This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English DevelopmentReport.

The World Bank estimates that more than one thousand millionpeople live on less than one dollar a day. These are the poorest ofthe poor, about one-sixth of the world population.

Martin Ravallion works for the Development Research Group at theWorld Bank. He says about fifty percent of the people in severalAfrican nations are among the world's poorest. These nations includeEthiopia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia.

But even though these areas remain extremely poor, MisterRavallion says world poverty has been cut in half over the lasttwenty years. He says the number of poor people dropped by almostfour hundred million between nineteen eighty-one and two thousandone.

To reduce poverty, the World Bank says developing nations shouldexpand the possibilities for business and investment. The bank'snewest World Development Report notes that private industry createsmore than ninety percent of jobs in developing countries.

The report for two thousand five is based on questions asked ofmore than thirty thousand businesses in fifty-three developingcountries. World Bank researchers found that companies are mostconcerned about how governments decide to enforce laws. About ninetypercent of those in Guatemala reported policy conflicts with theirgovernment. This was true of more than seventy percent of businessesin Belarus and Zambia.

Many companies also express concerns about problems likedishonesty and undependable electricity supplies.

Last week, about fifty heads of state discussed ways to reducepoverty during a one-day conference in New York. The leaders and topofficials met before the opening of the United Nations GeneralAssembly meeting.

French President Jacques Chiracand Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva called for a worldtax to help finance an anti-poverty campaign. Diplomats sayinternational finances, airplane tickets and sales of heavy weaponsare just some of the things that could be taxed.

Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and another officialrepresented the United States at the conference. She said taxes onworld trade would be undemocratic and impossible to put in place.

The U.N. has a goal to reduce by half the remaining number ofpoor people in the world by two thousand fifteen.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss. This is Gwen Outen.