Search Publications

Feb 17, 2021

Investment Reform Map for Lao PDR: A Foundation for a New Investment Policy and Promotion Strategy

The report, Investment Reform Map for Lao PDR - A Foundation for a New Investment Policy and Promotion Strategy, details a proposed action plan for targeted reforms to realize the positive impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the local economy.

Feb 11, 2021

Building safe and resilient workplaces during COVID-19: Bank South Pacific Case Study

The report, Gender and Microfinance in Myanmar: The Business Case for Action was produced jointly by IFC's Gender and Economic Inclusion Group and Financial Institutions Group. It contains findings from a survey of over 1,600 employees from eight leading microfinance institutions in Myanmar, as well as interviews with over 450 women microfinance clients.

Feb 11, 2021

Building safe and resilient workplaces during COVID-19: Solomon Airlines Case Study

This case study outlines the results of Solomon Airlines’ participation in the Waka Mere Commitment to Action (2017-2019), an initiative to improve business outcomes in Solomon Islands.

Feb 10, 2021

GB-TAP Brochure: Delivering Global Public Goods

In 2018, IFC launched the Green Bond Technical Assistance Program (GB-TAP) to respond to the climate crisis by creating a market for green bonds in developing countries. Through this program, IFC and its partners will create global public goods to stimulate the supply of green bonds in emerging market countries in order to meet growing demand for these bonds.

Feb 10, 2021

Green Bond Funds: Impact Reporting Practices 2020

This report surveys green bond funds and investors, provides an analysis of impact reporting practices and case studies from green bond funds, and offers an examination of the challenges of impact data collection and aggregation.

Feb 8, 2021

Women in Agribusiness Value Chains

IFC’s Women in Agribusiness Value Chains program works with agribusiness clients across the world to help them close gender gaps and realize the benefits of gender inclusion in their value chain.

English | 2 pages | IFC 2021

Feb 8, 2021

Advancing Women's Employment

Why IFC? IFC is the preferred partner for global private sector entities that are at the forefront of leveraging the business case for gender equality. Learn more: Gender-Smart Business Solutions As more women enter the labor market and exert influence as consumers, savvy companies recognize the need to attract and retain more female employees and purchase from women-led companies. IFC’s Gender-Smart Business Solutions program provides clients with the tools and resources to strengthen gender inclusion within their operations, resolve labor issues, increase employee engagement, benefit from inclusive sourcing, and enhance company performance.

English | 2 pages | IFC 2021

Feb 3, 2021

Using Blended Concessional Finance to Invest in Challenging Markets—Economic Considerations, Transparency, Governance , and Lessons of Experience

This report examines IFC’s two decades of experience supporting pioneering projects with blended concessional finance. The report addresses issues such as why and when concessional finance is appropriate to support private sector projects; the key transparency, access, and governance processes required to implement projects efficiently and effectively; the principles for selecting and structuring projects; how to use blended concessional finance to invest in lower-income countries; and the different ways of structuring concessional finance facilities used by DFIs.

English | 64 pages | IFC 2021

Feb 3, 2021

Kyrgyz Republic - Inspection Reform Case Study

The paper examines different stages of inspection reforms that took place in the Kyrgyz Republic over a 13-year period (2006-2019) with the goal of informing and assisting policymakers, experts, and government officials undertaking or wishing to undertake similar efforts elsewhere. By providing detailed explanations of measures taken, milestones reached, and lessons learned, the authors hope to reveal the complexities of the reform process, lay out different policy options for inspection reform, and detail the implications of various approaches.

English | 36 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 29, 2021

Business Case Update #3: Lower NPLs for Women-Owned SMEs

Business Case Update #3: Lower NPLs for Women-Owned SMEs

Jan 29, 2021

IFC年次報告書2020

Jan 26, 2021

Creating Markets in Ukraine: Country Private Sector Diagnostic

The Ukraine Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) provides IFC & World Bank analysis of growth and investment opportunities, constraints, & policy recommendations.

English | 154 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 22, 2021

COVID-19 Response: Corporate Strategies for Supporting Small and Medium Enterprise Suppliers in the Andean Region

The COVID-19 crisis is disrupting global, regional, and local value chains and is causing significant challenges for both corporations and their SME suppliers, including women-owned SMEs (WSMEs). This learning brief presents highlights from a virtual roundtable organized for corporate representatives to learn about the impact of COVID-19 on value chains and to share strategies to support SME suppliers, including WSMEs, during and post-crisis. The event brought together managers in procurement, purchasing, and sustainability from companies sourcing goods and services from Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru.

English | 2 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 22, 2021

Learning Brief: Key Steps to Increase Gender-Inclusive Sourcing Among Corporations in Bangladesh

This learning brief is a resource for senior procurement representatives and outlines actionable recommendations to increase gender-inclusive sourcing in Bangladesh. These recommendations were formulated based on research, roundtable discussions, and interactions with women-owned small and medium enterprises, procurement leaders, and other senior corporate managers in Bangladesh.

