Public enterprise reform : a challenge for the World Bank

Public enterprises (PEs) earn an average 10 percent of GDP in developing countries. Many governments are reexamining the role of the state, so questions about whether to divest PEs or make them more efficient are likely to intensify. The Bank will increasingly be called upon for advice and financial support in managing the transition period. The Bank should maintain its focus on rationalizing the size of PEs, by liquidating nonviable PEs, and transfering their ownership or control to the private sector, if that will make them more efficient. In helping countries improve the efficiency of PEs that remain public, the Bank should emphasize both policy framework and institutional set-up, and restructuring of individual enterprises. It should also extend its analysis of PEs to the socialist economies, explore the relationship between PEs and the private sector, and study how best to phase and sequence PE reforms. The Bank should refine PE reform components and tools, especially in terms of the phasing and sequencing of price liberalization and competition: the budgetary impact of PEs; and the valuation of PEs for divestiture. Lastly, it should learn more systematically from experience by analyzing the outcomes of PE reforms; the performance of divested PEs; the effects on efficiency of staff reductions; and the effectiveness of program contracts on enterprise efficiency.Enterprise Development&Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Banks&Banking Reform,Health Monitoring&Evaluation

Does divestiture matter : a framework for learning from experience

Transferring ownership and control of enterprises from the public to the private sector has recently attracted great interest around the world. Several developed and developing countries have already divested varying portions of their public enterprise (PE) sectors, and many others are planning to follow suit. This paper provides an analytical framework for assessing the arguments for divestiture and for evaluating the lessons of experience. Its aim is to provide researchers with a mechanism to analyze the divestiture phenomenon more rigorously than has been attempted thus far. Ultimately, the findings of such analysis will enable policymakers to form more realistic expectations about the results from undertaking divestiture decisions and the conditions necesssary for attaining the maximum benefits from the application of this instruments. This paper summarizes the rationale for divestiture, reviews the empirical evidence, and then proposes a framework for undertaking an empirical investigation ofthe performance of divested firms. The paper is confined to partial equilibrium analysis, even though it addresses the fiscal impact of divestiture. It assumes a small sample setting, thus precluding econometric analysis. The paper's overall objective is to construct a framework for assessing the advantages and disadvantages resulting from the sale of a single enterprise, not for assessing a country's overall disvestiture program.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Health Economics&Finance

The role of regulation and commitment in the development of telecommunications in Chile

Over six decades, Chile experimented with three regulatory regimes and ownership patterns for its telecommunications sectors, each with radically different investment patterns. Until 1970, Chile relied on private ownership and rate-of-return regulation, but excess demand persisted. In the 1970s, Chile relied on public ownership of two regulated monopolies, but the sector grew even more slowly than before. After 1982, Chile deregulated some market segments, introduced benchmark regulation, and returned to private ownership. The new regulatory regime and privatization doubled the number of lines in service in only four years. The author explains investment behavior as a function of the solutions to two contracting problems: between government and the firm, and between government and interest groups. The author concludes that regulatory rules on pricing, entry, and conflict resolution mechanisms are critical for investing in such asset-specific utilities as telecommunications. More important, the outcome of regulatory reform depends on a match between reform and both the prevailing political and judicial systems and interest group politics. According to the author, Chile satisfactorily resolved the two contracting problems in the 1980's. Chile's new regulations are reasonably efficient and very specific about how tariffs are to be calculated, how entry is to be governed, and how conflicts are to be resolved. The rules are embodied in a law that is relatively difficult to change (because the judicial system is independent). The impetus for reform came from the emergency of a new private entrepreneurial class, whose growth depends on modern telecommunications services.Environmental Economics&Policies,Public Sector Economics&Finance,National Governance,ICT Policy and Strategies,Economic Theory&Research

Discrete Breather and Soliton-Mode Collective Excitations in Bose-Einstein Condensates in a Deep Optical Lattice with Tunable Three-body Interactions

