English

Cambodia Corporate Social Responsibility in the Apparel Sector and Potential Implications for Other Industry Sectors (2005)

The objective of the project was to assist the Ministry of Commerce and the industry to move away from current dependence on a quota-focused strategy towards a more market-led and sustainable strategy.

CSR and the Tourism Sector in Cambodia (2005)

The objective of the project was to assist the Ministry of Commerce and the industry to move away from current dependence on a quota-focused strategy towards a more market-led and sustainable strategy.

Industry Level Analysis: The Way to Identify the Binding Constraints to Economic Growth (April 2005)

There are many economic diagnostic tools available which are trying to identify the constraints to economic growth in a given country. Unfortunately these tools tend to provide inconclusive and often conflicting answers as to what the most important constraints are. Even more worrisome, they tend to overlook the many industry specific policy and enforcement issues which, collectively, have been found to be the most important constraints to economic growth. This is the key finding from more than ten years of economic research by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). This finding implies that governments and international financial institutions should rely much more on in-depth industry level analysis to uncover product market competition issues and set reform priorities. These analyses should include the often overlooked but critically important domestic service sectors such as retail and housing construction.

Investment Horizons: Afghanistan (April 2005)

Benchmarking in a conflict-affected country like Afghanistan is necessarily fraught with methodological and logistical difficulties, and the results are far more susceptible to change than those in countries that have not recently undergone conflict. In this sense, these findings should be seen as a “snapshot,” an initial baseline on Afghanistan’s road to recovery. As such, this publication provides valuable information on current areas of strength and opportunity for investment in Afghanistan. However, most important from the investor’s point of view should not so much be the current situation, (which has already significantly improved from recent years), but rather the dynamic movement of the country’s economic and security realities, and the future opportunities created for business. As the findings make clear, and as is true across many sectors, investors entering Afghanistan now will benefit from being “first movers” in a virgin market that is highly pro-business.

Rwanda - Mini-Diagnostic of the investment climate (April 2005)

The FIAS mission’s investigation focused on the following areas: legal framework/business procedures, tax and customs (operating), the informal sector, land, and gender issues. Input into this analysis came from interviews with public officials, private sector representatives, the donor community, as well as the results of other studies. The remainder of the report is organized as follows: the next section offers a brief assessment of the investment climate, followed by a presentation of specific issues with recommendations for addressing them.

Sierra Leone Administrative Barriers Study - Phase 2 (April 2005)

Much work has been done identifying other barriers to investment and private sector development in Sierra Leone, including economic and political instability, infrastructure deficiencies, administrative barriers and corruption to name a few important ones.1 This report narrows the focus to those challenges to growth and development of the private sector in Sierra Leone which are administrative in nature, which in our view are substantial but in many cases solvable.

Sierra Leone Administrative Barriers Study - Phase 1 (March 2005)

Much work has been done identifying other barriers to investment and private sector development in Sierra Leone, including economic and political instability, infrastructure deficiencies, administrative barriers and corruption to name a few important ones.1 This report narrows the focus to those challenges to growth and development of the private sector in Sierra Leone which are administrative in nature, which in our view are substantial but in many cases solvable.

Vanuatu - National investment policy statement (March 2005)

The purpose of this statement of investment policy is to clarify and enhance understanding of the Vanuatu Government’s policies on investment by investors, both foreign and domestic, and by government officials.

Cambodian Garment Sector: Aide Memoire (2005)

This Aide Memoire summarizes the team’s assessment of the current status of sustainability issues facing labor standards in the Cambodian garment sector. It proposes a desired end state that the team believes would make most sense, and it offers a set of recommendations for the transition.

Competing for FDI: Inside the operations of four national investment promotion agencies (2005)

This publication explores the characteristics of four investment promotion agencies: the roles they assume, the challenges they face, their histories, mandates, leadership, structures, strategies, and activities. Their examples are drawn from interviews conducted in the field at national-level IPAs, each in a different developing region, and each selected based on its ample history and substantial FDI to help illustrate several years of operation.

FIAS Project Brief - CSR and Cambodian Industry (2005)

It is proposed that FIAS undertake an advisory project based on CSR experience from around the world. The objective of the project is to assist the Ministry of Commerce and the industry to move away from current dependence on a quota-focused strategy towards a more market-led and sustainable strategy.

Cambodian Garment Sector: Buyer survey results (2005)

As the first step, FIAS surveyed key current buyers from Cambodia about (a) the factors influencing their purchasing decisions; (b) their perception of the Cambodian industry’s performance on these issues relative to regional competitors, and (c) their plans in Cambodia post-MFA.