Evaluating the Performance of Yemen's Free Zones and Industrial Estates

Port of Aden

In 2006, Locus Founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier served as Senior Technical Advisor for the World Bank on Yemen's free zones and Industrial Estates programs. Jean-Paul provided a critical and in-depth review of the performance of the the zones.

Yemen introduced a free zones program in 1993 with the passage of the free zones bill. It designated a free zone in Aden and YemInvest was contracted to develop and operate both the Aden Port and free zone. The free zone aims to be a manufacturing and logistics hub.

Yemen is also currently developing a new special economic zones (SEZ) bill, alongside several measures to reform the regulatory environment.

Charting a Future for South Sudan through Special Economic Zones

Jean-Paul Gauthier helped evaluate a special economic zones (SEZ) strategy for South Sudan in 2006 while serving as a Senior Technical Advisor and SEZ point person for the World Bank. South Sudan had recently...

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. ...

Stimulating Business Growth in Lebanon through Special Economic Zones

Jean-Paul Gauthier was with the World Bank when tasked with helping establish Lebanon's special economic zone (SEZ) program from 2005-2006. Lebanon was concerned with ...

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 ...

Evaluating Cambodia's SEZ Laws

In December 2005, Cambodia issued Sub-Decree No. 147 and 148, which established special economic zones (SEZs), as well as the Cambodian SEZ Board (CSEZB) to regulate the SEZs.... During the laws' formation, Locus Founder & CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier analyzed the legislation against international best practices...

Building up Government Capacity to Break Down Administrative Barriers in Bangladesh

Improving an investment climate requires committed and well-trained government officials ready to respond to business's needs. For that reason, the World Bank's Foreign Investment Advisory Service formed the Bangladesh Administrative Barriers to Investment Project. This project helped Bangladesh establish...

Addressing Administrative Barriers in Egypt

From 2004 to 2005, Locus founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier served as Senior Advisor on the World Bank's Egypt Investment Climate Assessment / Administrative Barriers Project. At the time, administrative red tape seriously hampered business growth ...

Strategizing for Economic Development in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq

In 2004, Jean-Paul Gauthier served the Kurdistan Investment Board as it sought to develop a Sulaymaniyah Secured Commercial Area. Jean-Paul served as Legal Component Lead and helped create a development strategy for the area, under a contract between Deloitte and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq, as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government....

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...

Making Government More Efficient in Fiji

In 2004, the Government of Fiji sought the assistance of the World Bank to help improve its program for issuing investment approvals and registering businesses. Locus Founder and CEO Jean-Paul Gauthier served as a senior advisor on the project, providing hands-on, practical assistance to several government agencies involved in these functions....