Bangladesh : Strategy for Sustained Growth, Volume 1. Summary Report

World Bank

Bangladesh : Strategy for Sustained Growth, Volume 1. Summary Report

Autores

World Bank

Editor

Washington, DC

Descripción

The premise of the report on a strategy for sustained growth is that Bangladesh, could join the ranks of middle-income countries (MICs) within a decade by 2016 or some time soon after. It has the necessary assets: much-improved economic fundamentals; success in implementing many first-generation reforms; a young, rapidly growing labor force; and an established entrepreneurial culture. To pick up pace in the development marathon, Bangladesh will need to deepen its industrial base, further its economic integration with global markets, and unleash the growth potentials of its major urban centers, Dhaka especially. Reform measures essential to these objectives include continuing macroeconomic stability, with emphasis on strengthening tax mobilization and tackling energy sector losses; deepening financial sector and external trade reforms; and rebalancing the policy focus toward hitherto neglected structural areas - economic governance, urban management, infrastructure (especially power sector, ports, and transportation), and labor skills - that are especially important for strengthening factor productivity. Progress in these and other areas can bring the kind of sustained, rapid growth which the government has put at the center of its poverty-reduction strategy. The report stresses that economic growth has proven to be the most potent force in the fight against poverty. Despite serious weaknesses in governance, corruption most notably, Bangladesh has achieved good growth since 1990. The study concludes that Bangladesh's challenge is not to jumpstart growth but to maintain and, to the extent possible, accelerate it.

Palabras clave

ACTIVE LABOR, AGRICULTURAL GROWTH, AGRICULTURE, ANTI-EXPORT BIAS, AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH, AVERAGE COSTS, AVERAGE GROWTH, AVERAGE PRODUCTIVITY, BANKRUPTCY, CAPITAL STOCK, COMPARATOR COUNTRIES, COMPETITIVE PRESSURES, COMPETITIVENESS, CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS, DIVERSIFICATION, ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC RELATIONS, ECONOMIC SECTORS, ECONOMICS, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, EDUCATION LEVEL, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION, EMPLOYMENT GENERATION, EXCHANGE RATE, EXCHANGE RATES, EXPORT MARKETS, EXPORT PROCESSING ZONE, EXPORT PROCESSING ZONES, EXPORTS, FACTOR ACCUMULATION, FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, FINANCIAL SECTOR, FIRM PRODUCTIVITY, FIRM SIZE, FIRM-LEVEL PRODUCTIVITY, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, FOREIGN OWNERSHIP, FOREIGN-OWNED FIRMS, FREE TRADE, GAS, GDP, GDP PER CAPITA, GENDER INEQUALITY, GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES, GLOBAL MARKETS, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, GROWTH PROCESS, GROWTH RATE, GROWTH RATES, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, INCOME, INCOME GROWTH, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, INEFFICIENCY, INEQUALITY MEASURES, INVESTMENT CLIMATE, INVESTMENT RATE, JOB CREATION, JOBS, KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, LABOR FORCE, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, LABOR LAWS, LABOR MARKET, LABOR PRODUCTIVITY, LEATHER INDUSTRY, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, NATIONAL INCOME, NON-FARM SECTOR, OCCUPATION, OUTPUT GROWTH, OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE, PER CAPITA GROWTH, POLICY OPTIONS, POLICY VARIABLES, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY, PREVIOUS STUDIES, PRICE LEVELS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRODUCTION FUNCTION, PRODUCTION WORKERS, PRODUCTIVE FIRMS, PRODUCTIVITY GAINS, PRODUCTIVITY PERFORMANCE, PROTECTION RATE, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC WORKS, QUALITY STANDARDS, REAL WAGE, REAL WAGES, RURAL GROWTH, SKILLED WORKERS, SOUTH ASIAN, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TFP, TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY, TRADE LIBERALIZATION, TRADE POLICY, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, VALUE ADDED, WAGE RATE, WAGES, WEALTH, WORK EXPERIENCE, WORKER, WORKERS, WORKFORCE SKILLS, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, WTO