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.

Download or read book The Quest for Subsidy Reforms in the Middle East and North Africa Region written by Paolo Verme and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-21 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an analysis of energy and food subsidies in the MENA region between 2010 and 2014. Using the World Bank’s proprietary SUBSIM model, the book studies the distribution of subsidies and the simulation of subsidy reforms across eight countries within in a partial equilibrium framework. The distributional analysis of subsidies provides information on who benefits from existing subsidies, while the simulations of subsidy reforms provide information on the outcomes of the reforms in terms of government budget, household welfare, poverty, inequality, and the trade-offs between these outcomes. This focus provides governments with the essential information they need to make decisions on subsidy reforms and consumers with a clear sense of which programs and reforms are successful. The book highlights the historical roots of subsidies, the real trigger of subsidy reforms, and the complexity of subsidy reforms. It discusses the pros and cons of radical and gradualist approaches to reforms, the use of compensation mechanisms and their implications, the advantages and disadvantages of public information campaigns, the political economy of targeting different economic populations, the political timing of reforms, and whether, overall, the reforms observed in the MENA region have been successful. The first book on subsidies in the MENA region that is based on primary micro data, this book is useful for researchers and graduate students studying political economy and working with microsimulation modelling instruments as well as government officials engaged in subsidies reforms, research institutes and private consulting groups advising governments on subsidy reforms.

Download or read book Inclusion and Resilience written by Joana Silva and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2013 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inclusion and Resilience has two broad objectives. The study seeks first to enhance knowledge about the current state of existing social safety nets (SSNs) in the Middle East and North Africa, assessing their effectiveness by bringing together new evidence, data, and country-specific analysis. Second, it proposes an open and informed debate on feasible policy options for making SSNs more effective and responsive to the population's needs. In order to do this, the authors illustrate how the main goals for SSNs-promoting social inclusion, better livelihood, and resilience to shocks-have already been achieved in some parts of the region, notwithstanding huge challenges. They also identify the groups that regional SSNs should make a priority: children and people living in rural and lagging areas. The study relies on newly collected data on citizens' preferences concerning redistribution and SSN design, discussing how political economy considerations could be taken into account in designing better SSNs, and proposing an agenda for reform, using global experiences and the new evidence presented in the book itself.

Download or read book Subsidy Reforms in the Middle East and North Africa Region written by Paolo Verme and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paper takes stock of eight country studies and a cross-country analysis to review the experience with subsidy reforms in the Middle East and North Africa region between 2010 and 2014. This unprecedented period of subsidy reforms occurred during a period of extraordinary political changes, which makes this particular experience unique. The paper reviews the facts and the different paths to reforms taken by different countries faced with different challenges, and discusses the pros and cons of alternative policy options. It concludes with an assessment of the experiences and a discussion on future prospects.

Download or read book Fuel Subsidy Reform Decentralised Electricity Markets and Renewable Energy Trade written by Tanya Shaar and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last few decades have witnessed widespread attempts by the international community to combat rising global temperatures. Without a doubt, instruments such as the Paris Agreement have proven essential in fighting climate change by promoting the use of renewable energy and energy transitions. Problematically, regions that rely heavily on fossil fuel consumption, such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, have struggled in undertaking their energy transitions and decarbonizing their economies. As such, this paper aims to discuss the evidence for a widespread energy transition in the MENA region via economic, legal and social reforms. This article argues that to achieve a successful energy transition in the region, the removal of fuel subsidies must occur, the decentralization of energy markets promoted and renewable trade incentivized. It suggests that fossil fuel exporting MENA countries should continue to diversify their economies in order to reduce reliance on their energy sectors. In turn, this will enable them to undertake fossil fuel subsidy reforms and invest money into renewable energy projects uninterruptedly. To add to this, MENA countries should look to decentralise their energy markets to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels for energy production. Decentralized solar energy, in specific, has extensive potential in the region and would enable a transition toward energy self-sufficiency. This article then concludes that trade practices and climate mitigation are mutually exclusive, and proposes recommendations on how the World Tarde Organization can be used to better promote energy transitions.

Download or read book The Quest for Subsidies Reforms in the Middle East and North Africa Region written by Paolo Verme and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Comparative Analysis of Subsidy Reforms in the Middle East and North Africa Region written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Case Studies on Energy Subsidy Reform Lessons and Implications Supplement written by International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-01-28 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This supplement presents country case studies reviewing energy subsidy reform experiences, which are the basis for the reform lessons identified in the main paper. The selection of countries for the case studies reflects the availability of data and of previously documented evidence on country-specific reforms. The 22 country case studies were also chosen to provide cases from all regions and a mix of outcomes from reform. The studies cover 19 countries, including seven from sub-Saharan Africa, two in developing Asia, three in the Middle East and North Africa, four in Latin America and the Caribbean, and three in Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS. The case studies are organized by energy product, with 14 studies of the reform of petroleum product subsidies, seven studies of the reform of electricity subsidies, and a case study of subsidy reform for coal. The larger number of studies on fuel subsidies reflects the wider availability of data and past studies for these reforms. The structure of each case study is similar, with each one providing the context of the reform and a description of the reforms; discussion of the impact of the reform on energy prices or subsidies and its success or failure; mitigating measures that were implemented in an attempt to generate public support for the reform and offset adverse effects on the poor; and, finally, identification of lessons for designing reforms.

