A soon-to-be-announced dissemination event will close Niger’s first survey of Foreign Private Capital flows and Investor Perceptions. Achieving an impressive response rate of 89.1%, the country is now releasing its national analytical report containing all the detailed findings generated by the survey, covering the methodological approach used, analysis of investment climate and of foreign assets and liabilities, and policy recommendations

DFI conducted the third mission in this DFID-funded project to help the Office of the Prime Minister in Uganda to design a partnership policy covering aid and beyond aid issues. The mission conducted a workshop for all stakeholders (government, development partners, parliament and civil society) on the draft document, and subsequently submitted a final draft of the policy to government based on comments received. Since the mission GoU has virtually finished designing a monitoring framework for the policy, and a further mission in Q1 2011 will finalise the project.

Results of Guinea Bissau's survey of Foreign Private Capital flows and Investor Perceptions are now public. They will be officially released on 20 Decembre at a dissemination event which will close the country's first FPC/IP survey cycle. Detailed results and analysis can be accessed here.

Commissioned by DFID, this report  aims at analysing the impact and effectiveness of the new transparency and accountability initiatives by reviewing experience in 5 main sectors of transparency and accountability work : public service delivery; budget processes; freedom of information; natural resource governance; and aid transparency.

Senegal's new 3-year Policy Support Instrument with the IMF includes detailed commitments to advance private sector development in several areas. It covers a restructuring and recovery plan for the energy sector, maintaining financial equilibrium in the water and sanitation sector, implementing actions on credit in the financial sector, enhancing business climate reforms, raising Senegal's Doing Business ranking, and enhancing governance.

The Paris Club Creditors and Brazil agreed to reduce the Democratic Republic of the Congo's debt after the country reached completion point. Under the enhanced HIPC Initiative, and with a view to encourage debt sustainability, DRC will receive a total of USD 7 350 million of debt relief. For full details, read the press release.

Two papers call for a reformulation in IFC's approach to lending. Noting increasing IFC reliance on intermediaries such as banks and private investment funds, this Bretton Woods Project paper finds a lack of transparency, inadequate attention to social and environmental concerns, and failure to link directly to development impacts. This Eurodad report has found less than 20% of IFC support in LICs since 2008 went to companies from LICs, instead concentrating in 8 major projects and rich country firms. It questions the process for project selection, and motivations to invest driven by financial returns rather than LIC needs.

A UN, OECD and NEPAD report argues that the private sector is the best means for Africa to diversify away from commodities. Using case studies for Angola, Benin, Kenya, South Africa, and Tunisia, it recommends policies that strengthen the business environment including international trade agreements, public-private partnerships, capacity building for the private sector, and partnerships with donors and trading partners.

Speaking ahead of a recent conference, the IMF identified a leading role for private equity in energy generation (with public sector focusing on transmission network) and telecoms. Private participation would require prospects for making a return, and an enabling environment through sound tax system, governance, and legal framework.

The Least Developed Countries Report 2010 views the excessive focus on promoting FDI and neglect of domestic investment as biased and counterproductive. Recognising the role of a vibrant domestic private sector in attracting foreign capital, it argues for catalytic support for private sector development and on increasing private sector participation in the provision of infrastructure.