We have studied the dynamic evolution of the collective excitations in Bose-Einstein condensates in a deep optical lattice with tunable three-body interactions. Their dynamics is governed by a high order discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equation (DNLSE). The dynamical phase diagram of the system is obtained using the variational method. The dynamical evolution shows very interesting features. The discrete breather phase totally disappears in the regime where the three-body interaction completely dominates over the two-body interaction. The soliton phase in this particular regime exists only when the soliton line approaches the critical line in the phase diagram. When weak two-body interactions are reintroduced into this regime, the discrete breather solutions reappear, but occupies a very small domain in the phase space. Likewise, in this regime, the soliton as well as the discrete breather phases completely disappear if the signs of the two-and three-body interactions are opposite. We have analysed the causes of this unusual dynamical evolution of the collective excitations of the Bose-Einstein condensate with tunable interactions. We have also performed direct numerical simulations of the governing DNLS equation to show the existence of the discrete soliton solution as predicted by the variational calculations, and also to check the long term stability of the soliton solution.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures , Accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J. D (EPJ D

Reforming land and real estate markets

Land and real estate reforms have not been effective at achieving their objectives, in part because of how they have been designed and implemented. To be successful, reforms must become comprehensive in design, argue the authors, although implementation may be phased over time and take local conditions into account. Reform must include three elements: 1) Institutional reforms that better define property rights, reduce information asymmetry, and improve contract enforcement. 2) Capital market reforms that make mortgage finance available at reasonable rates, especially for the poor. 3) Market reforms that reduce or eliminate the main distortions in the prices of goods and services produced by land and real estate assets. In their review of land and real estate reforms supported by the World Bank, the authors find that such reforms receive less attention at the conceptual stage than they should, considering their great impact on poverty, growth, and stability. They base their conclusion on the limited coverage of land and real estate issues in country assistance strategies, the main vehicle for identifying priority areas for reform. Most Bank-supported projects do not address all three elements critical for reform. And most provide no justification for excluding them, and no plan for follow-up. The Bank's Operations Evaluation Department rates Bank-supported land and real estate projects relatively well on outcome and sustainability but not on institutional development. But land and real estate reform is institutional by nature. The authors urge the Bank and policymakers to change course. After a comprehensive assessment of the status of real estate institutions and markets, all actors in this sector should be pulled together to develop a comprehensive approach to land and real estate reform.Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Land and Real Estate Development,Municipal Housing and Land,Real Estate Development,Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Municipal Housing and Land,Land and Real Estate Development,Real Estate Development

Regulating telecommunications in developing countries : outcomes, incentives, and commitment

In response to the recent wave ofprivatizing and regulating monopolies in developing countries, the authors evaluate the impact of different regulatory schemes on private sector behavior in the telecommunications sector in seven countries. They find that regulation is most effective - meaning, it results in substantial investment by the private sector, reasonable returns on this investment, and greater productivity - where the government/regulators reduce the firm's information advantage, induce the firm (through pricing) to operate efficiently, and institute safeguarding mechanisms to protect the firm against expropriation of assets or quasi-rents. Conversely, where the government/regulators fail to resolve information, incentive, and commitment problems, private sector returns are relatively high, and investment and productivity are relatively low.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Decentralization,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Knowledge Economy,Education for the Knowledge Economy

Anchoring Reform with a US-Egypt Free Trade Agreement

The relationship between the United States and the Muslim/Arab world has deteriorated since September 11, 2001. The United States is widely perceived as targeting Arab nations for their oil, especially in the wake of the war in Iraq. Measures are needed on both sides to build a more peaceful, prosperous Middle East. A free trade agreement with Egypt could be an instrument toward achieving this goal. If the United States were to select its FTA partners based on relative political importance in their regions, Egypt would top the list among Arab states. This study considers the key economic and political characteristics of Egypt as a potential FTA partner. It examines the benefits and challenges in pursuing bilateral negotiations with Egypt, examines the Bush proposal for a regional arrangement, and assesses the impact of a prospective FTA on other trading partners, on the Middle East/Arab world, and on the multilateral trading system. If an FTA with Egypt materializes, the gains can be substantial to all parties involved.

Should hysteroscopy be combined with laparoscopy in endometriosis associated infertility?

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the uterine cavity in cases of endometriosis associated infertility using office hysteroscopy.Study designA retrospective observational analytical study.Patients and methodsThe study conducted on 50 women with endometriosis diagnosed by laparoscopy seeking fertility treatment between December 2013 and October 2015. The study was approved from Ethical committee board of the faculty of Medicine Alexandria University. After explanation of the study objectives and procedures to all eligible women, informed written consent was signed. Thorough history taking, clinical examination and vaginal ultrasound examination was conducted to all participants. Office Hysteroscopy was done in the early proliferative phase using normal saline as a distention medium. All data were pulled from the reports at Elshatby Maternity University Hospital.ResultsThe age of the study group was ranging from 20 to 34 years with the mean of 29 years±3 years. 42 cases were primary infertility counting for 84% of patients and 8 cases were secondary infertility counting for 16% of patients. This reflects the strong impact of endometriosis on fertility. Normal uterine cavity was diagnosed in 35 cases representing 70% of the studied patients group. 10 cases had endometrial polyps representing 20% of the studied patients group. 5 cases had a uterine septum representing 10% of the studied patients group. 2 cases had a hypo plastic uterus in addition to uterine septum representing 4% of the studied patients group. Normal uterine cavity were diagnosed using hysteroscopy in 63.0% (18/23) in women having ovarian endometrioma while this normality was 78.3% (17/27) in women without endometrioma however, The prevalence of endometrial polyp was 25.9% in cases with endometrioma and 13% in cases without endometrioma. Cases with a uterine septum were 7.4% (2/23) of cases having ovarian endometrioma and 13.0% (3/27) of cases without it. Two cases with endometrioma out of 23 cases were diagnosed to have hypoplastic uterus. No uterine abnormalities were found in stage 1 endometriosis in contrast to the presence of 53.2% of patients with a uterine abnormality in stage 2. Also stage 3 patients were all having a normal uterine cavity while only 72.4% of patients with stage 4.ConclusionFrom the results of this study we can conclude that there is a High prevalence of endometrial polyps in cases of endometriosis. Also there is a High prevalence of uterine anomalies in cases of endometriosis. Still, we neither cannot recommend hysteroscopy as a routine in any endometriosis patient undergoing laparoscopy

Phyt-dewatering of sewage sludge

Over-population has resulted in an alarming rise in waste water ‎production. This lead to an increased amount of sludge and this can cause ‎serious environmental problems and health risks. This is because it carries different ‎types of pollutants. In Egypt, some sludge dewatering techniques are depending on natural evaporation (ex-ample, drying bed). However, this need very wide land areas. The other techniques are depending on mechanical ways (example, belt press)‎‏.‏‎ However, this is considered a high cost technology. ‎This research study investigated the potential efficacy of using water plants in expediting the process of sludge dewatering in drying bed. The study also proposed using aquatic plants for drying bed to improve the efficiency of both existing and newly constructed wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) while also considering the sludge quality and cost-effective technologies and methods. The selection criteria of the plants used in the study, mainly water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), common reed (phragmites), niseila (Papspalidium geminatum), and samar (Cryperus alopecuroid-es), was based on high water absorption capacity and resistance to a contaminated aquatic environment. The experiments were conducted through four phases: Phase One tested the ability of the four plants to survive in a sludge environment while Phase Two investigated which of the four plants could absorb the most water from the sludge (Phyto-dewatering); the third phase tested the surface area density of the water hyacinth, the successful plant in achieving optimum sludge evaporation. In Phase Four the design model with specific criteria (based on the first three experiments) was compared with a conventional one to test water evaporation and sludge quality. A chemical analysis of the produced sludge was conducted after each of the four phases. The results indicated that all of the selected plants were able to survive in the target environment. It was also found that water hyacinth demonstrates superior ability to consume and evaporate sludge water. Water hyacinth density is shown to be 100% effective for surface area coverage. Furthermore, results demonstrated that the design model outperformed the conventional model by 70% the quantity of evaporated sludge in half the time. It was found also that the dewatered sludge using phyto-technology more save to deal with compared ‎to sludge ‎dewatered using ordinary drying beds because the ability of water hyacinth ‎to remove the harmful microbial agents ‎from sludge such as total and fecal coliform, Salmonella, ‎Shigella and parasites