South Asia Regional Trade and Investment

completed

Activities under the project are proposed to be structured around three main pillars focused on: (1) Enhancing access to investment-related information and benchmarking (2) Providing advisory services to client governments (3) Peer-to-peer learning and capacity building Pillar 1: Enhancing access to investment-related information and benchmarking: The activities are: a.Conduct research or survey on information needs and gaps. b.Develop on-line portal or off-line solutions to improve countries' investment and trade information. c.Regional report benchmarking on FDI regulation and practices. d.Regional integration benchmarking - A scorecard to monitor and stimulate progress towards regional cooperation in policy- and-rulemaking, and towards increased cross-border trade and investment flows. Pillar 2: Providing advisory services to client governments as required in one or more of the following areas: -Updating FDI legislation and investment policy -Streamlining FDI approval and business entry -Improving foreign exchange regulations and administration -Reducing restrictions on outward FDI -Simplifying obtaining of expatriate work permits -Addressing FDI barriers Pillar 3: Peer-to-peer learning and capacity building a. Organize learning events jointly with local partner institutions such as chambers of commerce to disseminate key insights from commissioned reports and studies, stimulate reforms through peer-topeer learning, and inform policy dialogue. b. Assist countries in analyzing and closing gaps in their domestic rules vis-a-vis provisions in international treaties. c. Training and capacity building on FDI statistics.