Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP)

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) describe a country's macroeconomic, structural, and social policies and programs to promote growth and reduce poverty, as well as associated external financing needs. PRSPs are prepared by governments through a participatory process that involves civil society and development partners, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers provide the basis for World Bank and IMF assistance as well as debt relief under the HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) Initiative. PRSPs should be country-driven, comprehensive, partnership-oriented, and participatory. A country only needs to write a PRSP every three years; however, changes can be made to the content of a PRSP using an Annual Progress Report.  For more information, please refer to the World Bank Povertynet website.

Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS)

The Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (PDF) 2003 - 2005 outlines the five pillars on which the government has based its strategy for reducing poverty: 

  Ensure sound economic management for accelerated growth
  Increase production and promoting sustainable livelihoods
  Direct support for human development and the provision of basic services
  Provide special programs in support of the vulnerable and excluded
  Ensure good governance and increased capacity of the public sector.

The government prepared the document through an extensive consultative process with civil society and other stakeholders. It includes a poverty diagnosis, an analysis of past policies and their shortcomings, an outline of the various elements of the strategy, a policy matrix, selected indicators for the monitoring and evaluating of the strategy and a set of programs for 2003 -2005.

The strategy builds on creating favorable conditions for private-sector-led growth, improving the delivery of basic social services, and raising the efficiency of the public sector.

For more information on the GPRS, please refer to the World Bank Povertynet Ghana country page.