ARMENIA
Modern Courthouse Praised at Ceremony
The opening ceremony for a newly-constructed courthouse for the Kentron and Nork-Marash communities was held in Yerevan on September 26. Nine judges will work in the building, which now complies with international standards. This is the 12th courthouse completed under the Bank-funded Judicial Reform Project. Cabinet members, the mayor of Yerevan, NGOs, Bank staff, and media attended the ceremony. In an opening speech, the Chairman of the Cassation Court emphasized the importance of the World Bank in creating an independent, efficient, and transparent judiciary system in Armenia. Click here for the project story. Dam Rehabilitation Commences
The formal launch of the Marmarik dam’s rehabilitation was held on September 20. Government, project, and Bank staff attended the event, along with several journalists. Under the Bank-funded Dam Safety Project, 22 dams have been rehabilitated. Implementation savings accumulated during the project will allow for the complete rehabilitation of Marmarik dam, which has been untouched since 1976. After completion in 2009, the dam will accumulate 24 million cubic meters of water, which will irrigate 1,055 hectares of land and reduce energy consumption by 10.9 million Kwth.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
Bosnia Country Office Publishes Economic Newsletter
The Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Office published its quarterly economic newsletter in September. The newsletter provides general information and analysis and trends related to key economic developments in the country, with a focus in this edition on public administration. Click here for the press release.
BULGARIA
Anticorruption Study Presented in Bulgaria
ECSPE Sector Director Cheryl Gray presented the findings of the regional report Anticorruption in Transition 3: Who is Succeeding…and Why? on September 12 in Sofia. Senior government officials, members of Parliament, representatives of business associations, trade unions, and media discussed the importance of tackling corruption in Bulgaria in order to further improve the business environment and enhance economic competitiveness. The public event was organized jointly with the Minister of Economy and received extensive media coverage, including a live interview with Cheryl Gray on the National Television station. Click here for the press release.
GEORGIA
Doing Business Presentation Praises No. 1 Reformer
The World Bank’s Doing Business 2007 report, which identified Georgia as the number one reformer, was presented in Tbilisi on September 11. Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli and co-author Simeon Djankov discussed Georgia’s global ranking and the report’s findings on the business environment. Georgia improved in six of the 10 areas studied by Doing Business, making it the top reformer and allowing the country to jump in the overall rankings from 112 last year to 37 this year, the biggest jump seen in a single year by any country since the report was launched four years ago. Click here for the feature story and press release.
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
HIV/AIDS Conference to Address Rising Infection Rates in Central Asia
The World Bank-supported Central Asia AIDS Control Project and Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS co-sponsored a parliamentary conference in Bishkek on September 25, titled “The HIV Epidemic in Central Asia and Eastern Europe: Legislative Measures to Combat the Spread of HIV and Priorities for Regional Cooperation.” Central Asia has witnessed a dramatic increase in infection rates over the past four years, and the total number of cases is thought to be far more than reported. The conference outlined priorities and concrete next steps for fighting the epidemic in the region. Click here for the feature story.
POLAND
Latest EU8 Report is Optimistic, but Urges Caution
The most recent edition of the EU8 Quarterly Report was launched on September 27 in Warsaw. Lead Author Thomas Blatt Laursen emphasized that although growth is continuing in the 8 countries despite obstacles, countries must seize the opportunity to enact reforms now. Several issues are complicating factors, including recent elections that led to unstable alliances and thus a difficult reform environment, and inflationary pressures are mounting. This edition’s Special Topic focused on labor migration, looking at the positive and negative consequences for both the recipient and sending countries. The regional report Anticorruption in Transition 3: Who is Succeeding…and Why? was launched the same week. Click here for the press release.
ROMANIA
Doing Business Launched in Romania
The report Doing Business 2007: How to Reform was launched in Bucharest on September 13 by co-author Simeon Djankov, who discussed Romania’s ranking as number two reformer in improvements in the business environment. Participants included the Prime Minister, Minister of Public Finance, other high government officials, members of Parliament, and representatives of the private sector, media, think tanks, and civil society. Click here for the press release. World Bank Supports Avian Flu Preparation in Romania
The World Bank approved a 29.6 million euro loan for the Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response project on September 8. The project will reduce the threat posed to humans and the poultry sector in Romania by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and will support the preparation for, control of, and response to influenza pandemics and other infectious disease emergencies in humans. Click here for the press release.
