Private Sector Development, Privatization, and Industrial Policy

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  • Publication
    Czech Republic: Assessment of the SME Policy Mix
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-10-01) World Bank Group
    This report provides an assessment of the policies devoted to supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic. It presents an original analysis of all national-level SME-related policy instruments, totaling 93 instruments operational from 2013 to 2017 and disbursing 108.5 billion CZK (4.71 billion USD), using an analytical framework that compares the SME policy mix to the country needs (see Annex 1 for framework and methodology). The analysis integrates three interrelated segments: 1) A country needs assessment to determine the national needs for SME policies. The needs assessment included a macro-level analysis of the Czech Republic's performance in productivity and trade; an analysis of national- and firm-level innovation performance; a firm-level analysis of productivity across firm sizes, sectors, and regions (leveraging original data from the Czech statistics office); and an analysis of market and institutional conditions that influence resource allocation and firm productivity. 2) A policy mix analysis to determine if the Czech Republic's SME policy mix matches the needs identified in the country needs assessment. The policy mix analysis included a review of relevant SME policy stakeholders, institutions, and governance; a review of national-level strategies; identification of the characteristics of SME policies instruments (administering agency, mechanism of support, beneficiaries, etc).; and a cluster analysis to evaluate the internal consistency of the policy mix and identify overlaps. 3) Recommended areas for policy action were developed using the needs assessment and policy mix analysis to improve the effectiveness of the policy mix and the business environment.
  • Publication
    Sierra Leone Growth Pole Diagnostic : The Growth Poles Program
    (Washington, DC, 2013-08) World Bank
    This First Phase Report on Sierra Leone growth poles is the result of a 9 months consultative process led by the Office of the President which specifically requested that the output of this diagnostic be in an engaging format. The fundamental concept of growth poles is that they exploit agglomeration economies and spillover effects to spread resulting prosperity from the core of the pole to the periphery. At the basis of this theory is the assumption that economic development is not uniform over a region. Rather, it concentrates around a geographic feature or economic hub. In particular, it frequently concentrates around a key industry, around which linked industries develop. A growth pole can be used to nurture direct and indirect linkages from the flagship industry to supporting sectors, which vastly expands the employment generation potential of new investments in said flagship industry. The expansion of this key industry implies the expansion of output, employment, related investments, as well as new technologies and new industrial sectors.
  • Publication
    Zambia - What Would it Take for Zambia’s Copper Mining Industry to Achieve Its Potential?
    (World Bank, 2011-06-01) World Bank
    This report is part of a series produced by the World Bank's Africa Finance and Private Sector Development Unit (AFTFP). This report explores the potential contribution that the copper mining industry could make to jobs and prosperity in Zambia, and what it will take to achieve this potential. Copper has for many years played an important role in Zambia's economy, and the performance of the economy has followed the fortunes of copper mining closely. This report investigates the role copper mining could play in achieving the government's objectives of increasing economic growth and jobs in the future. Although 40 percent of the country has not been geologically surveyed, Zambia is recognized by the international mining industry as having good mineral potential. Zambia possesses 6 percent of known world copper reserves. According to the highly-respected Fraser Institute survey of mining and exploration companies, Zambia ranks 26th out of 79 jurisdictions worldwide for mineral potential. In Africa, only the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burkina Faso have appreciably higher mineral potential scores.
  • Publication
    Costa Rica : Competitiveness Diagnostic and Recommendations
    (World Bank, 2009-07-01) World Bank
    Costa Rica is a clear success story. The country enjoys the highest standard of living in Central America and one of the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Not surprisingly, poverty levels are among the lowest in LAC. Indeed in 2004, Costa Rica had the second lowest poverty headcount in LAC with just nine percent of households below the US$2 poverty line. This report is a contribution to those efforts. Based on multiple data sources, it assesses the main obstacles that affect private sector growth in Costa Rica and provides policy options and targeted interventions for improving the business environment and increasing competitiveness, with the goal of achieving sustained and broad-based growth. In this regard, the main focus of the report is on the long-term instead of on cyclical issues. This report outlines a program to address the critical bottlenecks that hamper Costa Rica in diverse fields including infrastructure, technological innovation and quality, human capital, red tape, and access to credit. The result is a rich and encompassing agenda. The rest of the report is structured in the following way. In section two, the report diagnoses the principal obstacles to export growth and of competitiveness in Costa Rica. The diagnostics reveal four areas most in need of reform: infrastructure, human capital and innovation, business regulation, and access to finance. Sections three to six cover each of these areas. Finally, the report closes with a section on conclusions and recommendations.
  • Publication
    Proceedings Including the Charter of Good Practice in Using Public-Private Dialogue for Private Sector Development
    (Washington, DC, 2006-05) World Bank
    There has been growing interest from stakeholders around the world in recent years in how to build momentum for private sector development in states with poor investment climates. Dialogue between the public and private sectors, in various forms, has often been integral to attempts to build such momentum. It became increasingly clear that there was a demand from the field for guidance based on international best practice. In 2004-2005, responding to this demand, the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) development centre independently conducted or commissioned reports drawing together lessons learned from field experiences in using public-private dialogue to promote private sector development reform efforts. While numerous case studies had existed, this was the first time comprehensive efforts had been made to synthesize lessons. The papers were: competitiveness partnerships, reforming the business enabling environment, and dialogue public-prive dans les pays en developpement. The development of the three papers in a short period indicated a growing recognition among the international donor community of the importance and potential of public-private dialogue as a tool for promoting private sector development with the ultimate aim of poverty reduction.
  • Publication
    International Workshop on Public-Private Dialogue : Proceedings Including the Charter of Good Practice in Using Public-Private Dialogue for Private Sector Development
    (Washington, DC, 2006-05) World Bank
    There has been growing interest from stakeholders around the world in recent years in how to build momentum for private sector development in states with poor investment climates. Dialogue between the public and private sectors, in various forms, has often been integral to attempts to build such momentum. It became increasingly clear that there was a demand from the field for guidance based on international best practice. In 2004-2005, responding to this demand, the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) development centre independently conducted or commissioned reports drawing together lessons learned from field experiences in using public-private dialogue to promote private sector development reform efforts. While numerous case studies had existed, this was the first time comprehensive efforts had been made to synthesize lessons. The papers were: competitiveness partnerships, reforming the business enabling environment, and dialogue public-prive dans les pays en developpement. The development of the three papers in a short period indicated a growing recognition among the international donor community of the importance and potential of public-private dialogue as a tool for promoting private sector development with the ultimate aim of poverty reduction.
  • Publication
    Peru - Microeconomic Constraints to Growth: The Evidence from the Manufacturing Sector
    (Washington, DC, 2004-06-15) World Bank
    This study looks at the investment climate in Peru using a unique database of manufacturing firms. Through detailed analysis, it establishes four key areas that pose constraints to investment and growth in Peru and proposes solutions. The four main areas are: 1) an uncertain legal and regulatory framework, 2) low level of market integration and high logistics costs; 3) low levels of investment and activity in innovation and technology absorption and, 4) difficulties in accessing finance. The main findings and the full set of policy recommendations center on reducing uncertainty by more clearly articulating the Government legislative agenda; continuing and intensifying efforts to improve court processes; facilitating the registration and operational regulation of firms by further reducing red tape; reducing corruption awarding public goods and services contracts through a revision of public procurement at the central, regional and municipal levels; increasing the focus on quality and exports; and reforming moveable asset registries.