Improving the Business Environment in Latvia

This paper tracks the process through which FIAS, the investment climate advisory service of the World Bank Group advised the government of Latvia from 1998 to 2004 on ways to improve the business environment, achieve higher rates of economic growth, and thereby alleviate poverty. This case study shows that it is reasonable to describe how assistance by FIAS led to an improved business environment. The role that FIAS advice played may be discerned at the level of benefits accruing to the target population (i.e., the amount of resources freed up by lower costs associated with administrative procedures). Whether these benefits accruing to the business community translated into higher rates of investment and productivity, and thus to higher economic growth and reduced poverty, is a function of the entire political, social, and economic structure in Latvia. It is evident that there are many links in the chain of causation, and that the direct attribution FIAS can claim diminishes at every step downstream from its activities. Credit for success must be shared with the Government of Latvia and its immediate stakeholders (i.e., the businesses and their associations), the European Union accession process, the input of many other complementary projects, market forces, and fortuitous timing.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Liepina, Sanda, Coolidge, Jacqueline, Grava, Lars
Format:	Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2008
Subjects:	ACCESS TO FINANCE, ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACCESSIBILITY, ACCOUNT, ACQUISITION, ACTION PLAN, ACTION PLANS, ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIER, ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS, ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS, ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS, ADVISORY SERVICE, ADVISORY SERVICES, ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY, ANNUAL INCOME, APPLICATION PROCESSES, AVERAGE WAGE, BANK LOAN, BARRIER, BARRIERS TO ENTRY, BARRIERS TO INVESTMENT, BENEFICIARIES, BEST PRACTICE, BEST-PRACTICE, BRIBES, BROCHURES, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, BUSINESS CLIMATE, BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BUSINESS CONFIDENCE, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS INDICATOR, BUSINESS INDICATORS, BUSINESS OPERATIONS, BUSINESS REGISTRATION, BUSINESS REGULATION, BUSINESS SURVEYS, BUSINESSES, BUYERS, CALCULATION, CALCULATIONS, CAPITAL FORMATION, CC, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, CLIENT COUNTRIES, CONSUMERS, CONTRIBUTION, CONTRIBUTIONS, COPYRIGHT, COPYRIGHT CLEARANCE, COPYRIGHT CLEARANCE CENTER, CORRUPTION, COST OF LABOR, COST SAVINGS, CURRENCY, CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMS, CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS, DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPING COUNTRY, DIRECT CREDIT, DOMESTIC INVESTORS, E-MAIL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC STRUCTURE, EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT, ELECTRICITY, ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT SERVICE, ENTERPRISE REGISTRATION, ENTREPRENEUR, ENTREPRENEURS, EQUITY CAPITAL, EXPATRIATE, EXPENDITURES, FINANCE CORPORATION, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, FINANCIAL STATISTICS, FIXED CAPITAL, FOREIGN CITIZENS, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, FOREIGN INVESTMENT, FOREIGN INVESTORS, GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS, GLOBALIZATION, GOVERNMENT ACTION, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, GOVERNMENT POLICY, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, GROWTH RATE, GROWTH RATES, GUARANTEE AGENCY, HOURLY WAGE, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN RESOURCES, ID, IMPACT ANALYSIS, INCOME, INCOME INEQUALITY, INCOME TAX, INCOMES, INFLATION, INSPECTION, INSPECTIONS, INSTITUTION, INSURANCE, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS, INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INVESTMENT CLIMATE, INVESTMENT CLIMATE REFORM, INVESTMENT CLIMATE REFORMS, INVESTMENT COMMUNITY, JOB CREATION, KEY CHALLENGE, LABOR FORCE, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKETS, LACK OF INFORMATION, LAND MARKETS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, LEGISLATIVE REFORMS, LICENSE, LICENSES, LIVING STANDARDS, MACROECONOMIC POLICY, MACROECONOMIC STABILITY, MARKET ECONOMY, MARKET FAILURES, MARKETING, MATERIAL, MATH, MEDIUM ENTERPRISE, MINIMUM WAGE, MONOPOLIES, NEW BUSINESS, NEW BUSINESSES, NEW COMPANY, OUTPUT, OUTPUTS, PAYMENT METHODS, PENSIONERS, PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, POWER PARITY, PRIVATE INVESTMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT, PRIVATE SECTORS, PROBABILITY, PRODUCTIVITY, PROPERTY RIGHTS, PROSPERITY, PROTOCOLS, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY, PURCHASING, PURCHASING POWER, PURCHASING POWER PARITY, QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY OF WORK, QUERIES, QUESTIONNAIRE, REAL ESTATE, RED TAPE, REDUCTION IN TIME, REFORM PROGRAM, REGISTRATION PROCESS, REGISTRATION PROCESSES, REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, RESPONSIBILITIES, RESULT, RESULTS, SALARY, SAVINGS, SOCIAL INSURANCE, STAKEHOLDERS, SUPERVISION, TAX, TAX LAWS, TAX LEGISLATION, TAX PREPARATION, TAX RATES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELEPHONE, TERM CONTRACT, TOTAL COST, TOTAL SAVINGS, TRACK RECORDS, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TRANSACTION, TRANSITION COUNTRIES, TRANSITION COUNTRY, TRANSLATION, TRANSPARENCY, TYPE OF COST, UNEMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, UNION, USES, VALUATION, VALUATIONS, VERIFICATION, VIDEO, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WAGES, WEB, WEB SITE, WEB SITES, WESTERN EUROPE, WORLD TRADE, WORTH,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/154971468045235473/Improving-the-business-environment-in-Latvia-the-impact-of-FIAS-assistance https://hdl.handle.net/10986/28243
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