Harnessing government’s role for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

This Policy Note describes how the main FIRe technologies are altering patterns of consumption and production, which are not only resulting in opportunities for productivity growth but also heralding a lot of uncertainty, including likely unintended consequences. It also discusses extensively the need for government to take a decisive action particularly in instituting regulatory reforms in preparing the current and future workforce for future jobs, and in strengthening social protection to counter the likely negative effects of the FIRe.