{"id":838,"date":"2023-09-23T08:30:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T08:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/?p=838"},"modified":"2023-10-07T08:35:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T08:35:50","slug":"world-bank-launches-reforms-for-a-brighter-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/?p=838","title":{"rendered":"World Bank Launches \u2018Reforms for a Brighter Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ISLAMABAD \u2014The World Bank has launched a new program to foster debate on the critical development policy issues facing Pakistan. \u2018Reforms for a Brighter Future: Time to Decide\u2019 is intended to engage in discussions with a broad range of stakeholders on what fundamental policy shifts are most needed to durably steer the economy towards stronger, more climate-resilient and sustainable growth and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This consultation program includes the publication, today, of a series of draft Discussion Notes. These will be progressively enriched by feedback received from a broad range of stakeholders. The Notes, which draw on international experience as well as a large body of evidence on Pakistan, propose fundamental policy shifts that are needed to move away from the current low-growth, anti-development status quo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From underfunded, inefficient, and fragmented service delivery and social protection systems towards coordinated, efficient, and adequately financed service delivery, targeting the most vulnerable\u2014in particular to reduce abnormally high child stunting rates and to increase learning outcomes for all children, especially for girls.
\u2022 From wasteful and rigid public expenditures benefiting a few, towards tightly prioritized spending on public services, infrastructure, and investments in climate adaptation, benefiting populations most in need.
\u2022 From a narrow, distortive, and inequitable tax system towards one that is broad-based, efficient, progressive, and equitable\u2014generating sufficient revenues to significantly increase public investment in human development, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.
\u2022 From a protected, stagnant, and unproductive economy with a large state presence towards a dynamic open economy driven by private investment and exports.
\u2022 From agriculture sector policies that lock farmers into a low-value, low-productivity farming towards a more market-driven, productive agricultural system, including value chains that are resilient to climate change impacts and water scarcity.
\u2022 From energy sector policies that drive high energy costs, environmental harms, and unsustainable accumulation of debt, towards efficient, sustainable, and resilient generation and distribution, based on accurate price signals, increased competition and private participation, and a cleaner energy mix.
\u2022 From a public sector that is inefficient, often ineffective, and vulnerable to capture by vested interests towards accountable, efficient, and transparent government, including at the local level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPakistan has been facing numerous economic hardships including inflation, rising electricity prices, severe climate shocks, and insufficient public resources to finance development and climate adaptation\u2014when the country is among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. It is also facing a \u201csilent\u201d human capital crisis: abnormally high child stunting rates, low learning outcomes, and high child mortality.\u201d, said Najy Benhassine, Country Director for the World Bank in Pakistan. \u201cThese discussion notes contribute to debates on long standing policy issues that are muting Pakistan\u2019s high economic and development potential. There is reasonable consensus on priorities and challenges. Determining specific solutions requires open debates on concrete, fundamental policy decisions. We hope this program of discussions will help build a consensus around a path towards inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient development\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the \u2018Reforms for a Brighter Future\u2019 engagement program, the World Bank together with the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, conducted extensive consultations across the country to seek inputs and feedback on the recommendations included in the draft Discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ISLAMABAD \u2014The World Bank has launched a new program to foster debate on the critical development policy issues facing Pakistan. \u2018Reforms for a Brighter Future: Time to Decide\u2019 is intended… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=838"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":840,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838\/revisions\/840"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}