Energy, Economic Growth, and Poverty Reduction: The Linkages
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Introduction and Background Click for FRENCH VERSION
Poverty is an infringement on the fundamental human rights of society’s most vulnerable that must be frontally tackled. Moreover, poverty is a multi-dimensional concept and the forms of deprivation that it takes — economic, human, political, socio-cultural and security — are interconnected. In addition, gender equity and environmental sustainability cut across all these dimensions of poverty (OECD, 2007).
Financing of Africa’s Energy Infrastructure: Challenges and Feasible Options?
Advancing and sustaining pro-poor growth is a pre-requisite for effective poverty reduction and an important condition for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Infrastructure —especially of the economic type — plays a very critical role in this growth process. Economic infrastructure comprises transport, energy, information and communication technology (ICT), irrigation, drinking water and sanitation. It involves both physical facilities (roads, energy generation, water treatment services) and services (transport services, energy and water supply), as well as investment, management, maintenance, capacity building and policy making. In addition, it can span countries, borders and regions.
Energy and National Finances in Africa
A Background Document Click for FRENCH VERSION
Public Finance tools for meeting the energy/development challenge
National energy objectives generally include: security and reliability of supplies; economic impacts (contribution to growth, access to energy, balance of payments); the management of natural resources. Finance Ministries possess a set of powerful tools to aid in achieving these objectives:
