The Role Of Special Economic Zones In Improving Effectiveness Of Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Corridors

This study looks into the role of special economic zones in strengthening the competitiveness of economic corridors in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It examines factors behind the success of special economic zones and the role they can play in GMS economic corridor development. The analysis is based on a company-level survey in the Mae Sot special economic zone and interviews with clients operating in other zones throughout the GMS. The report offers policy recommendations for GMS ministers on how the zones can contribute toward improving competitiveness of economic corridors and thereby promote economic development.

Across the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), there are over 500 special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial zones located near GMS economic corridors and covering over 50 million people. This proposed health impact assessment (HIA) framework recognizes these SEZs and economic corridors as economic engines of the subregion and aims to maximize benefits for all. The framework aims to provide enhanced guidance for identifying, mitigating, and managing health risks and impacts of unprecedented industrial and economic development in these SEZs, and seeks to address transboundary health issues associated with mobile and migrant worker populations. It proposes HIA as an effective SEZ management support tool to achieve optimum benefits for businesses and associated communities alike.

The East–West Economic Corridor (EWEC) was launched in 1998 as a flagship initiative of the Greater Mekong Subregion. EWEC has since achieved many of its infrastructure targets and must now be transformed from a transport corridor into an economic corridor. This report reviews and updates the Pre-Investment Study for EWEC conducted in 2001. It consolidates the interests and concerns of stakeholders into a revised and updated strategy and action plan to provide a vision and framework, improve coordination, and assist in mobilizing resources for EWEC development. Preparation of this revised and updated strategy and action plan for EWEC involved a series of consultations with government officials of EWEC countries and representatives of the private sector, nongovernment organizations, and development partners. These consultations culminated in a regional workshop held on 24 April 2009 in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The revised and updated strategy and action plan for EWEC was endorsed at the 15th GMS Ministerial Conference held in Cha-am, Petchburi Province, Thailand on 17–19 June 2009.

The economic corridor approach was adopted by the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries in 1998 to help accelerate subregional development. The development of economic corridors links production, trade, and infrastructure within a specific geographic area. The review of these corridors was conducted to take into account the opening up of Myanmar and ensure that there is a close match between corridor routes and trade flows; GMS capitals and major urban centers are connected to each other; and the corridors are linked with maritime gateways. The review came up with recommendations for possible extension and/or realignment of the corridors, and adoption of a classification system for corridor development. The GMS Ministers endorsed the recommendations of the study at the 21st GMS Ministerial Conference in Thailand in 2016.

The Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030) aims to strengthen regional cooperation and integration in critical areas. GMS-2030 builds upon recognized strengths with a project-led approach that will benefit the community, support connectivity, and improve competitiveness. It also emphasizes the challenges of the coronavirus disease and aims to ensure that government strategies are conducive to a robust recovery in the medium term and beyond. Based on decades of success and program experience, GMS-2030 provides continuity, but will be updated, as necessary, to reflect evolving global or regional forces that may impinge on GMS development prospects.

The Southern Economic Corridor (SEC), one of the priority economic corridors under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program, was designated as a GMS flagship initiative in 2002. Efforts have been taken since then, but these were pursued mainly on a project-by-project basis. A series of consultations were conducted to initiate a holistic approach to the development of SEC. The strategy and action plan is the product of these and subsequent consultations with government officials, representatives of the private sector, and other stakeholders in these countries.Besides providing a vision and framework for developing SEC, this strategy and action plan is aimed at improving coordination, ensuring effective implementation, and helping the mobilization of resources and the broadening of support for SEC development. The second GMS Economic Corridors Forum, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 17 September 2009, discussed and generally agreed with the directions set forth in this strategy and action plan.

The 2019 edition of the World Investment Report focuses on special economic zones (SEZs) which are widely used across most developing and many developed economies. Although the performance of many zones remains below expectations, the rate of establishment of new zones is accelerating as governments increasingly compete for internationally mobile industrial activity. Policymakers face not only the traditional challenges to making SEZs succeed, including the need for strategic focus, sound governance models, and effective investment promotion tools, but also new challenges brought about by the sustainable development imperative, the new industrial revolution, and changing patterns of international production. The Report explores the place of SEZs in today’s global investment landscape and provides guidance for policymakers on how to make SEZs work for sustainable development. It presents international investment trends and prospects at global, regional and national levels, as well as the evolution of international production and global value chains. It analyses the latest developments in new policy measures for investment promotion, facilitation and regulation around the world, as well as updates on investment treaties, their reform and investment dispute settlement cases.

"This book, designed for policymakers, academics and researchers, and SEZ program practitioners, provides the first systematic and comprehensive analysis of SEZ programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the result of detailed surveys and case studies conducted during 2009 in ten developing countries, including six in Sub-Saharan Africa. The book provides quantitative evidence of the performance of SEZs, and of the factors which contribute to that performance, highlighting the critical importance not just of the SEZ itself but of the wider national investment climate in which it functions. It also provides a comprehensive guide to the key policy questions that confront governments establishing SEZ programs, including: if and when to launch an SEZ program, what form of SEZ is most appropriate, and how to go about implementing it. Among the most important findings from the study that is stressed in the book is the shift from traditional enclave models of zones to SEZs that are integrated ? with national trade and industrial strategies, with core trade and social infrastructure, with domestic suppliers, and with local labor markets.Although the book focuses primarily on the experience of Sub-Saharan Africa, its lessons will be applicable to developing countries around the world."