IDG offers institutional experience in the implementation of business enabling environment programming, including support for improved implementation of policy.
Specifically, IDG has the ability to provide the following services:
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Evaluation of sector-specific constraints to business and recommendations to remove them
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Improvement of policies, laws, and regulations concerned with the private sector, including drafting legislation on competition law, tax, property cadastre, secured transactions, licenses and permits, inspections, and e-commerce
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Identification of private-sector constraints affecting vulnerable populations
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Implementation of simplified procedures targeted to SMEs
Project Experience:
Supporting Accelerated Investment in Sri Lanka (SAIL): IDG is implementing this project to support economic reforms that improve the investment climate in Sri Lanka in order to increase foreign and domestic investment in the economy. Greater investment in Sri Lanka will create jobs, increase economic growth, promote stability, level the playing field for all foreign investors, build the tax base, and reduce Sri Lanka's dependence on USAID and other donors. This four-year project aims to provide policy and institutional support to improve the business enabling environment and promote investment in Sri Lanka, improve performance on the World Bank Doing Business indicators, strengthen investment policies and promotion activities, and support the government's goal to become an upper-income country.
Azerbaijan Competitiveness and Trade Project: IDG collaborated with ministries, the President’s Office, and the Parliament on drafting laws in areas that affect the business environment. The draft legislation developed under the project includes the Competition Code, banking legislation, permits and licensing, secured transactions, and e-commerce. Simultaneously with this public sector work, strides have been made in establishing a public dialogue and outreach campaign to educate citizens and publicize the beneficial impacts of business enabling environment improvements to the private sector. A focus of the outreach has been to develop a broad-based understanding of market-based economics, trade, finance, and agriculture issues. IDG has also worked with civil society organizations (CSOs) to lead a public-private dialogue, so that private sector concerns are discussed and incorporated appropriately.
As a result of project activities, IDG initiated measures that will help the economy become more strategically market-based, with changes in behavior by public and private sector participants. The project also organized a formal hearing and established a Parliamentary working group with two parliament committees to discuss and review needed changes to the draft Competition Code; recommendations were favorably received.
Lebanon Tripoli Special Economic Zone Project: Another recent example of IDG’s work in support of the creation of a business-friendly, regionally competitive business environment that will attract foreign investment is our implementation of the USAID/Lebanon Tripoli Special Economic Zone Project. This multi-faceted project led by IDG sought to support the creation of a concentrated area with appropriate infrastructure and an environment free of some of the business unfriendly conditions in the general economy, reducing barriers to doing business and enhancing collaborative opportunities for investment and export-led growth.
Tunisia EG ICT Competitiveness Project: IDG is also implementing the USAID $7.4 million Tunisia ICT Competitiveness Project. One of the three project components focuses on business enabling environment improvement. In order to address administrative barriers and promote a business enabling environment, IDG mapped current conditions and developed a draft road map for business regulatory improvement. As a cross-cutting area, IDG provided macro analysis on select policy issues, generating analysis to show policymakers and civil society the costs of current business impediments and the possible benefits from reforms, including in terms of job creation. Our most tangible accomplishment is the removal of a minimal capital requirement for business registration, which had been removed by law but remained in practice.