Since March of 2022, the war between Russia and Ukraine has significantly impacted the global economy, affecting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and reducing or halting growth in most of the world's regions. By disrupting the supply of agricultural and energy commodities, it has also fuelled inflation, which was already running hot before the war broke out. Latin … [Read more...] about The Impact of War on External Financing in Latin America and the Caribbean
What Can City Governments in Latin America Do to Improve Public Health?
The place where somebody lives matters for their physical well-being. Even within the same country, residents of different cities can have on average better or worse health, partly due to policies their city governments have adopted. Consider life expectancy in Latin America. The gap between the highest and lowest life expectancies in urban areas of Argentina, Chile, … [Read more...] about What Can City Governments in Latin America Do to Improve Public Health?
When Insurance for Small Businesses Provides Broad Social Gains
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, various studies have examined how large domestic and multinational firms respond to economic shocks, including health-related ones. But there has been less focus on how family-operated micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) modify their business decisions when faced with such disruptions. Similarly, relatively little … [Read more...] about When Insurance for Small Businesses Provides Broad Social Gains
Trust: An Obstacle and an Opportunity for Digital Transformation
It is well understood that digital transformation can build trust between citizens and the state. It improves service delivery, transparency, and the efficiency of public expenditure—all of which contributes to greater citizen trust in government. But trust is also critical to allowing the process of digital transformation to occur in the first place, and Latin America, the … [Read more...] about Trust: An Obstacle and an Opportunity for Digital Transformation
Avoiding Economic Long-COVID: Policies to Support Firms and Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean
During the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, governments in Latin America and the Caribbean aided firms and households with support packages coordinated with central bank monetary policy. For many, liquidity injections and flexible financial sector supervision helped ease the pain. While many small firms closed their doors during the crisis, surprisingly few larger … [Read more...] about Avoiding Economic Long-COVID: Policies to Support Firms and Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean