"During the 1990s, foreign direct investment in producer service sectors in Latin America was massive. Such investment may increase the quality of services, reduce their cost, and offer opportunities for knowledge spillovers to downstream users of the services. This paper examines the effects of...

"This paper explores the linkage between income growth rates and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. So far the evidence is rather mixed, as no robust relationship between FDI and income growth has been established. The authors argue that countries need a sound business environment in the...

The book describes why expanding trade, and investment is vital for the Middle East and North Africa region. The greatest economic challenge is to create enough jobs for its rapidly growing labor force, which is increasingly young, and educated, to ward off threats to social, and political...

The objectives of this Investment Climate Assessment (ICA) are to: (i) provide an up-to-date, fact-based analysis of the business environment for policy-makers in the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), the private sector, civil society, and development partners; and (ii) outline priorities for...

This Investment Climate Assessment (ICA) uses a robust methodology that draws on a representative sample of 484 formal firms and 120 informal establishments. The sample covers small-medium enterprises (SMEs) and large firms in both manufacturing and services. Weights were used in the analysis of...

This report addresses the following issues: Chapter one takes stock of the integration policies implemented since the early 1970s and assessed their impact on foreign direct investments (FDI), exports and employment. Chapter two looks at today's major challenges in the manufacturing sector and...

The survey on Lao private sector and investment climate covered 303 firms in six sectors and seven provinces (Vientiane City, Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, Luangnamtha, Xayaboury, Savannakhet, and Champassack). The survey included 246 firms in manufacturing covering wood processing, construction...