Private Sector Development In The Middle East And North Africa Supporting Investment Policy And Governance Reforms In Iraq

This publication reviews measures taken to support investment policy and governance reforms in Iraq.

Highlights key outcomes of the work of the MENA-OECD Investment Programme from 2005-2007, including reforms achieved to date in investment policies and promotion, corporate governance, financial-sector development, and tax policies.

"This paper addresses the issue of the low level of private investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with special emphasis on the role of governance. Based on the existing literature, the authors categorize what types of governance institutions are more detrimental to entrepreneurial investments. They then estimate a simultaneous model of private investment and governance quality where economic policies concurrently explain both variables. The empirical results show that governance plays a significant role in private investment decisions. This result is particularly true in the case of "administrative quality" in the form of control of corruption, bureaucratic quality, investment-friendly profile of administration, and law and order, as well as for "political stability." Evidence in favor of "public accountability" seems, however, less robust. The estimations also stress that structural reforms-such as financial development and trade openness-and human development affect private investment decisions directly, and/or through their positive impact on governance. These findings bring new empirical evidence on the subject of private investment in the developing world and in MENA countries in particular. "--World Bank web site.

'From Privilege to Competition: Unlocking Private-Led Growth in the Middle East and North Africa' sheds new light on the difficult quest for stronger and more diversified growth in a region of unquestionable potential. It underlines the need to strengthen reforms in many areas specifically, by reducing policy uncertainty and improving credit and real estate markets. It also highlights other important issues that restrain the credibility and impact of reforms in many parts of the region: conflicts of interest between politicians and businesses, an investment climate that favors a few privileged firms, and a dominant private sector that often opposes reforms. The book recommends that countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) engage in more credible reform agendas by improving the implementation of policies in a manner that will reduce discretion and privileges. This renewed commitment to stronger growth would entail several developments. First, governments will need to reduce opportunities for rent-seeking and foster competition. Second, they will need to work to reform institutions: private sector development policies will need to be systematically anchored in elements of institutional and public sector reforms in order to reduce discretion and opacity and improve the quality of services to firms. Third, they will need to mobilize all stakeholders, including larger representations from the private sector, around dedicated long-term growth strategies. Short of such a fundamental shift in the way private sector policies are formulated and implemented, investor expectations that governments are committed to reform will be limited. It will take political will and time to support sustained reforms that credibly convince investors and the public that changes are real, deep, and set to last. MENA countries are endowed with strong human capital, good infrastructure, immense resources, and a great deal of untapped creativity and entrepreneurship. The economic and social payoff of embarking on a more ambitious private-led growth agenda could thus be immense for all.

Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives highlights the considerable progress in investment policies made by the region’s governments over the past decade. Yet, the reform momentum needs to be sustained and deepened for the benefits of investment to be shared with society at large and for growth to be sustainable, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global economic upheaval.

This report offers a perspective on the progress made in public management in the MENA region since 2005.

This paper addresses the issue of the low level of private investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with special emphasis on the role of governance. Based on the existing literature, the authors categorize what types of governance institutions are more detrimental to entrepreneurial investments. They then estimate a simultaneous model of private investment and governance quality where economic policies concurrently explain both variables. The empirical results show that governance plays a significant role in private investment decisions. This result is particularly true in the case of administrative quality in the form of control of corruption, bureaucratic quality, investment-friendly profile of administration, and law and order, as well as for political stability. Evidence in favor of public accountability seems, however, less robust. The estimations also stress that structural reforms - such as financial development and trade openness - and human development affect private investment decisions directly, and/or through their positive impact on governance. These findings bring new empirical evidence on the subject of private investment in the developing world and in MENA countries in particular.

¿¿the world is changing and so should the region. After decades of state domination of economic activity, many governments around the world are relying increasingly on the private sector to foster economic growth.¿ There is a growing consensus that the time has come for governments and private sector leaders of the Middle East and North Africa to forge a new partnership for development. However, the question is: what kind of partnership should the two parties seek in order to ensure sustainable economic development? This volume attempts to address this question. To make the investigation tractable, the papers deal with four key facets of the government-private sector interface: the business environment, privatization, infrastructure, and two activities that induce transaction costs, tax administration and government procurement. The volume derives its content from papers on the theme of public-private partnerships discussed at the second Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF2) held in Marrackech, Morocco on September 3-6, 1998. The papers presented here are intended to contribute to the ongoing debate on the development opportunities and challenges facing the countries in the Middle East and North Africa.