World Development Report 2016

Digital Dividends

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Technology, Telecommunications, Business & Finance, Economics, Economic Development
Cover of the book World Development Report 2016 by World Bank Group, World Bank Publications
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: World Bank Group ISBN: 9781464806728
Publisher: World Bank Publications Publication: January 14, 2016
Imprint: World Bank Publications Language: English
Author: World Bank Group
ISBN: 9781464806728
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Publication: January 14, 2016
Imprint: World Bank Publications
Language: English

Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.

More books from World Bank Publications

Cover of the book Making Global Value Chains Work for Development by World Bank Group
Cover of the book A Measured Approach to Ending Poverty and Boosting Shared Prosperity by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Leveraging Urbanization in South Asia by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Africa's Infrastructure by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Fair Progress? by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Doing Business 2014 by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Light Manufacturing in Africa: Targeted Policies to Enhance Private Investment and Create Jobs by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Inflation in Emerging and Developing Economies by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises by World Bank Group
Cover of the book La movilidad económica y el crecimiento de la clase media en América Latina by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Wage Inequality in Latin America by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Global Economic Prospects, June 2017 by World Bank Group
Cover of the book The Little Data Book 2013 by World Bank Group
Cover of the book The State of Social Safety Nets 2018 by World Bank Group
Cover of the book Doing Business 2015 by World Bank Group
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy