Water pricing policies are designed to encourage conservation while ensuring that utilities can recover their costs and consumers afford their bills. In many Latin American countries, including Brazil, utilities use increasing block rates (IBRs), a tariff structure where the price of each unit of water rises as consumption passes certain thresholds and enters into a new … [Read more...] about Designing Better Policies for Water Pricing
Uncategorized
Beyond Cash: The Digital Payments Revolution in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean is undergoing a transformative shift in digital payments. Between 2019 and 2023, the average number of electronic transactions in the region grew threefold. This surge in the way in which transactions are made in the region coincides with a strong preference for digital payment methods. According to the Inter-American Development Bank's landmark … [Read more...] about Beyond Cash: The Digital Payments Revolution in Latin America and the Caribbean
How Employment Narratives Shape Public Support for Trade
International trade is often hailed as a driver of economic growth and consumer welfare. Yet, despite its economy-wide benefits, it remains divisive and politically contentious - especially when it comes to employment. Part of this dynamic has to do with the fact that trade helps firms which are export-oriented but hurts firms that compete with imports. Given that people are … [Read more...] about How Employment Narratives Shape Public Support for Trade
Prestigious Fellowship Program for Talented Research Assistants
The Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank is looking to fill its 18-month Research Assistant Consultancies Program with creative, motivated, and experienced young professionals and recent graduates in economics. The prestigious program, offering successful candidates the opportunity to provide support and generate new ideas to leading economists from … [Read more...] about Prestigious Fellowship Program for Talented Research Assistants
Taking Stock of Thirty Years of Research
The IDB’s Research Department has turned 30, and as I celebrate this birthday, I look back with immense pride on the three decades of critical contributions our department has made to evidence-based policymaking in Latin America and the Caribbean and forwards to the tough challenges we face in a rapidly changing world. Having first joined the department more than 20 years … [Read more...] about Taking Stock of Thirty Years of Research