English | 4 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 19, 2021

Case Study: Pyramid Group

In this oral history-based case study, four executives at Pyramid Group and one of their hospitalbased customers discuss how the company developed its business and what underlies its successes. There is a great deal to learn from their experience. They have designed a streamlined supply chain for healthcare products. Moreover, they have created a strategic regimen for sales, installation, and support for complex medical equipment such as CT-scan and MRI machines, X-ray devices, and critical care equipment.

Jan 15, 2021

Mobilization of Private Finance by Multilateral Development Banks and Development Finance Institutions 2019

The 2019 Joint Report shows mobilization of $63.6 billion for middle- & lower-income countries, with $6.7 billion for LIC only, up 21% from 2018. Total mobilization of $175 billion is up 9%.

English | 60 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 14, 2021

Taking Action on Trade: From Concern to Support

This note investigates COVID-19-related trade restrictions and discusses their consequences. It also illuminates the importance of trade, especially during the current pandemic, through the voices of global leaders as well as a collective set of emerging market voices.

English | 18 pages | IFC 2021

Jan 13, 2021

Ctrl-Alt-Delete: A Green Reboot for Emerging Markets

The report analyzes the economic and climate benefits of a green post-COVID recovery. The report finds that supporting investments and channeling COVID-19 recovery funds in ten key sectors across 21 emerging markets can generate $10.2 trillion in investment opportunity, create 213.4 million jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) by 4 billion tons. The report focuses on decarbonizing existing and future energy infrastructure, building climate-smart cities, and helping speed the transition of key industries to green production practices.

English | 84 pages | IFC 2021

Jan 6, 2021

Private Credit in Emerging Markets

Private credit broadly refers to nonbank lending to firms. Since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008–2009, private credit has grown considerably. Although the phenomenon of private credit is more predominant in the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also a growing asset class in emerging markets. Private credit appeals to borrowers because of bespoke, structured solutions, longer maturities, greater flexibility, and ease of doing business. Investors also like private credit, because of its attractive risk-adjusted returns. The global economic shock resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has seen marked changes in production and consumption patterns in the real economy, with ripple effects in credit markets. Uncertainty and increased risk aversion spiked a rush to top up liquidity—the so-called ‘dash for cash’— primarily in the bank-intermediated credit and public capital markets.

English | 8 pages—January—Note 98 | IFC 2021

Jan 4, 2021

How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Advance Post-Secondary Learning in Emerging Markets

Tertiary and vocational learning is widely recognized as critical for all countries’ economic success. While progress has been made toward achieving the 4th United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) by 2030—“Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning for All”—a 2019 UN report shows that some 750 million adults are functionally illiterate. These statistics illustrate the enormous challenge of adequately preparing the workforce for rapid technological change that will require continual reskilling. Although machines with artificial intelligence are likely to replace millions of workers across the world, AI also has great potential to enable workers to keep up with technological change and remain employable. This note attempts to illustrates how AI can support post-secondary learning across the entire tertiary and vocational education sector in emerging markets.

English | 8 pages—January—Note 97 | IFC 2021

Dec 23, 2020

Innovation, Investment, and Emerging Opportunities in Today’s Textile and Apparel Value Chain

Textile and apparel manufacturing is a critical creator of formalized jobs, a well-known path to industrialization, and an enabler of value chain relationships that modernize economies and make them more complex. Today, value chains that support the textile and apparel industries are rapidly evolving. They are integrating new technologies, embracing workplace innovations, adopting sustainable efficiencies, and inventing products and processes to meet the changing demands of global consumers and markets.

English | 8 pages—December—Note 96 | IFC 2020

Dec 21, 2020

Creating Markets in Egypt: Country Private Sector Diagnostic

The Egypt Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) provides IFC & World Bank analysis of growth and investment opportunities, constraints, & policy recommendations.

English - 144 pages | Arabic - 119 pages | 2020 IFC

Dec 17, 2020

IFC Employability Tool: Bridging Education to Employability

Dec 17, 2020

How Has COVID-19 Affected Haiti’s Apparel Industry

This joint study of 33 firms from the garment sector, that represent 87 percent of L’Association des Industries d’Haïti's (ADIH) membership and employ around 55,000 formal workers, provides key insights to help public and private decision makers navigate the crisis, and signals opportunities for the sector.

Dec 17, 2020

Annual Reports: DFI Working Group on Blended Concessional Finance for Private Sector Projects

IFC chairs a working group of more than 20 development finance institutions (DFIs) and has been working with other multilateral development banks and DFIs to promote the adoption of the blended finance principles to ensure a strict and disciplined approach to blended concessional finance to avoid market distortions. The working group has published annual reports since 2017: