IBI starts 2020 by implementing two new projects in Asia.

IBI is excited to announce that we are starting 2020 by implementing two new projects in Asia.

Lao PDR - Laos Business Environment (LBE)

IBI is implementing the USAID-funded Laos Business Environment (LBE) project, which is designed to support economic growth. This five-year project will support Lao PDR’s (Laos) economic reform agenda, and will strengthen government’s ability to respond to the needs of Laotian businesses, and improve the Laos business enabling environment. This approach will enable the private sector, and especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), make a greater contribution to Laos’ economic growth, employment, and Laotian citizen income levels.

The project has three components:

1. Improve the competitiveness of SMEs in high priority sectors

2. Inclusive Public-Private Sector Collaboration and

3. More Effective Facilitation of Market Economy.

We will be posting updates as this ground-breaking program gets underway!

ASEAN Policy Implementation (API)

IBI is supporting USAID's efforts in Asia to enhance shared prosperity, champion good governance, and ensure a peaceful and secure regional order through the newly Awarded ASEAN Policy Initiative (API). Under the USAID-funded API, IBI will work to build the capacity of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Economic Community and ASEAN Member States (AMS) to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth and encourage rules-based systems to support a prosperous Southeast Asia.

Specifically, API will support ASEAN Member State implementation of ASEAN policies. In the first stage of the project, we will be identifying concrete needs that developing ASEAN Member States (including Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam) have to implement of targeted ASEAN policies. Once needs are identified, IBI will provide concrete technical assistance to Member States to implement policies.

At the end of four years, USAID expects that API will have supported inclusive economic growth and prosperity, promoted transparent, rules-based governance, and contributed to regional cooperation in ASEAN. Stay tuned as we report on the progress of our activities.