Netherlands for the World Bank

Your guide to the World Bank Group

Netherlands for the World Bank

Industrial Commodities Prices to Surge in 2017: World Bank

WASHINGTON, January 24, 2017— The World Bank is forecasting strong gains for
industrial commodities such as energy and metals WB HQin 2017, due to tightening supply and strengthening demand.

In its January 2017 Commodity Markets Outlook, the World Bank is holding steady its crude oil price forecast for the year at $55 per barrel, a 29 percent jump from 2016. The energy price forecast assumes members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other oil producers will partially comply with an agreement to limit production after a long period of unrestrained output.

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Tips on how to work with the World Bank Group

The World Bank Group project cycle takes years, getting involved in the proces requires a lot of patience; below a number of helpful tips:

  • Build a large network including all relevant stakeholders; local government project authority, (local) World Bank staff and offices, local business, and the Dutch embassies.
  • Follow projects and follow-up with (local) World Bank Staff on a regular basis.
  • Be patient and approach from a problem solving perspective within the country of execution.
  • If possible create a consortium with a local company in country of execution.
  • Maintain regular contact with local and federal government agencies discussing future projects.
  • Visit the World Bank Group HQ in Washington, D.C. with concrete deliverables and examples of executed projects.
  • When in Washington, D.C. be sure to be up to date on the recent developments concerning procurement, structure and general news.
  • Is something unclear? Don’t assume. Ask.

 

These are the world’s most sustainable cities

World Economic Forum

What does it mean to be a ‘sustainable city’, and which cities around the worldr8ansexefvgog2knfwagqi3r2drh44rbuin_samryey are best at it? A new index sets out to find the most successful from a list of 100 cities. The ranking from Arcadis, a design and consultancy firm, and the Centre for Economic and Business Research, assesses the sustainability of cities based on three dimensions. The ranking also highlights the pressure cities are under – from population growth to natural disasters.

Event Nov8 :Policies for SME Growth: What Works, What Doesn’t?

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) employ about half of the workforce in developing countries. SME growth may thus raise incomes for many low-income households. But SMEs often face significant constraints to growth relative to large firms ranging from excessive red tape to limited access to finance.

In this talk, Miriam Bruhn will discuss empirical evidence on commonly used policies for SME growth. Miriam will cover policies that work and policies that don’t in the areas of regulation, access to finance, and business practices. Encouragingly, evidence from Mexico, Georgia, Peru, and elsewhere shows that there are a number of programs that governments can implement to support SME growth. She will also highlight implementation challenges and caveats for some of these policies.

How to join! 12:30 – 2:00 PM, November 8, 2016

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Record Number of Economies Carried Out Business Reforms in Past Year: Doing Business

WASHINGTON, October 25, 2016db17-reportA record 137 economies around the world have adopted key reforms that make it easier to start and operate small and medium-sized businesses, says Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All, the World Bank Group’s annual report on the ease of doing business.

The new report finds that developing countries carried out more than 75 percent of the 283 reforms in the past year, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for over one-quarter of all reforms.

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OUT NOW! Flagship Report: Doing Business

Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All, db17-reporta World Bank Group flagship publication, is the 14th in a series of annual reports measuring the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 190 economies—from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe—and over time.

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World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings 2016 Development Committee Communiqué

Press Release; October 8th, 2016

1. The Development Committee met today, October 8, in Washington, D.C.

2. Global economic growth remains sluggish in 2016, with only a modest pick-up expected in 2017. Demand has remained soft despite highly stimulative monetary policies, foreign direct investment to developing countries has decreased, commodity exporters are adjusting to declines in exports, and wider geopolitical and economic uncertainties are weighing on confidence. We call on the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to work jointly with countries to enhance synergy among monetary, fiscal and structural reform policies, stimulate growth, create jobs, and strengthen the gains from multilateralism for all.

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