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Existing work on China's economic influence in Africa refers to Africa in broad terms, thereby generalizing the results to an extent that is unhelpful for policy-makers in a specific country. Moreover, the emphasis is on oil exporters. This paper remedies this by focusing on a single, oil-importing country: Kenya. The paper examines China's economic presence in Kenya and some of the popular myths surrounding Chinese economic activity. The first myth is that Chinese companies do not employ local workers. In fact, 78 percent of full-time and 95 percent of part-time employees in Chinese companies are locals. Second, although China represents a large potential market for local exporters, the study finds that China has a better chance of expanding its exports to Kenya than Kenya does to China based on existing specializations. This may change with recent oil discoveries in Kenya, increasing the space for Kenyan exports to China, as well as from China's shift to a consumption-driven economy which will increase demand for services, a growing strength of Kenya's economy (World Bank Country Economic Memorandum 2016). The paper emphasizes that Kenyan policy makers should be less concerned about bilateral trade imbalances and worry about Kenya's overall trade balance. However, the Standard Gauge Railway and Thika superhighway experiences suggest that Chinese firms offer relatively few technology transfer or supplier opportunities for local firms and academia. Third, the popular focus of Chinese competition is on the impact on well-organized Kenyan producers and not on consumers, thereby underestimating the benefits Kenyan consumer derive from the availability of more affordable Chinese goods. The paper concludes with policy directions for improving export competitiveness and transparency in infrastructure projects, and local content.

Foreign Aid --- Foreign Direct Investment --- Trade Imbalance

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Due to its recognized benefits, most countries today regardless of their level of development compete for and dedicate significant resources to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Capturing the full positive spillovers of FDI is a long-term process and requires regulatory certainty and predictability to enable strategic business planning. This paper aims to fill this gap in evidence-based policy making, by contributing to the understanding of how political risks emanating from government conduct affect FDI and proposing a tool for governments to help investors retain and expand investments. Based on investor survey data and empirical analysis of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), the paper aims to draw attention to this issue and to highlight that many countries may inadvertently be losing significant amounts of FDI. The paper responds to an urgent need for governments to provide a minimum institutional infrastructure that can enable a lead agency to identify, track, and manage conflicts arising between investors and public agencies as early as possible.

Foreign Direct Investment --- Governance --- Politics and Government

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This current Country Economic Memorandum is intended to provide a comprehensive analysis of growthconstraints and recommendations. While it updates some aspects of these earlier studies, its main focus is on enterprise performance. Insofar as enterprise performance occurs in a larger institutional context, this focus necessarily touches on several of the earlier themes, particularly the rule of law, business regulation, and education. The first chapter presents a diagnostic that highlights the problem of falling productivity in the enterprise sector and points to elements of market structure (particularly state ownership) that undermine productivity growth and curtail the growth of the private sector. This chapter also focuses on demand-side issues in export markets, and highlights policy lessons from sectors with high productivity that could drive future growth. A second chapter focuses on foreign firms, which are high productivity enterprises within Moldova, and looks at investment promotion and ways to improve the contribution of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the economy. Subsequent chapters extend the analysis to incentives shaping enterprise performance and opportunities for growth led by the private sector, particularly: competition and regulatory policies (Chapter 3); tax policy insofar as it affects incentives and tax buoyancy that underpin macroeconomic stability (Chapter 4); and finally, education as a crucial input into enterprise development (Chapter 5).

Foreign Direct Investment --- State-Owned Enterprises --- Tax Policy

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Turkey's pace of income convergence has globally been one of the most remarkable of the past fifteen years. Sustaining growth and improvements in living standards in Turkey will require higher productivity in the economy. The Turkey Productivity Report (2019) provides an in-depth analysis of firm productivity in Turkey and how this adds up to economic growth in the country. The report has six parts. The first two provide macro and micro diagnosis of productivity in the economy - what are the productivity trends, how have these affected economic growth, what firms in what industry are the most productive, and are they absorbing an increasing or decreasing share of resources? From here the report analyzes specific policy areas that might explain firm productivity dynamics in Turkey - namely firms' integration in the global economy, access to innovation support, the quality of human capital, and the business environment including competition. The report finds that economic integration and innovation have boosted firm-level productivity, though reforms could further accelerate these positive impacts. Productivity gains could accelerate the demand for more educated and skilled workers. The growth of more productive firms could in turn also be accelerated through reforms that increase competition and reduce regulatory burden.

Employment --- Foreign Direct Investment --- Labor Market --- Total Factor Productivity --- Trade

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Bhutan's investment climate is primarily constrained by imperfections in factor markets, limited access to product markets, and state dominance. Driven by the capital-intensive hydropower sector, the country achieved impressive growth rates, but created few jobs. The public sector stepped in, but has the capacity to absorb only about 1,000 graduates per year. The 2017 Investment Climate Assessment (ICA) survey revealed that employment remains concentrated in agriculture and the public sector, and that many firms are struggling to grow due to obstacles that hinder investment, productivity, and international trade. While some improvements in the investment climate have been made, many challenges persist. Limited access to finance, caused by both supply- and demand-side factors, constrains the growth of firms, especially small firms. In 2015, the World Bank's Enterprise Survey (WBES) conducted detailed interviews with managers of 367 nonagricultural firms in Bhutan. Managers, particularly of micro- and small enterprises, most frequently cited access to finance as the constraint that most inhibited firm growth. Lenders, on the one hand, are discouraged by a lack of credit information and by a complex, unpredictable, and ineffective restructuring and insolvency regime. Borrowers, on the other hand, are discouraged by high prices, poor quality, and limited availability of financial services. Collateral requirements hinder firm expansion, while the lack of a clear insolvency framework remains a barrier. In the recent past, the country has undertaken some reforms to improve its investment climate but more needs to be done. The government has taken measures to increase access to finance by establishing a credit information bureau, three new commercial banks, and a minimum reference rate for lending. The country has also improved corporate governance and administrative efficiency by: (a) enacting legislation that requires companies to nominate independent board members and set up an audit committee; (b) introducing dedicated benches for commercial cases; and (c) simplifying business registration. However, challenges remain in the provision of finance, the ease of hiring labor, and access to markets.

Foreign Direct Investment --- Investment Climate --- State-Owned Enterprises