Doing Business Report Finds More than 60% of World’s Economies Improved Their Business Rules in Past Year
WASHINGTON, October 27, 2015 – Developing economies quickened the pace of their business reforms during the last 12 months to make it easier for local businesses to start and operate, says the World Bank Group’s annual ease of doing business measurement.
The blog post focuses on the frequently expressed concern over the time and expense involved in creating the legal agreements that are at the center of every
PPP project.
Everyone recognizes the importance of PPP contracts, since they are the documents that set out how the partnership will work – but there are constant calls for making the contractual drafting process quicker and less expensive.
Every year over 4 million people, mostly women and children, die due to air pollution caused by unhealthy cookstoves and other heat sources. 
On Tuesday, September 29, your Netherlands Embassy’s NL4WorldBank team, in close cooperation with the World Bank Group, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organized the first ever Clean Cookstove Webinar to address this issue.
How it works
Geared towards the Dutch private sector, the webinar offered the participants the chance to pitch their companies’ cookstove or related product to a group of World Bank staff all working on cookstove projects across the world. Continue reading
WORLD BANK’S WATER GLOBAL PRACTICE
WPE now seeks an Economist with 
outstanding analytical and communication skills with experience in preferably both infrastructure economics and natural resource economics. The Economist will be expected to work closely in developing the WPE GSGs analytical program of activities and support to operations.
The Economist will report to the WPE GSG Global Lead Economist, and will work closely with Global Programs World Bank operational staff in the Water GP, Poverty GP and the Country Management Unit. This position is designed to take advantage of the synergies that can be achieved through seamlessly linking across the operational and WSP teams. Continue reading
Article originally published in Het Financieele Dagblad on September 7, 2015 by Gerben van der Marel. This is an abstract, full article available through the FD website.
The World Bank will offer more help to relatively wealthy countries going through a crisis, like Greece. Talks are underway with the Greek private sector regarding a ‘substantial’ package of investments, according to Frank Heemskerk, Executive Director at the development bank in Washington.
Behind the scenes, the World Bank has been active in Greece for some time, says Heemskerk. ‘Many institutions don’t work. The country is corrupt. We have allowed that to happen in Europe. We have all looked the other way.’ The Greek crisis has a large impact in the region, he says. Countries like Bulgaria, where the World Bank has been a player for a long time, feel the pain.
Remainder in Dutch.
Original announcement for symposium on VVM website. World Bank speaker participating.
Only 100 spots available, so don’t wait!
In the Netherlands we pay on average 
€1 per cubic meter of tapwater coming from groundwater. If surface water or infiltrated groundwater comes out of the tap, a few dimes or half a Euro is added. A bottle of water is up to a thousand times more expensive.
Date: September 23, 2015
Location: Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
Remainder in Dutch. Continue reading
Original article posted in the Volkskrant on September 2, 2015
Taxpayers’ money spent well
Useless waste of money, is more and
more often the verdict about development aid. To the contrary, is the conclusion after the largest evaluation ever: development organizations are effective and efficient.
Remainder of article in Dutch. Continue reading
Article originally published on the IGRAC website.
Together with NWP (Netherlands 
Water Partnership) IGRAC organised a ‘Roundtable on Netherlands Groundwater Expertise in Integrated Delta Management’. Mr. Junaid Ahmad, Senior Director Water at The World Bank, met representatives of Dutch groundwater sector to hear about groundwater management practice in the Netherlands and to explore possibilities to implement related knowledge into World Bank operations.
Original article published on Dutch Government website.
The Netherlands is to take a leading role at the World Bank in tackling severe hunger. Because of the prominent position of Dutch businesses and knowledge institutes in the area of efficient and sustainable food production, the Netherlands has been asked to advise the Bank on food projects in developing countries. Development cooperation minister Lilianne Ploumen will be signing an agreement this Thursday with the World Bank at a summit conference in Rotterdam.
‘Everyone should have access to a sufficient supply of healthy and safe food,’ Ms Ploumen said. ‘The Dutch agriculture and horticulture sector has the know-how to boost crop yields and cut costs, while lightening the burden on the environment. Together with the World Bank, we can deploy our solutions worldwide.’ Much of the partnership will focus on knowledge-sharing by the business community, knowledge institutions, civil society organisations and government. Dutch experts will also be enlisted in an array of projects and the Netherlands will provide training courses and workshops on topics like safe food chains and sustainable farming.
The World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice
(WGP) has published the Water Partnership Program’s Annual Report. The Netherlands is a longstanding strategic partner and has enabled the WPP to shape global water policy and strengthen water programs globally to help countries build resilience, protect the most vulnerable, and progress towards ensuring water security for all.
Netherlands for the World Bank 
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