Download or read book Energy Subsidies in the Middle East written by Munsu Kang and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), energy subsidies have been at the center of government budget reform since the 2000s. However, political pressure existing between social safety nets and environmental costs, namely in terms of energy subsidy reduction. First, fossil fuel subsidies in the MENA region are one of the compensation measures implemented by authoritarian leaders in Arab countries instead of restricting the political participation of civilians. Second, the demand for social safety nets in the MENA region is increasing rather than decreasing energy subsidies, and there may be resistance to any reduction in subsidies by the government without any alternative measures. In order for MENA countries to move away from hydrocarbon economies to incentivizing the adoption of renewable energy technologies, it is necessary to shift subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. In addition, alternative social safety nets need to be provided for civilians.

Download or read book Energy Subsidy Reform written by Mr.Benedict J. Clements and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-09-13 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy subsidies are aimed at protecting consumers, however, subsidies aggravate fiscal imbalances, crowd out priority public spending, and depress private investment, including in the energy sector. This book provides the most comprehensive estimates of energy subsidies currently available for 176 countries and an analysis of “how to do” energy subsidy reform, drawing on insights from 22 country case studies undertaken by the IMF staff and analyses carried out by other institutions.

Download or read book The Unequal Benefits of Fuel Subsidies Revisited written by Mr.David Coady and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-11-25 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding who benefits from fuel price subsidies and the welfare impact of increasing fuel prices is key to designing, and gaining public support for, subsidy reform. This paper updates evidence for developing countries on the magnitude of the welfare impact of subsidy reform and its distribution across income groups, incorporating more recent studies and expanding the number of countries. These studies confirm that a very large share of benefits from price subsidies goes to high-income households, further reinforcing existing income inequalities. The results can also help to approximate the welfare impact of subsidy reform for countries where the data necessary for such an analysis is not available.

Download or read book Arab Uprisings Social Justice written by Abdulla Zaid and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 19 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economies of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are the most heavily subsidized in the world. Advancing a neo-liberal economic model based on fiscal consolidation and privatization, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has consistently advised Arab governments to reform and repeal subsidy regimes. In Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Yemen, countries with extensive historical engagement with the IMF, the Fund has conditioned loan agreements on the willingness of governments to adopt stringent fiscal austerity measures, namely the reduction of food and energy subsidies. The IMF views the unwinding of subsidies as the key to fiscal consolidation and debt reduction, which in turn, it argues, enable states to generate inclusive economic growth and sustainable, private sector-led development. This paper traces the evolution of IMF recommendations on fuel and food subsidies from the onset of the global financial crisis (2007-2008) through the aftermath of the 2011 Arab uprisings. During this period, the IMF has intensified its calls for the reduction of food and, in particular, fuel subsidies in the MENA. By consulting civil society perspectives, this paper seeks to highlight the concerns of societies in the Arab region over the socio-economic consequences of IMF-backed subsidy reforms. Historically, the implementation of the IMF's advice on subsidy removal has yielded little success in countries of the MENA region, mostly owing to inadequate measures to mitigate the increased financial burden on the poor and middle class. Overwhelmingly, implementation of such advice has resulted in popular backlash and economic upheaval. Today, amidst heightened socio-economic discontent and political instability, populations in Arab countries are highly likely to lash out against governments' attempts to roll back subsidies on basic commodities. The reform of food and, in particular, energy subsidies remains the driving component of the IMF's policy advice to Arab governments. Although energy subsidies are regressive, disproportionately favoring the rich, the repeal of these subsidies is more likely to harm than help the poorest segments of society. In the near-term, the unwinding of subsidies cannot serve as the panacea for the serious budgetary and fiscal difficulties facing most Arab states. By continuing to press Arab governments to remove subsidies, the IMF has inadequately responded to the sweeping social and political changes stemming from the 2011 uprisings and subsequent period of unrest.

Download or read book Fair Taxation in the Middle East and North Africa written by Mario Mansour and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-09-02 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fairness – and what governments can do about it – is at the forefront of economic and social debate all over the world. In MENA, this has been at the core of recent political transitions but has not been adequately addressed. This SDN explores how tax systems – a critical interface between the state and citizens – can play a role in meeting demands for greater economic fairness in MENA countries. The SDN finds that for countries with well-established non-hydrocarbon tax systems (mostly oil importers) reforms should focus on simplifying tax structures and introducing more progressivity of personal income taxes, broadening tax bases, and better designing and enforcing property taxes. Tax administration should be more efficient and user-friendly while simplifying tax regimes will reduce the scope for arbitrary implementation. MENA countries with less established non-hydrocarbon revenue systems can begin with a “starter pack” that includes introduction of low-rate value-added and corporate income taxes, excises, and property taxes while building up administrative capacity and taxation expertise together with plans for introducing a personal income tax. Across the region, effective communication, transparency, and constructive dialogue between the State and citizens are critical to the success of reforms.

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.

Download or read book Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa written by Rana Jawad and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2019 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a state of the art in the developing field of social policy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It offers an up-to-date conceptual analysis of social policy programmes and discourses in the MENA region by critically reviewing the range of social insurance and social assistance schemes that are currently in existence there. It also analyses and offers suggestions on which of these policies can positively impact the region’s advancement in terms of human development and in addressing social and economic inequalities and exclusion.

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.

Download or read book Energy Subsidy Reform in Sub Saharan Africa written by Mr.Trevor Serge Coleridge Alleyne and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-08-12 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The reform of energy subsidies is an important but challenging issue for sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. There is a relatively large theoretical and empirical literature on this issue. While this paper relies on that literature, too, it tailors its discussion to SSA countries to respond to the following questions: Why it is important to reduce energy subsidies? What are the difficulties involved in energy subsidy reform? How best can a subsidy reform be implemented? This paper uses various sources of information on SSA countries: quantitative assessments, surveys, and individual (but standardized) case studies.