Economics & Development

Regional Program for Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Solutions Phase 1 for Benin, Central African Republic, Liberia, and Sierra Leone has the development objective to increase access to renewable electricity for households, businesses, and public institutions in the participating countries. Component 1: Connecting People supports privately owned and operated distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions in unserved areas through two Sub-components: Sub-component 1.1 Developer-Driven Market Expansion provides results-based financing (RBF) through a regional facility managed by a Regional Fund Manager (RFM) to prequalified companies submitting unsolicited, technology-agnostic proposals, with independent verification by an Independent Verification Agency (IVA) and streamlined approvals coordinated by a Regional Coordination Unit (RCU); Sub-component 1.2 Competitive Bidding for Large-Scale DRE Deployment uses technology-agnostic Minimum Subsidy Tenders (MSTs) aggregated across countries and coordinated by the RCU, applying guardrails such as subsidy caps, viability zoning, and minimum co-financing. Component 1 also pilots integrated energy and digital service provisioning through RBF top-ups that link last-mile electrification with broadband access, and an Energy as a Service (EaaS) approach for remote households that provides time-bound operational expenditure subsidies tied to Key Performance Indicators (KPI) under performance-based concessions. Component 2: Powering Economic Transformation expands productive use of electricity through two Sub-components: Sub-component 2.1 Enhancing Agri-Productivity provides RBF for solar water pumps and cold-chain solutions, complemented by support for market linkages to improve post-harvest management and incomes; Sub-component 2.2 Unlocking Rural Enterprise offers an open, competitive RBF window for efficient, income-generating equipment for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME), including digital-enabled services, with disbursements linked to verified productive use. Component 3: Powering Critical Public Services scales EaaS for health centers and schools through long-term service contracts with tranche-based RBF linked to verified service levels and, where appropriate, payment risk mitigation under the World Bank Group Guarantees Platform, and includes a Sub-component on combined provision of energy and digital connectivity for schools through integrated service contracts. Component 4: Implementation Support, Technical Assistance (TA), and Capacity Building strengthens regional and national delivery through two Sub-components: Sub-component 4.1 Regional coordination and implementation support establishes and operates the RCU, procures the RFM and IVA, standardizes processes and documents, and advances a regional learning agenda including an energy–digital taskforce; Sub-component 4.2 Strengthening national planning and implementation capacity supports Project Implementation Units (PIU) on fiduciary and environmental and social management, geospatial planning, regulatory improvements, productive-use ecosystem development and consumer awareness, electrification of public institutions, monitoring and evaluation, grievance redress, and gender-focused internships with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) partners to increase women’s participation in technical roles.

Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs) payment systems improve efficiency but create risks for hospital quality. A focused set of quality indicators is essential for safeguarding care. Three priority indicator domains (compliance with evidence-based guidelines, hospital-acquired conditions, and unplanned 30-day readmissions) offer practical, measurable ways to detect adverse effects of DRG incentives using existing claims data. Countries should adopt an iterative, governance-led approach to selecting, testing, and implementing indicators. Linking indicators to incentives or public reporting strengthens accountability and motivates improvement.

The minute is related to IFC Project 52238.

Ethiopia is navigating a challenging transition marked by macroeconomic reforms, exposure to external shocks, climate stress, conflict and displacement, and persistent human capital and service delivery gaps. In the coming years, the World Bank Group will focus on enabling a private sector-led growth model that creates more and better jobs by strengthening capable economic institutions, deepening macroeconomic stabilization, improving the business environment, and safeguarding essential social services. Support will prioritize reforms that enhance exchange rate and monetary policy credibility, improve fiscal sustainability, and increase regulatory predictability in areas such as competition, land and customs administration, and public accountability. The Bank will help lower trade and logistics costs through customs modernization, corridor efficiency, multimodal integration, and pro-competition measures, while improving energy and digital infrastructure reliability, advancing Mission 300, and widening market access. Finance for productive firms will be expanded through capital market development, stronger credit infrastructure and risk pricing, and instruments that crowd in private capital, with a focus on small and medium enterprises and women and youth-owned businesses. Sector engagements will emphasize agribusiness, light manufacturing, domestic pharmaceuticals, and complementary housing, operationalized through platforms such as AgriConnect and AIM2030 to strengthen value chains, standards, procurement, and firm upgrading. To build a skilled workforce, the Bank will support stronger foundational learning, industry-linked skills pathways, and systems that align incentives and data with employability and private demand. Health and nutrition investments will expand access to quality primary care, bolster resilient delivery systems, promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and improve water, sanitation, and hygiene, particularly in underserved, climate-vulnerable and conflict-affected areas. Cross-cutting priorities include resilience to climate and fragility risks, regional integration through AfCFTA, gender inclusion, and adaptive engagement that adjusts the mix and geographic focus of support as conditions evolve, with IDA, IFC, and MIGA mobilizing private solutions where reforms enable competitive markets.

Saving Lives On Roads Through Integrated Emergency Care Systems is a collaborative output of the World Bank Group’s Health and Transport units. It combines know-how from both sectors and reflects road safety and emergency care as a shared agenda. It shows how strengthening emergency care systems can accelerate progress toward ambitious development goals, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.6, which aims to halve road traffic deaths and injuries, and the World Bank Group’s target to support countries in reaching 1.5 billion people with quality, affordable health services by 2030. The report is intended as a practical resource for policy makers, planners, and implementers working to strengthen emergency care systems in low- and middle-income countries. Importantly, it focuses not only on what needs to be done, but on implementation. It recognizes that countries start from different realities and face different constraints. There is no single model for success. But there are practical steps that countries can take—starting today—to strengthen emergency response, expand access to care, and save lives.