Regulation Markets And Poverty

Regulation, Markets and Poverty analyses the policy implications of research into issues of competition, regulation and regulatory governance in developing countries. Particular attention is paid to factors affecting poverty and to the connection between regulation, competition and poverty. It represents the culmination of research undertaken in the past five years by the Centre on Regulation and Competition. Written in a non-technical manner with references to the more technical literature, each chapter draws on the work of leading experts across a range of disciplines who frequently challenge conventional wisdom. This accessible and lively study will appeal to policymakers and practitioners dealing with regulation and competition in developing countries, postgraduate students of regulation, competition, public policy and international business. Staff of international development agencies and NGOs working on governance issues, competitiveness, utility policy and infrastructure investment will also find this important book of value and interest.

This book deals with the challenges of macro financial linkages in the emerging markets.

Based on a report by a World Bank task force, this book provides a candid assessment of the Bank's operations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The book examines how the Bank can strengthen its operational response to poverty and improve food security, recommends improvements and innovative approaches to poverty reduction, and discusses ways of strengthening and making further use of regional initiatives. Although the report identifies improvements in the work on poverty reduction that have taken place since 1995, it finds that much remains to be done: * On average, 45 to 50 percent of Sub-Saharan Africans live below the poverty line, a much higher proportion than any other region of the world except South Asia. * The commitment of governments to poverty reduction is usually weak; only about 12 African governments have such a commitment. * Economic growth rates are generally far too low to reduce poverty significantly; growth rates of 6.5 percent per year are required for countries in this region to reduce poverty at an acceptable rate. * The World Bank's lending has emphasized growth, focusing almost 58 percent of its assistance to the region on creating the mechanisms for growth through policy change and large-scale investments. * The World Bank's focus on poverty reduction in programming and lending must intensify in all its operational work. * All development partners should establish stronger collaboration in planning their assistance programs.

Trade will have an important role at the global level in generating the growth necessary for reducing extreme poverty to 3 percent and boosting prosperity for the poorest 40 percent by 2030. To identify the most important challenges that exist in maximizing the positive impact of trade on poverty, we need to understand who the poor are, where they are, and what economic activities they undertake. To this end, the study highlights particularly relevant dimensions of poverty: rural poverty in remote areas, informality, fragile and conflict situations, and women. For each of these issues, this study considers the main traderelated barriers and challenges, along with policy responses to address them. It shows the importance of the multilateral trading system and of the Doha Round, as well as the important role of the WBG and WTO in promoting coherence and implementing trade policies in a way that delivers the greatest possible benefits for the poor.

"In the wake of the global financial crisis that began in 2008, offers a systematic overview of recent developments in regulatory frameworks in advanced and emerging-market countries, outlining challenges to improving regulation, markets, and access in developing economies"--Provided by publisher.

This textbook explains the main economic mechanisms behind energy markets and assesses how governments can implement policies to improve how these markets function. Adopting a micro-economic perspective, the book systematically analyses the various types of market failures on the electricity and gas markets as well as coal, oil, hydrogen and heat markets to identify government policies that can improve welfare. These shortcomings include the natural monopoly and the public-good character of energy infrastructures; market power resulting from inflexibility of supply and demand; international trade restrictions; negative externalities concerning the use of fossil energy; positive externalities concerning innovative new energy technologies; information asymmetries with regard to the product characteristics of energy commodities; and other public concerns, such as energy poverty. In turn, readers will learn about various measures that governments can use to address these market failures, including incentive regulation for electricity grids; international integration of wholesale energy markets; environmental regulatory measures like emissions trading schemes; subsidy schemes for new technologies; green-energy certificate schemes; and energy taxes. Given its scope, the book will appeal to upper-undergraduate and graduate students from various disciplines who want to learn more about the economics and regulation of energy systems and markets.

First Published in 2011. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Examines the problem of inedequate access to information and communication technology (ICT) and the need to develop appropriate pro-poor ICT policies. Shows how market reforms have failed to ensure that the benefits of the Information Society have spread across the region.