-level data [12]. 3. **Service-by-Service**: A top-down approach estimating the value of water-related ecosystem services, which is currently the most feasible method [12][16]. Data Sources and Methods - The report discusses the need for comprehensive data sources and methods to improve water valuation estimates, emphasizing the integration of environmental and economic data [11][12][16]. - It suggests that partnerships and collaborations could enhance data collection and methodological innovation for water valuation [12][16]. Next Steps - The report proposes a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches to advance water valuation efforts, aiming for reliable estimates for 150 countries [12][16].

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - Paraguay has made significant progress in reducing poverty, halving its poverty rate from 51.4% in 2003 to 24.7% in 2022, and extreme poverty from 12.6% to 5.6% during the same period [22][43] - The pace of poverty reduction has slowed since 2014, with most gains occurring between 2003 and 2013, and recent adverse shocks have impacted progress [23][47] - In 2023, Paraguay saw a reduction in moderate poverty by 2.8 percentage points and extreme poverty by 1.2 percentage points, indicating signs of recovery [23][51] Overview of the Challenge - Despite significant poverty reduction, spatial disparities persist, with rural areas experiencing higher poverty rates [22][42] - The Gini coefficient for income inequality was 45 points in 2022, indicating a higher level of inequality compared to structural peers [23] - Vulnerable groups include the young, women, low-educated individuals, informal workers, and Indigenous communities, who face higher poverty rates [23][24] Factors Limiting Poverty Reduction - **Human Capital**: Paraguay faces significant human capital deficits, with low educational outcomes and health disparities affecting poverty reduction efforts [26][27] - **Job Quality**: High labor informality (63% in 2022) and poor job quality hinder access to quality employment [28] - **Fiscal System**: The fiscal system's limited impact on poverty reduction is due to low tax collection and inefficiencies in public spending [29] - **Climate Vulnerability**: Low-income households are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks, which can exacerbate poverty [30] Strategies for Inclusive Growth - **Human Capital Accumulation**: Prioritize early childhood education and improve access to quality education, especially for marginalized communities [32] - **Job Creation**: Implement policies to enhance job creation in formal sectors and improve access to quality jobs [33] - **Fiscal Policy**: Enhance the progressivity of the tax system and improve targeting of social transfers to lower-income households [34] - **Climate Resilience**: Develop strategies to increase resilience to climate shocks, including investment in infrastructure and disaster risk management [36] Proposed Policies and Interventions - Short-term policies include expanding early childhood education and stimulating job creation in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) [39] - Medium- to long-term policies focus on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and enhancing vocational training aligned with market needs [40]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the off-grid solar sector, but it emphasizes the sector's potential to electrify over 363 million people and its growth trajectory, indicating a favorable outlook for investment opportunities [18][37]. Core Insights - Off-grid solar systems are identified as the least-cost solution to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030, with a market value of approximately $2.8 billion in 2022, recovering from COVID-19 disruptions [18][37]. - The report highlights the significant environmental and social (E&S) risks associated with e-waste generated from off-grid solar systems, particularly from batteries and other components, which can have severe health and environmental impacts if not managed properly [19][20][42]. - A circular economy approach is recommended to minimize e-waste generation, emphasizing the 5Rs: reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, and recycle, which can be integrated throughout the product lifecycle [21][30]. Summary by Sections 1. The Off-Grid Solar Sector - The off-grid solar sector serves approximately 490 million people, with a significant portion gaining access through pay-as-you-go financing, and is projected to connect an additional 363 million people by 2030 [37]. - The sector consists of four main market segments: solar lanterns, solar home systems, productive uses of renewable energy, and public facility electrification [37][38]. 2. Off-Grid Solar E-Waste Landscape Scan - The report identifies challenges in the OGS e-waste management sector, including a complicated reverse supply chain and the prevalence of poor-quality products, which contribute to e-waste accumulation [20][52]. - Good practices in e-waste management are highlighted, including quality assurance standards and partnerships with recycling firms [22][23]. 3. Environmental & Social Risk Management Guidelines - A step-by-step process for identifying and managing E&S risks related to off-grid solar e-waste is outlined, including conducting situation analyses and developing mitigation strategies [25][26]. - Key risk management strategies range from low-cost interventions to more ambitious actions requiring significant investment [26][27]. 4. The Way Forward for Off-Grid Solar E-Waste Management - The report emphasizes the need for stakeholders to pursue a diversified agenda to achieve circularity in the off-grid solar sector, including regulatory support and investment in infrastructure [31][32]. - The toolkit aims to assist World Bank teams in analyzing E&S risks and aligning with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework [32][34].

