Creating Economic Opportunities
This includes interventions to promote the establishment and development of markets by, for example, facilitating access to geographically inaccessible areas, investing in physical infrastructures, increasing the links between the productive activities of the poor and the dynamic sectors of the economy, supporting micro-enterprises and contributing to environmentally sustainable rural activities. Social Investment Funds are a very effective tool to improve basic infrastructure for the poor. They have been implemented successfully in many countries in the region. It is also essential that access to on-the-job training, finance for productive activities, trade networks and new cellular telephones and Internet technologies be increased. One of the priorities of a comprehensive action plan against poverty is to increase the asset base of the lowest-income population.Assets could be increased by granting them property deeds, for example, or with housing and investment programs. The lowest-income sectors also benefit enormously with those projects designed to improve household appliances in homes or communities.
Last updated: 04/26/07