Country Context. 1. Turkmenistan is a presidential republic. Following independence in 1991, Turkmenistan adopted a gradual approach to economic and political reforms with the state playing a leading role in the economy. The Constitution provides for legal reform towards the market economy and democratization of state and public life. In 2020, the country is planning to introduce the bicameral model of the Parliament, where the People’s Council currently chaired by the President, is integrated as a unit of the Parliament.
2. Turkmenistan is an upper middle-income country of 5.85 million people5. High economic growth averaging
Country Context. Turkmenistan is a presidential republic. Following independence in 1991, Turkmenistan adopted a gradual approach to economic and political reforms with the state playing a leading role in the economy. The Constitution provides for legal reform towards the market economy and democratization of state and public life. In 2020, the country is planning to introduce the bicameral model of the Parliament, where the People’s Council currently chaired by the President, is integrated as a unit of the Parliament. Turkmenistan is an upper middle-income country of 6.2 million people5. High economic growth averaging 6.3 percent in 2016-20186, derived mainly from hydrocarbon development and state-led activities, is vulnerable to external risks. These include commodity price volatility, slower global growth, intensified trade tensions and rising geopolitical risks. The country continues to pursue an investment-led growth strategy underpinned by import substitution and export promotion policies, directed concessional lending, and broad foreign exchange controls on international transactions and payments7. Diversification and private sector development are key policy priorities, calling for a highly skilled workforce, accelerated structural reforms and transition towards the market economy. Strong economic performance contributed to improvements in social and development indicators. Turkmenistan’s Human Development Index value for 2018 was 0.710 ranking the country 108 out of 189 countries and in the high human development xxxxxxxx0 with lagging rates for life expectancy, public health spending, access to potable water and low penetration of information technology (IT). Since 2007, the government commits at least 70 percent of the state budget expenditure to the social sector, including health, education, social protection, culture and housing9, which can be still increased as a percentage of GDP. The National Programme of the President of Turkmenistan on improving social and living conditions in villages, towns, cities in etrap and etrap centers for 2020 (Rural Development Programme) continues to be key investment programme aimed at improving rural infrastructure and access to basic services and reducing regional disparities. Climate change poses serious risks to economic activities, environmental sustainability and human development. It is likely to reduce the volume of water available for irrigation, potentially limiting crop production and national food production capac...
Country Context. Within the last years, Serbia has experiencing rapidly evolving economic as well as political landscapes. The country has a population of seven million, with a workforce of 3.1 million. In 2019, the GDP in Serbia accounted for USD 50.8 billion, presenting a slight increase from the previous year, where it stood at USD 50.5 billion. Serbia is classified by the World Bank as the upper-middle-income country in current USD in 2019.17 Given the gradual improvement in the business environment as well as spill over effects from increased FDI inflows, resulting in increased infrastructure investment and growth in household consumption, real GDP growth stood at 3.7% in 2019.18 With a relatively constant development over the last years, the industrial sector contributed to around one-fourth of the country's GDP in 2018, employing nearly 25% of the country's workforce. According to World Bank data, the manufacturing value-added was reported at 14.5% of GDP in 2018, while the share of the agricultural sector has been declining in recent years, accounting for approximately 6% of GDP in 2019, and employing around 19% of the workforce. The Serbian economy is mainly characterized as a service-based economy, with the service sector employing approximately 57% of the workforce and reaching a share of more than half of Serbia’s GDP in 2019.
Country Context. India’s power sector has a history of increasing demand for, and chronic shortages of, electricity. India’s high economic growth rates since 2003 have added to the growing energy needs. India has accelerated the development of conventional and non- conventional generating capacity in the last decade (2004-2013). Despite this significant capital investment in generation capacity, energy deficits persist at the national level. Despite having installed power generation capacity of about 225 gigawatt (GW), India faced a peak power deficit of 9% (12 GW) as of May 2013. Power shortages have adversely affected the country's economy: in FY2012, the cost of power shortages in Indian economy was about $68 billion (0.4% of the gross domestic product). Improvement of the power sector is essential for the economic well-being of the country and enhancement of the quality of life of its citizens.
