The policy environment has been very difficult over the past year because of unexpected changes in economic and political circumstances and the pressing need to "fight fires" on several occasions. As the government has moved from setting broad reform objectives to considering specific budgetary measures and legislation, opposition from entrenched interest groups and from factions within the ruling parties has become intense. Moreover, the political power of the government to enact its reform programme has weakened significantly, leading to difficult compromises, which in turn have served to impair the government’s policy credibility. This has been compounded by the seeming difficulty of the government to get its message and news of its accomplishments across to the public...