Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Living with debt: how institutions can chart a path to recovery in MENA

Public debt has been a critical tool for governments dealing with Covid-19, but it is a double-edged sword: as the ...


Access to finance for Egypt’s private sector during the pandemic

In response to the global pandemic, public authorities in Egypt responded with a comprehensive package aimed at tackling the health ...


Cash-based assistance programmes for refugees: evidence from Lebanon

What are the immediate and longer-term effects of at-scale cash-based assistance programmes on refugee populations? This column reports results from ...


Public sector reform in MENA: the achievable governance revolution

Across the Middle East and North Africa, there are countries working to modernise state institutions to make them more efficient, ...


Socio-economic inequality across religious groups in Egypt

Socio-economic inequality across religious groups has been at the centre of public debate in the Middle East for decades. This ...


Labour market flexibility, unemployment and social protection

There are concerns that greater flexibility in the labour market will lead to more layoffs, higher unemployment and increased public ...


Learning about long-term consequences of armed conflict

What do outbreaks of armed conflict mean for households in war-torn areas? This column presents findings from data on Iraq ...


Rising temperatures, melting ratings

Enthusiasm for ‘greening the financial system’ is welcome, but does the explosion of ‘green’ finance indicators reflect the science? This ...