This report aims to showcase opportunities for promoting youth entrepreneurship in countries in African, the Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) regions by implementing strategic business environment reforms (BER). It delves into the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in the current ACP contexts and suggests ways for policymakers to improve the conditions for starting and running businesses. […]
Legal, Administrative And Policy Reforms To Access Finance And Manage Businesses Executive Summary: Business creation and business revenue growth is a crucial engine of economic growth and job creation. Investing in women is not only a moral imperative; it is good business. Taking action now to advance gender equality can add $13 trillion to global Gross Domestic Product […]
Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) have a key role to play in promoting gender responsive finance and women’s economic empowerment (WEE). While the initiatives of multilateral banks are well-documented and communicated via events and publications, such as 2021’s “Public Development Banks Driving Gender Equality: an Overview of Practices and Measurement Frameworks” by UNWOMEN and the Agence […]
Executive Summary: This report focuses on how to support the creation, growth and sustainability of women’s business associations (WBA) and women’s chapters in chambers of commerce. Secondly, it shows how these women’s organizations can positively promote women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and thus sustainable economic growth in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries by advocating for […]
The honour loans mechanism is a multidimensional one combining financing free of interest or requirement for securities or guarantees, with support to entrepreneurs. It has several benefits for entrepreneurs: Firstly, it finances their development, serving as seed funds and strengthening their project’s equity. It can therefore create financial leverage with microcredit or banking loans. Secondly, it can help […]
The ICR Facility provided technical assistance to the Tanzania Agriculture Development Bank (TADB) in response to a proposal submitted by the bank for support in increasing its outreach to women and youth. TADB is a state-owned development finance institution (DFI) which was launched in 2015. The bank aims to catalyse access to finance to smallholder […]
Supporting Investment In Inclusive Business And Social Enterprises: Best Practice For Policymakers And Investors In Acp Countries Executive Summary Mobilising private capital to deliver social and environmental benefits in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries is vital if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be met. ‘Impact investment’, an approach to investing whereby positive social […]
Often, it is the countries that need private investment and economic growth the most that are also the most difficult to invest and do business in. Not only do businesses in these countries struggle to access markets and obtain the inputs they need to compete, but their governments are also challenged in their efforts to […]
Business Environment Reforms To Promote Equal Opportunities For Women In The Labour Market: Evidence From Acp Countries Executive Summary Women are more likely to be unemployed, be economically inactive, work in the informal sector, and to have temporary or more precarious employment than men. A mix of social norms, time scarcity – in particular due to unpaid […]
Executive Summary Access to finance is amongst the main challenges faced by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in creating and growing their business in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Meanwhile, crowdfunding is disrupting the financial services industry by democratising access to capital for individuals and businesses and revolutionising the way they interact with […]
Supporting Businesses To Deliver Climate Change Adaptation In Acp Countries: Priority Actions And The Role Of International Capital Executive Summary African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries are some of most vulnerable to climate change. Given pressures on public resources, the need is urgent to stimulate business activity, and thus private capital, into areas highly disrupted by climate change —food […]
Tools for Reforming the Business Environment The ICR Toolbox is written for policy-makers and the business membership organisations in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and beyond, and is designed to respond to common challenges faced by those working to develop a business environment for a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable private sector. It includes […]
