2015年-世界发展银行全球_Country_Partnership_Framework_for_Albania_2015-2019_88页_2mb

Summary of the Country Partnership Framework for Albania (2015–2019)

Core Content

The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Albania, covering the period 2015–2019, outlines the World Bank Group (WBG) strategy to support Albania in achieving equitable growth and integration into the European Union (EU). The CPF is based on the Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD), which identified 12 priority areas, but the WBG selectively focused on five fundamental priorities that directly contribute to the twin goals of reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

The CPF includes 12 objectives grouped into three focus areas:

1. Restoring macroeconomic balances
2. Creating conditions for accelerated private sector growth
3. Strengthening public sector management and service delivery

The CPF also emphasizes two cross-cutting themes: gender-sensitive interventions and EU accession as a long-term policy anchor.

Main Objectives and Focus Areas

Focus Area 1: Restoring macroeconomic balances

• Objective: Address fiscal and financial sector imbalances to support a sustainable growth model.
• Key Priorities:
  • Fiscal consolidation: Reform unsustainable fiscal liabilities such as pensions.
  • Public investment management: Improve transparency and predictability in public investment, especially in infrastructure.
  • Financial sector stability: Address non-performing loans and enhance financial institutions' role in promoting growth and shared prosperity.

Focus Area 2: Creating conditions for accelerated private sector growth

• Objective: Improve the business environment and support private sector development.

• Key Priorities:

  • High-quality business environment: Reduce regulatory burdens and improve the investment climate.
  • Clean and efficient energy: Ensure reliable and affordable power supply to attract investment and support growth.
  • Land market formalization and inclusiveness: Resolve land ownership issues and promote sustainable land use.

• Supporting Initiatives:

  • Promote sustainable tourism as a key growth driver.
  • Address electricity supply instability, a major constraint to business operations.
  • Leverage agro-forestry resources for inclusive development.
  • Enhance property rights and land management to reduce regional poverty disparities.

Focus Area 3: Strengthening public sector management and service delivery

• Objective: Improve governance, transparency, and accountability in public services.

• Key Priorities:

  • Efficiency in public service delivery: Address inefficiencies, lack of accountability, and informal payments.
  • Social protection: Enhance service provision for the bottom 40 percent of the population, including the Roma community.
  • Health services: Improve access and quality of health services in poorer regions.
  • Water supply: Ensure equitable and sustainable water access for vulnerable communities.

• Supporting Mechanisms:

  • Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Encourage private sector participation in public service delivery.
  • Citizen-Centric Delivery (CSD): Improve service accessibility and quality for citizens.

Key Information

• Currency: Albanian Lek (LEK), with 1 LEK = 0.00772 USD (April 27, 2015).
• Fiscal Year:
  • Government: January 1 – December 31
  • World Bank: July 1 – June 30
• Leadership:
  • IBRD: Laura Tuck (Vice President), Ellen A. Goldstein (Country Director), Tahseen Sayed (Task Team Leader)
  • IFC: Karin Finkelston (Vice President), Tomasz A. Telma (Country Director), George Konda (Task Team Leader)
  • MIGA: Keiko Honda (Vice President), Ravi Vish (Country Director), Frank Linden (Task Team Leader)
• SCD Identified 12 Priority Areas, but the CPF focuses on five fundamental priorities:
  1. Restoring fiscal sustainability and financial stability
  2. Establishing a high-quality business environment
  3. Providing clean, efficient, equitable, and financially sustainable energy
  4. Formalizing and enhancing inclusiveness and sustainability of land markets
  5. Enhancing governance, transparency, and accountability of government
• CPF Objectives:
  • Based on selectivity filters including championing, comparative advantage, and strategic programming.
  • Includes 12 objectives and a focus on public-private partnerships, financial sector reforms, and improving service delivery.

Cross-Cutting Themes

1. Gender Sensitivity:

   • Interventions will include gender-disaggregated monitoring and support for narrowing the economic opportunity gap for women.
   • Land management reforms will aim to increase female landholding.
   • Social safety nets will be targeted to include female beneficiaries.

2. EU Accession:

   • The entire CPF program is aligned with Albania's EU accession goals.
   • The EU's IPA2 (2014–2020) strategy is a key reference point.
   • The WBG will use its analytic and financial resources to support reforms and leverage EU funding to deepen reforms and maximize impact.

Key Challenges and Context

• Albania emerged from communist isolation in the 1990s as one of the poorest countries in Europe.
• Rapid growth (nearly 6% annually) led to middle-income status by 2008 and significant poverty reduction.
• The 2008 global and Eurozone crisis caused growth to stall and public debt to rise.
• The new government (2013) showed strong political commitment to reform, particularly in fiscal consolidation, energy, and pensions.
• The SCD highlighted the need for a new growth model based on macro-fiscal sustainability, domestic productivity, and export-oriented growth.

Conclusion

The CPF for Albania is a strategic and selective program aimed at addressing the country's most pressing development challenges. It emphasizes fiscal and financial stability, improving the business environment, clean energy, land reform, and enhancing governance and public service delivery. The program is designed to align with Albania's aspirations for EU integration and to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth. The WBG is committed to supporting the Government's reform agenda through a combination of technical assistance, financial support, and collaboration with EU and other international partners.