The Country Opinion Survey in Gabon assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in gaining a better understanding of how stakeholders in Gabon perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private...

Policy-makers across developing economies are implementing different forms of special economic zones (SEZs): programs intended to catalyze economic growth. The SEZ program is aimed at attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to increase firm-level investment and improve firm-level productivity...

The government recognizes that inadequate basic infrastructure and a severe shortage of accessible land discourages greenfield investments and industrial development.Bangladesh has one of the world's most cost competitive, sizeable supply of labor, ideal for labor-intensive production in sectors...

The Government of Mauritius is implementing the Mauritius Africa Strategy, which is focused on positioning Mauritius as a bridge for investment and trade in order to open new markets in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A cornerstone of this strategy is sharing the successful experience of Mauritius in...

The Dominican Republic is often considered an example of the successful implementation of Special Economic Zones (henceforth SEZs) in the Western hemisphere. The zones fueled economic growth during the 1980s and 1990s and, while they experienced a sharp decline in employment due in part to the...

The report presents the results of a detailed vulnerability assessment and summarizes the prioritization methodology developed to guide investment decisions on the strengthening of critical assets in Metropolitan Manila. With support from the World Bank, the engagement on Safe and Resilient...

The Philippines increasingly emphasizes lifelong learning and skills mobility for labor productivity as an integral part of the country's growth strategy. The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 presents a series of activities to improve labor productivity through human capital investment....

The Philippines is an archipelago comprised of 7,107 islands with a humid climate and a topography characterized by mountainous terrain bordered by narrow coastal plains. Considered one of the most biologically rich and diverse countries in the world, the Philippines also has one of the world's...

The Philippine Parametric Catastrophe Risk Insurance Program (the 'parametric program') represents a key milestone in this partnership. In July of 2017, the Philippines placed on the international financial markets a portfolio of catastrophe risk that transferred typhoon and earthquake risk from...