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Publication - Growth Brief
Sustainable urbanisation in developing countries: Cities as places to innovate, trade, and work
As the transition to a net zero global economy takes hold, there will be new opportunities for growth across a wide range of urban industries and services. City governments in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia need to proactively plan how they will leverage this to deliver on local productivity and job creation objectives. The climate crisis urgently calls for a new...
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Publication - Project Report
Impact of COVID-19 on fresh produce supply chains: Evidence from Pakistan
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Publication - Policy Brief
Impact of COVID-19 on fresh produce supply chains
Farming remains the predominant occupation and source of income for 48% of the population of Punjab, Pakistan. Recent studies have provided suggestive evidence on the exploitation of farmers by middlemen through low offer prices and informal loans. Very little research has been done to investigate this influential position occupied by the different tiers of...
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Publication - Growth Brief
Sustainable urbanisation in developing countries: Cities as places to live
Climate change has presented cities with new challenges and opportunities for improving their liveability. If well-managed, cities offer both adaptation and mitigation benefits, as well as sustainable development opportunities, that other forms of living cannot. Climate change can no longer be ignored. Estimates suggest that inaction could cost the global economy between...
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Publication - Working Paper
Searching for customers, finding pollution
In developing countries, most manufacturing firms are small and located in high-density urban areas, often near congested streets. To study the determinants and implications of this location choice, we collect a novel firm survey and detailed air pollution measurements within Ugandan cities. We find that firms locate on the busiest roads searching for customer visibility,...
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Publication - Project Report
Rebuilding the social compact: Urban service delivery and property taxes in Pakistan
This impact evaluation investigates whether strengthening the link between local taxation and urban services can revitalise the social compact between citizen and state. A significant challenge to the provision of local public services in developing economies is the inability to raise adequate resources, especially through local taxation. In many countries, the social...
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Publication - Project Report
Government demand and domestic firm growth: Evidence from Uganda
Using detailed administrative data, this paper analyses the relationship between participation in public procurement (selling to government entities) and firm performance in Uganda. We find positive associations with total sales, gross profits, total compensation of employees, number of workers and sales per employee. Overall sales growth associated with selling to...
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Publication - Project Report
Constraints to female entrepreneurship in Pakistan
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Publication - Policy Brief
Constraints to female-run microenterprises in Pakistan: The role of goals and aspirations
The national rate of active labour participation in Pakistan is low, at a little less than 44%, with a disproportionate gender gap. The rate of female participation equals only one-third of the male participation rate at 22%. This study tests if low-cost, light-touch training to boost aspirations and setting goals for the future can help in promoting microenterprise...
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Publication - Policy Brief
Government demand and domestic firm growth: Evidence from Uganda
Government procurement is an important mechanism for private sector development in Uganda. The 2014 Buy Uganda Build Uganda policy aims to expand domestic consumption of locally produced goods and services, setting a target of awarding at least 20% of the value of public procurement contracts to Ugandan firms. We study the impact of participation in public...
Publication - Policy Brief
Responding to imported inflation in Uganda: Distributional impacts and policy options
Inflation is ravaging the world, driven by a combination of post-pandemic supply chain disruptions, a rebound in global demand, and the war in Ukraine. The first round-effects of the global inflation surge in Uganda have occurred via jumps in the prices of seven principal commodities, delivering particularly adverse hits to the incomes of the poor. As a small open...