African states improving policy — World Bank

By AGENCIES

THIRTEEN of Africa’s poorest countries have improved their policy environment for growth and poverty reduction, World Bank survey shows.

Thirteen of Africa’s poorest countries have improved their policy environment for growth and poverty reduction, the latest World Bank review of policies and institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, released on Thursday, shows.

The countries are Comoros, Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The bank said most African countries showed a stable or improved policy environment for development.

The review was part of the annual World Bank country policy and institutional assessment that rates the performance of poor countries.

The assessment examines 16 key development indicators covering such areas of economic management as structural reforms; policies for social inclusion and equity; and public sector management and institutions.

It shows that in Africa, performance in economic management led all other areas, followed by performance in the area of structural policies, then social inclusion. It found that governance lagged other areas.

“There was a concern that global economic turmoil would slow reforms across the continent,” Shanta Devarajan, World Bank chief economist for the Africa region, said. “But African policy makers generally continued their commitment to reform programmes during the global crisis, and some even accelerated them with the ultimate mission of improving the development prospects and economic wellbeing of their people.”