IFC

Stimulating Job Growth and Poverty Reduction through the Maluku Special Economic Zone, DRC

In 2014, Locus Economica advised the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through the IFC on the feasibility of implementing an SEZ program in its country.  Our assistance consisted of recommendations on the establishment of a secure legal framework for private-sector investment in the DRC. The DRC has sought to establish Kintech, a privately managed SEZ...

Pre-Feasibility Study for the Kuwait Digital Oasis

In 2013, Locus Economica was retained by the World Bank to assess the opportunity and potential nature and location of a technology park in Kuwait on behalf its central agency for information technology (CAIT). The firm provided strategic and real-estate market recommendations in this context.

Haiti Special Economic Zones Law Drafting Project

Under several successive assignments throughout 2013, the World Bank and the Ministry of Industry of Haiti, contracted Locus Economica to review existing industrial zones legislation and draft a new SEZ law for the country. Locus Economica also made high-level presentations to various stakeholders in the country while they workshoped and validated the proposed bill. ...

Assessing the Feasibility of SEZs in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In 2009-2010, Locus Economica Founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier led a complete feasibility study on the establishment of an SEZ in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study included the drafting of legislation for the new SEZ program...

Bringing the ICT Sector to Kenya

In 2008, the Kenya government designated a 1,000 acre site along the Athi River as an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) designed to attract information and communications technology (ICT) firms. The following year, Locus founder and CEO Jean Paul Gauthier began working with the government on the new zone's...

Evaluating the Global Performance of Special Economic Zones

In 2008, Locus Founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier served as overall engagement manager and co-author of "Special Economic Zones: Performance, Lessons Learned, and Implication for Zone Development." The influential and comprehensive report by the the World Bank provides a global review of SEZ experience over the past 30 years. ...

Uncovering the Barriers to Investment in Pakistan

The major problems with an economy aren't always what they seem. A common belief in Pakistan was once that the country's written statutes and regulations weren't the problem, but the government agencies implementing those laws. However, when Locus CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier led the World Bank's "Pakistan Administrative Barriers to Investment Study" from 2003-2007, he demonstrated that this wasn't the complete story. ....

Making Burkina Faso's Investment Climate Leap

Locus is committed to making it easier to do business in our client's countries. ... From 2005 to 2007, Locus founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier led the World Bank / International Finance Corporation's (IFC) "Doing Business Better" Project for Burkina Faso....

Building Better Business Laws in West and Central Africa

OHADA is an organization of 17 Central and West African countries that seeks to improve the business environment in the region by passing uniform laws applying to all businesses in member state. From 2006-2007, Locus founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier led an ... effort to help reform OHADA laws that were in need of updating. ...

Reforming the Investment Climate in Tajikistan

Legal reforms have been crucial to Tajikistan's economic development....  Locus CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier led the IFC's efforts to improve the country's laws from 2004 to 2006 as part of the Tajikistan Investment Climate Reform Project. During that time, he assisted the development of regulatory reforms that ...

Clearing the Way for Small Businesses in Nigeria

Evidence shows that micro, small, and medium size enterprises (MSME) play a crucial role in a thriving economy. In many countries, however, unnecessary regulatory barriers keep MSMEs out of the market.... To address this problem, the IFC had Locus founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier...