2005 World Development Report: Improving the Investment Climate for the Benefit of All

Author: World Bank - Chinese Academy of Sciences & Tsinghua University Institute for Studies in Statecraft
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Whether it is general enterprises or large multinational corporations, they all play a significant role in economic development and poverty reduction. Business investment decisions open up new job areas, enabling the effective supply of goods and services to customers. At the same time, governments can use taxes to fund the development of healthy, educational, and other service industries. How local governments create an investment environment largely determines the extent to which businesses contribute to society. For example, governments can contribute by protecting property rights, formulating regulations and tax policies, adopting various strategies to provide infrastructure for financial and labor markets, and implementing effective interventions. New data from the World Bank further highlights how the investment environment shapes major changes within and between countries, while also emphasizing the potential for improving it. The 2005 World Development Report: Improving the Investment Climate for Everyone Benefits points out that improving the investment environment should be a top priority for governments. Through surveys and case studies of nearly 30,000 enterprises in 53 developing countries, combined with other new research, the report explores the following questions:
· What are the characteristics of a good investment environment, and how do they impact the economy and contribute to poverty reduction?
· Why is the pace of improving the investment environment often slow and challenging?
· What practical lessons can be learned from the experiences of different countries in improving the investment environment?
· What role can selective interventions and international deployment play in improving the investment environment?
· How can international teams help developing countries improve their social investment environment?
In addition to detailed chapters addressing these and related issues, the report includes data from the World Bank's investment climate surveys, regular research projects, and an appendix, The 2004 World Development Guide, containing economic and social development data for over 200 countries and regions.
The 27th edition of the World Development Report provides practical insights for policymakers, implementers, scholars, and all readers interested in economic development. This year's report focuses on creating more opportunities for people to escape poverty and improve their living standards. It examines how to foster a conducive environment where diverse businesses and entrepreneurs—such as individual farmers, microenterprises, local small and medium manufacturers, and multinational corporations—can actively invest, create jobs, expand, and contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction.
Thus, the research in this report addresses a major challenge in economic development. Through surveys and case studies of nearly 30,000 enterprises in 53 developing countries, combined with other new research, the report explores the following questions: What are the characteristics of a good investment environment, and how do they impact development and poverty reduction? Why is the pace of improving the investment environment often slow and challenging? What practical lessons can be learned from the experiences of different countries in improving the investment environment? What role can selective interventions and international deployment play in improving the investment environment? How can international groups help developing countries improve their social investment environment?
And so on.
The 2005 World Development Report is the 27th in the World Bank's landmark publication series. It provides practical insights for policymakers, implementers, scholars, and all readers interested in economic development.