Access to mobile technology and the internet can help boost gross domestic product (GDP) through job creation and greater productivity, increasing access to markets, services, and information. However, despite the global adoption of technology over the last decade, access and use have not been equally distributed. There are still almost 3 billion people currently unconnected,…
Over more than the past decade, Jordan has faced several external shocks that affected its economic growth. The global financial crisis in 2009 slowed economic activity, and regional conflicts disrupted trade routes with key partners, including Turkey and the European Union. Additionally, in 2011, Egypt’s natural gas supplies were interrupted and, most recently, the COVID-19…
The Pakistan Investment Promotion Activity (IPA) is funded by USAID to support investment in Pakistan by attracting investors, assisting their entry and establishment in the country, securing their retention, and fostering links internally. The activity has four principal objectives. These include addressing the business-enabling regulatory environment for investment promotion, reforming institutional policies including the ease…
The future of sustainable energy solutions is determined by the competition of ideas at the intersection of sectors and by the responsible choices we make as a society. With this in mind, Chemonics invited our audience to observe International Women’s Day and join us for Women in Energy (WINenergy), a webinar hosted by Chemonics’ Water,…
The private sector, recognizing the economic threat and global calls to climate action, has mobilized corporate pledges to avert climate disaster and bridge the nearly $4 trillion financing gap for climate financing by 2030. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), nearly 500 global financial services firms agreed to align $130 trillion – some…
Abundant natural resources, dynamic energy and agricultural markets, and a free market economy with few limits on foreign investment make Uganda a potentially attractive market for investors. With no shortage of domestic and foreign capital resources, the country is also seeing the emergence of business development and transactions advisory services that match investors with investees…
In the global context of the COVID-19 pandemic, new consumer trends and digitization are reshaping markets and firms. Several high-potential economic sectors in Moldova have an opportunity to pivot their recovery and emerge from the pandemic stronger and more successful than before. The Moldova Future Technologies Activity (FTA), funded by USAID and Sweden continues the…
These briefs serve as a reference point for development practitioners interested in leveraging blended finance approaches in project design and delivery and improving the quality of engagement with the private sector. They include a primer that provides a targeted, high-level overview of blended finance mechanisms to contextualize the sector-specific technical briefs. The briefs also articulate…
Since the end of its civil war, Lebanon has shown incredible resilience through recent events such as the Arab Spring and the Syrian armed conflict, which resulted in an influx of refugees and significant shifts in agricultural trading. The ongoing impact of the Beirut blast and the pandemic have only furthered the country’s extreme political…
The USAID Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities (DCEO) activity addresses the conflict’s underlying drivers by building Iraq’s local communities’ resilience. Under the Business Competitiveness and Job Creation Initiative (BCJCI) and 100 Solutions for Stability Task Orders, DCEO bolsters community members’ ability to advocate for the changes their communities need and supports private sector networks to…
In frontier and conflict markets, identifying promising businesses and supporting their development is critical for creating jobs in an environment of inclusive growth. USAID’s Investment Facilitation Activity in the DRC (USAID Invest) is a five-year program that aims to foster private investments into the DRC. By cultivating a pipeline of high-potential businesses across sectors, with…