TIRANA, November 20, 2013 - Over the past several months, the World Bank has prepared a set of Policy Briefs on selected priority issues for Albania’s economic and social development. This work was intended to serve as an input to the new Government’s program of reforms. It also aimed at encouraging dialogue among various stakeholders in the country about economic challenges, priorities and options.
The Briefs encompass a range of topics, which are high on the government agenda, such as macroeconomic policies, financial sector strengthening, pension reform, health and education, poverty monitoring and social protection, gender equity and social inclusion, land reform, power sector development, transport infrastructure, water resources, and environment and waste management. Each Brief presents an overview of the issues, main achievements to date, including with support by the World Bank financed projects, the unfinished agenda ahead, and a number of recommendations and policy options for the way forward.
"Through this work, we wanted to help the new government - and the public at large - to take stock of the ongoing reforms and results they have achieved, identify gaps and bottlenecks, and develop priorities for action that are informed by lessons from relevant experiences in Albania and elsewhere. We are very encouraged by the interest that the government, at the highest level, has shown in our analyses and recommendations. I would like to acknowledge and thank a large number of Bank staff who contributed to various Briefs. This collective work also provided a good basis for discussing priorities for future World Bank support," said Kseniya Lvovsky, outgoing Country Manager for Albania, who initiated and coordinated the production of the Briefs.