RUSSIA
Banking Forum and Mortgage Conference Held in Russia
The IV International Banking Forum, “The Banks of Russia–XXI Century,” organized by the Association of Russian Regional Banks with the support of the World Bank, was held in Sochi from September 7-10. The Forum was Russia’s largest banking summit of the year based on the range of issues discussed, number of participants, and representation of the highest legislative and executive authorities and local and international financial institutions. The conference “Mortgage Development in Russia in the Context of Global Experience” was held within the framework of the Forum on September 8-9. Country Director Kristalina Georgieva delivered the opening speech, emphasizing the importance of mortgage lending for economic growth. Joint Agreement Signed between Regional Government and World Bank
The governor of the Stavropol Krai and Country Director Kristalina Georgieva signed a joint agreement of intent on September 7 as part of the International Investment Forum in Southern Russia being held in Kislovodsk. Under the joint agreement, the World Bank and Stavropol Krai confirmed their interest in a direct partnership aimed at developing and enhancing the investment attractiveness of the economy of Stavropol Krai and upgrading the quality and accessibility of civil service, the effectiveness of budgetary resources, and the quality of social services.
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Doing Business Launched in Bratislava
The World Bank, in cooperation with the National Union of Employers, launched Doing Business in 2007: How to Reform on September 19. The presentation gave the outcomes of the report and provided the Slovak private sector’s perspective on business environment development in Slovakia. Presentations were given by Country Manager Ingrid Brockova and the head of the union. More than 30 people representing the private sector, government institutions, financial institutions, and media participated in the launch. Click here for the press release. Workshop Discusses Statistics Collection Improvement
The World Bank, in cooperation with the Slovak Statistical Office, organized a workshop on a Statistical Master Plan for Slovakia on September 12-13. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the main recommendations of the master plan, with a particular focus on proposed measures to increase the capacity of the statistical system. The workshop was opened by then-Country Director Daniela Gressani and top representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Statistical Office in Slovakia, and was attended by more than 60 representatives of the expert community. New EU Members Look at Administrative Capacity
The World Bank organized a regional workshop on “Administrative Capacity Development in EU8 Countries” on September 6. The objective of the workshop was to discuss research for a cross-country study on administrative capacity development by the World Bank. The research analyzed critical aspects of public management, including strategic planning and performance management, civil service development, and e-governance. Senior Public Sector Specialist Tony Verheijen organized the workshop.
TURKEY
Summit Looks at Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Turkey
The World Bank participated to the 1st Public Private Partnerships Summit organized in Turkey by the Corporate Social Responsibility Association on September 15-16. Country Director Andrew Vorkink delivered one of the opening speeches of the Summit with the Resident Representative of UNDP in Turkey and the Ministers of Finance and Transport. In his speech, Andrew emphasized the benefits of PPPs in Turkey, particularly in the infrastructure sub-sectors and in some service sectors. Senior Infrastructure Officer Seema Manghee was a speaker on one of the panels. World Bank Supports Electricity Infrastructure in Turkey
The World Bank signed a Euro 280 million loan agreement for the Electricity Generation Rehabilitation and Restructuring Project on September 12. The objective of the project loan is to mitigate the risk of electricity supply shortages during the period of energy reform transition until around 2010, and to support the restructuring of the state-owned generation sector operated by EUAS into corporate entities and prepare them for operation in the electricity market and for subsequent privatization. Click here for the press release.
UKRAINE
New Report Warns Ukraine to Reexamine Public Spending
The Bank issued a new economic report for Ukraine on September 27, Creating Fiscal Space for Growth: A Public Finance Review, that analyzes the steps the country must take to unburden its large and inefficient public sector. The report recommends reforming the tax and social welfare systems, while at the same time improving the capital budgeting process. Click here for the press release.
World Bank Supports Ukraine in Implementing the Kyoto Protocol
The World Bank and UkrHydroEnergo signed on September 15 an emission reduction purchase agreement for the purchase and sale of one million Emission Reduction Units under the Joint Implementation mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. The agreement was signed by Country Director Paul Bermingham and the chairman of the company. The Emission Reduction Units, each representing a reduction of one ton of climate warming carbon dioxide emissions, are generated by the Hydropower Rehabilitation Project, financed by a World Bank loan and implemented by UkrHydroEnergo. This is the first emission reduction purchase agreement signed by the World Bank in Ukraine. Click here for the press release.
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