58358 THE WORLD BANK YOUTH VOICE GROUP World Bank a youth perspective What is the World Bank and what is this strategy about? The Country Partnership Strategy is a 4-year document that outlines the activities and projects that the World Bank will undertake in Moldova un- til 2012. It defines the World Bank's priorities for Moldovan development and talks about the implementation process: when, where and how things will be done. The Country Partnership Strategy also defines clear goals for Moldova's future. The CPS is all about change ­ helping Moldovans live a better life by raising their economy, improving their health and education, and by making sure that Moldova's leaders represent the people and not their own interests. The main objective of the World Bank strategy for Mol- dova is to lay the foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. What does that mean? Well, it means that the World Bank is going to promote social protection, aid in improving education and healthcare, help authorities to improve the quality of water, food and sanitation servic- es, and assist in minimizing the impact of environmental problems like se- vere droughts or floods. Besides that, the Bank is going to try to keep Moldova away from the financial crisis by raising Moldova's competitive- ness on the global market. This will be achieved through ongoing monitor- ing of the transparency and accountability in public governance, to ensure that authorities continue to have the best interests of the people at heart. 2 Moldova's Economy Recently, the world has been confronted with a series of events that have caused much turmoil in the financial markets. Many people lost money and a lot of corruption surfaced. Moldova, however, due to its weak inte- gration into the world financial system, was not hit too hard by the current financial crisis. Nonetheless, because many countries where Moldovans work, like Italy and Russia, have experienced economic downturns, Mol- dova may soon start to feel the brunt of the problem. To lessen the poten- tial impact that the financial crisis could have on the people, the World Bank is going to launch a series of projects aimed at attracting investments into Moldova, thus stabilizing the economy. Also, advisory services will be offered to the government, so that economic troubles may be averted. During the global financial crisis, the World Bank is trying to keep Moldova safe from external shocks, by attracting investors, and by helping to diversify Moldova's revenue sources. Moldova has always depended on its neighbors for energy. With rising nat- ural gas prices Moldovans may find that their heat, gas and even electricity bills are too high. This is, in part, due to the fact that Moldova relies on gas for most of its energy production, but also because the energy system is highly inefficient. The World Bank aims to assist Moldova in diversify- ing its energy sources by introducing renewable alternatives and helping the country align its energy standards to European ones (which are much more efficient). 3 Moldova's Economy Because of the global financial crisis, many companies no longer wish to invest abroad... This is not a good thing for Moldova, since foreign invest- ments mean new jobs and new money coming into the economy. There- fore, the World Bank intends to help Moldova become more competitive so that when companies decide to invest abroad, they invest in Moldova. Thanks to World Bank efforts, the International Finance Corporation has designated Moldova a preferential investment country. That means that more investments will come to Moldova and new partnerships will be es- tablished. opment rity fund expo finance econom ingsectorpartne vest- nance ec banking sector investments m rship devel- oney export rt priori ent public fina exportbank- ents mon hip help develo monahovmon development export ba nce economy in The World Bank works closely with ent publ tyfundexportba nce economy hip help ing sect nceeconomyin g sector partne ts alex money nks other donors to improve the com- ey partners lp rship he petitiveness of Moldova's economy nk na y en help de eyexportpriori ent public fi investm ty fund through improvements in infra- pm ts vestmen onomy structure and energy efficiency. pm rt mentsm p help develo ic rt bankin ey expo fund expo rs public fi velopm or partne hi on io partners export pr na priority publicfi investm 4 4. Human Development and Social Inclusion One of World Bank's main goals is that of reducing poverty and improv- ing people's living standards. Although, Moldova is certainly better off now than it was ten years ago, almost 30% of the population is still below the poverty line. The World Bank will provide assistance in the area of social integration and aid provision. Foreign investment, aid projects and government assistance and advice will all be geared towards getting Mol- dovans out of poverty. Special attention will be devoted to reducing pov- erty among children and rural dwellers, as these two groups are most in need of help. 80 According to new data, 70 60 Moldova's poverty rate 50 lies at 25-30% 40 30 20 2009 10 0 1 99 7 19 98 1 99 9 20 00 2 00 1 2 00 2 20 03 2 00 4 20 05 2 00 6 20 07 5 4. Human Development and Social Inclusion The World Bank works to ensure food and water safety for the country's population. The creation of laboratory testing services, aligned to interna- tional food safety standards, will be one of the Bank's main contributions in the health sector. This measure will help exporting companies and local entrepreneurs by allowing them to test their products before they are ex- ported and to prevent any altered products from entering the market. Climate change is becoming an increasingly acute problem for Moldova. Severe droughts, floods and pollution have, in recent years, caused seri- ous damage to Moldova's economy. Preventing environmental risks and hazards, as well as protecting the country's forests are high on the World Bank agenda. Did you know? In 1989, Moldovan forests were in a disastrous state, with many of them having been cut down. The World Bank initiated a pro- gram to replant the woodlands which yielded great results. Over 30% of the initial forest base was reestablished. Expected results Decreased poverty rate, increased access to pre-school education, improved quality of education at all levels, reduced maternal and disease-related mortality rate and, also, improved water and sanitation services, are all expected after the completion of World Bank programs. 6 Public Administration and Governance Government is all about promoting freedom, democracy and the values that represent the people. Government is an institution that puts into action the decisions that the legislative body, the Parliament, adopts. Although, its role in Moldova's development and future is unquestionable, its size is. Moldova's government is simply too big. Too many branches, too many ramifications and even too much bureaucracy prevent the government from functioning the way it ought to for the good of the citizen. Reform is needed and the World Bank is ready to provide assistance. Public administration is also convoluted and complex. Plus, some regions don't have the necessary technical tools to make their jobs as efficient as possible. The World Bank will provide technical assistance to those regions in need, so as to maximize their efficiency. Increasing the overall transparency of governance and strengthening public information disclosure will be a priority. Enforcing honesty, fair-play and efficiency in public gover- nance will ensure equal rights for all. Outcomes: Youth Involvement Supporting youth development and educational achievement is a must in the World Bank strategy. Efforts are being made to improve the qual- ity of and ensure universal access to education in Moldova. Furthermore, the World Bank is cooperating with the country's youth through the Youth Voice Group. The Youth Voice Group is a team of young Moldovans that communi- cate with their peers, inform and involve them in interactive, fun and ed- ucational activities. The YVG directs its efforts toward finding out the needs of youth in Moldova and trying to address those needs. However, when it notices that a problem is too big to handle, it brings it before the World Bank... and the Bank tries to see what it can do about it... The Bank does actually listen... It hears the youth of Moldova through the YVG. 20/1 Puskin Str., MD-2012, Chiinu, Moldova 20/1 Puskin Str., MD-2012, Chiinu, Moldova Tel: (373 22) 200706; Fax: (373 22) 237 053 Tel: (373 22) 200706; Fax: (373 22) 237 053 E-mail: Moldova_Contact@worldbank.org www.worldbank.org.md 8 E-mail: youthvoicegroup@gmail.com www.youthvoicegroup.wordpress.com