WORLD BANK GROUP Better Education for Stronger Growth Europe and Central Asia Economic Update Office of the Chief Economist Fall 2024 · · · · ● . ● ● WORLD BANK ECA ECONOMIC UPDATE FALL 2024 Better Education for Stronger Growth Office of the Chief Economist © 2024 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 27 26 25 24 This work is a product of the staff of The ...

Investment Rating - The report does not provide a specific investment rating for the industry or company under review Core Insights - The Implementation Completion and Results Report (ICR) serves as a primary self-evaluation tool for the World Bank, documenting project performance and results at project closure [7] - The ICRR is an independent review that validates the ICR's findings and ratings, ensuring accountability and learning for both the World Bank and stakeholders [10][12] - The evaluation methodology focuses on assessing project achievements against stated objectives, relevance, and resource efficiency [13] Summary by Sections Section 1: Project Data - The IEG ICRR Portal system automatically pulls project data from the Operations Portal, and discrepancies should be noted [41] Section 2: Project Objectives and Components - Project objectives must be clearly identified from legal documents, and the assessment should focus on their relevance and achievement [46][49] - The project components should be summarized with both estimated and actual costs recorded in millions of US dollars [53][54] Section 3: Relevance of Objectives - Relevance is assessed based on alignment with current World Bank and country strategies, addressing significant development challenges [66][72] - The relevance of objectives is rated on a four-point scale: high, substantial, modest, or negligible [75] Section 4: Achievement of the Objectives (Efficacy) - Efficacy measures the extent to which project objectives were achieved, considering plausible causality and the contribution of non-project factors [76][81] - Each objective is assessed based on evidence from the ICR, and the assessment should clarify the causal relationships between project activities and outcomes [78][84] Section 5: Efficiency - Efficiency evaluates how well resources were utilized to achieve project objectives, although specific details are not provided in the excerpts [3] Section 6: Project Outcome - The overall project outcome is derived from the ratings of relevance, efficacy, and efficiency, although specific outcome ratings are not detailed in the provided content [3] Section 7: Risk to Development Outcome - This section assesses potential risks that could affect the sustainability of project outcomes, but specific risks are not detailed in the excerpts [3] Section 8: Bank Performance - Bank performance is evaluated based on the quality of project entry and supervision, although specific performance ratings are not provided [15] Section 9: Quality of Monitoring and Evaluation - The quality of monitoring and evaluation arrangements is assessed, focusing on their effectiveness in improving project performance [16] Section 10: Other Issues - This section addresses safeguards, fiduciary compliance, and any unanticipated impacts, although specific issues are not detailed in the excerpts [3] Section 11: Ratings Summary - A summary of ratings is provided, but specific ratings are not included in the excerpts [3] Section 12: Deriving Lessons - Lessons learned from project implementation are documented to inform future projects, although specific lessons are not detailed in the excerpts [3] Section 13: Assessment Recommended - Recommendations for future assessments are provided, but specific recommendations are not included in the excerpts [3] Section 14: Quality of the ICR - The quality of the ICR is evaluated based on evidence, analysis, and adherence to World Bank guidelines, although specific quality ratings are not provided [16]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry. Core Insights - The report emphasizes the need for tailored regulatory frameworks to protect digital platform workers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) [3][6][7]. - It highlights the importance of addressing market power asymmetries, information asymmetries, and competition barriers to improve employment outcomes for platform workers [20][12][19]. Summary by Sections Introduction - Digital platform work is defined as task- or gig-based work facilitated through digital marketplaces, connecting workers with clients [14]. - The global employment share of digital platform work is estimated to be between 4.4% and 12.5% of the labor force, excluding location-based services [15]. Interventions and Findings - **Market Power Asymmetries**: The report discusses the monopsony power of platforms, which can lead to underpayment and restricted flexibility for workers. Regulatory responses may include minimum wage policies and strengthening workers' bargaining power [20][21]. - **Information Asymmetries**: Employers often have more information than workers, which can hinder workers' ability to find suitable jobs. The report suggests improving transparency and access to information about employers [28]. - **Competition Barriers**: The competitive environment of platforms affects the treatment of workers. The report notes a lack of empirical evidence on the effects of addressing competition barriers [12][32]. - **Social Insurance**: There is a low coverage of social insurance among digital platform workers. Policymakers are encouraged to leverage platform data to extend social insurance coverage [11][17]. Recommendations - Policymakers should consider a combination of labor market regulations, product market regulations, and social protection measures to effectively support digital platform workers [12][19]. - The report calls for more research to understand the preferences of digital platform workers regarding social benefits and protections [13].