81634 Republic of Ghana Country Partnership Strategy (FY13-FY16) Chair Summary Meeting of the Executive Directors September 19, 2013 Executive Directors discussed the joint IDA/IFC/MIGA FY13-FY16 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for the Republic of Ghana (IDA/R2013-0227[IFC/R2013-0303; MIGA/R2013- 0074]). Directors welcomed the alignment of the CPS with the national development plan, the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (2010-13). Directors lauded Ghana’s transition to lower middle income status in 2011 and recognized the country’s unique challenges of sustaining its record of economic growth while advancing the goals of poverty reduction and shared prosperity. They also acknowledged the enhanced growth prospects for Ghana, based on increasing oil and gas production following the commercialization of oil in December 2010. Directors strongly supported the three pillars of the CPS, namely: (i) improving economic institutions; (ii) improving competitiveness and job creation; and (iii) protecting the poor and vulnerable. They noted the substantial challenges that remain to be addressed in these areas and encouraged the WBG and Ghana to pursue a focused program of support with linkage to a well-defined results framework. In particular, they emphasized the need to monitor progress in poverty reduction and shared prosperity during the CPS period. Directors looked forward to lessons from the forthcoming poverty and income distribution survey that would inform Ghana’s future activities in poverty reduction and shared prosperity. They welcomed Bank Group coordination of support for statistical capacity building. Directors sought greater attention to identified disparities, including regional north-south disparities and gender gaps in water, health, and sanitation. They encouraged the CPS to incorporate gender as a cross-cutting theme with specific results indicators. Directors were pleased to note the strong collaboration among IDA, IFC and MIGA in the CPS, and they recognized their catalytic role in the private sector, especially in developing infrastructure and public services. They emphasized the importance of competitiveness and job creation through expansion of the non-oil sector, revitalization of manufacturing, and continued investment and reform in the infrastructure and energy sectors. Directors also encouraged investments in the agriculture value chain, education, and skills development to boost productivity and income. Directors emphasized the importance of selectivity in the WBG approach to maximize development impact. Directors noted the evolving coordination among the World Bank Group and donors during a period of declining official development assistance. They urged stronger partnerships to support public financial management reform, including debt management and public-private partnerships. Directors also urged government to engage partners in non-concessional and commercial activities to support trade and investment as aid flows diminish.                                                               This summary is not an approved record.