Country Context. 1 Project HOPE. Scope of Work, Community Health and Partnerships (CHAPS) Final Evaluation, Project HOPE/Malawi, January 13, 2002, p. 2
Country Context. Liberia’s youth constitutes nearly half of the Liberian labour force but is exposed to high unemployment, underemployment and vulnerable employment rates. The global commodity prices crisis, combined with the effects of the Ebola crisis, have devastated the Liberian economy and worsened youth’s fragility problems. A socially and economically marginalised young population can pose serious risks to national security, social cohesion and stability. Liberian youth generally lack employable skills and are ill-equipped to access new economic opportunities. Efforts to improve their employability are constrained by a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector characterised by serious shortcomings in terms of quality and relevance, access and equity, funding, and governance. The Government of Liberia (GoL) recognises that the transition towards inclusive growth will not happen unless human capabilities are enhanced and the quality of education and vocational training are improved to match the demands of the labour market. The present intervention will seek to strengthen the Liberian TVET sector in its capacity to deliver equitable and gender-balanced access to high-quality and demand-driven TVET. This will be done by supporting capacity development at central and TVET provider level, and by strengthening links with the private sector. The intervention will address equity issues with emphasis on remote South East rural areas and vulnerable youth, including people with disabilities.
Country Context. 2.1. HIV and AIDS and TB in South Africa Table 1: The annual rate, estimated number, and percentage of new HIV infections by province, 2010 Province Estimated Annual HIV Incidence Rate Estimated New HIV infections Percentage of Total New Infections Total Annual HIV Infections 1.2% 343 249
2.2. South Africa’s National Strategy and Key Policies in Response to HIV and TB
1 WHO Global TB Control Report, 2010 3 KYE/KYR Summary Report 2011 world‟s largest ART program; and improvement in the TB cure rate to 73%. To build on these successes the new NSP has once again set ambitious targets to be achieved by 2016/17 that include: 30 million people tested for HIV and screened for TB; 1.6 million men circumcised; 80% of people who need ART to receive it, and >85% TB cure rate for new smear positive cases. This has been supported by a rapid increase in SAG spending for HIV from just under ZAR 5 billion (US$576 million) in 2008 to around ZAR 11 billion (US$1.25 billion) in 2012, with intentions for further growth in the coming years. The NSP is driven by South Africa‟s long-term 20 year vision (2010-2030) of “Zero new HIV and TB infections, Zero new infections due to vertical transmission of HIV, Zero preventable deaths associated with HIV and TB, and Zero discrimination associated with HIV, STIs, and TB.” Four strategic objectives include: Addressing social and structural barriers to HIV, STI, and TB prevention, care, and impact; Preventing new HIV, STI, and TB infections; Sustaining health and wellness; and Increasing the protection of human rights and improving access to justice. The NSP also sets the following broad goals, which are supported by XXXXXX: Reduce new HIV infections by at least 50%, using combination prevention approaches; Initiate at least 80% of eligible patients on ART, with 70% alive and on treatment five years after initiation; Reduce the number of new TB infections, as well as the number of TB deaths, by 50%; Ensure an enabling and accessible legal framework that protects and promotes human rights in order to support implementation of the NSP; and Reduce the self-reported stigma and discrimination related to HIV and TB by 50% by 2016. The NSP has also identified key strategic enablers that are to determine the success of implementation of the interventions of the strategic objectives: governance and institutional arrangements; effective communication; monitoring and evaluation (M&E); and research. In addition to the NSP, there are also several oth...
Country Context. As with many of its neighbouring countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana is experiencing rapid urbanization. Statistics from 2000 indicate that the growth trends of the urban population in the last four decades have increased from 23.1 percent in the 1960s to 43.8 percent in 2000.1 This shows an average growth rate of 23.5 percent per decennium over the last decades and at the current growth rate of 2.7 percent per annum, the urban population is expected to double by 2017.2 Though there are no updated official statistics on the current urbanizations rates, it can be inferred that today some half of the national Ghanaian population of 23 million (2007), lives in cities and other urban areas. The greatest urban concentration occurs in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) with a present day estimated population of 3 million. Despite this phenomenon, the urban agenda has been ignored in Ghana, practically to the point of non-existence, leaving the Government unprepared for its urban future. Ghana crossed the threshold from rural to urban without a hint of recognition. Xxxxx is “everywhere but nowhere” among government institutions, which are weak across the board and ill-prepared to deal with urban challenges. Though there has been a long history of efforts to strengthen local governance in Ghana, there has been little recognition of differentiated governance needs between urban and rural jurisdictions. The same methodologies for governance are applied for all metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) from the smallest, rural district assemblies to the largest metropolitan areas. Even the District Development Fund (DDF), which provides performance-based grants to MMDAs with the support of many development partners, does not draw a clear distinction between urban and rural districts – they are all measured against the same baseline indicators. A Strategic Plan for the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), prepared almost 20 years ago, remains a reference point, but appears to be a plan that is more referred to than actually used to guide development of the capital city region. In fact, despite being extremely comprehensive, most of the plan has not been implemented, apart from some transportation (e.g. the ring road), industrial development and urban residential consolidation plans. Since that time, the practice of planning has been captured in the Medium Term Development Plans (MTDPs) prepared by all MMDAs according to the same template in...
Country Context
