Public Policy Reform Technical Assistance Project

closed

The Public Policy Reform Technical Assistance Project aims at consolidating, and deepening the reforms needed to accelerate growth, and reduce poverty, by strengthening the Government's economic monitoring, and planning, policy formulation, and execution capacity. The components will: 1) support trade reform, and institutional capacity by a) implementing the competition, consumer protection, and unfair trade policy law, and, b) strengthening the trade negotiating capacity of the Vice-ministry of International Trade, so as to conclude market opening trade agreements, develop capacity to prepare - with the private sector participation - international competitiveness diagnostic, and negotiating strategies, and by building management capacity in specialized trade policy areas; 2) improve the quality, and timeliness of macroeconomic data, through technical assistance (TA) focused on accurate calculation methodologies of economic activities, and modernization of computer systems. Capacity building, and advisory services will be provided to strengthen economic management, to draft legislation, and implement economic proposals. It includes the management of the debt reduction scheme, and implementation of the Economic Recovery, and Public Expenditure Rationalization Plans; 3) improve social spending, and reduce poverty through TA provision, focused on monitoring and evaluation of tools, targeted towards poverty reduction; 4) strengthen the public procurement system, by improving the procurement legal framework, and building institutional capacity, supported by the development of an electronic system; and, 5) support project management, namely to oversee project design, implementation, and, coordination among implementing agencies.