Now Available: The Summer 2017 Issue of DAI’s Developments Newsletter

June 19, 2017

The Summer 2017 issue of DAI’s Developments newsletter is now available.

Leading off, assistance led by DAI has long been unlocking capital in developing countries. Now, investing equity capital in these teeming markets enjoys increasing advantages, thanks to finance and policy groundwork laid by programs of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donors, writes DAI’s Robin Young, Principal Global Practice Specialist for Financial Services.

The U.K. Department for International Development's Enterprise Partners program, implemented by DAI, is helping develop the workforce at the Hawassa Industrial Park in Ethiopia.

Next up, farmers and buyers in East Africa signed $83 million in contracts—moving food from countries of surplus to countries of need—thanks to assistance to overcome trade barriers. Yohannes Assefa, who leads the agriculture component of the USAID East Africa Trade and Investment Hub, implemented by DAI, describes how it happened and how it might open floodgates for more trade between food-challenged countries on the continent.

Other stories include:

• Poland’s small and growing businesses previously had no way to finance new or upgraded energy systems. The Polish Sustainable Energy Finance Facility helped Polish banks to develop loan products that spurred more than 2,000 small and medium-sized businesses to upgrade or replace their heating, cooling, electric power, and insulation—a total of €200 million worth of improvements—providing a financing model worthy of scale and replication, as captured by DAI Principal Consultant Anne-Sofia Holmberg.
• The Philippines government had been shortchanging itself on income-tax revenues, but in the first quarter the government raised $1.1 billion more compared with the same quarter last year, not by raising rates but by making it easier for taxpayers to comply and the government to keep track. Project leader Roberto Toso and Developments Editor Charles Coon explain how.
• In a related story, Staff Writer Brian McMahon recounts the myriad projects funded by USAID and the U.K. Department for International Development and implemented by DAI where countries are benefiting—and more than just financially—from building more efficient systems for revenue and expenditure.
• The global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change requires a holistic approach. Jonathan Randall, DAI’s Climate Change and Energy Specialist, lays out DAI’s multifaceted portfolio that include contributions from business, finance, science, and government—as well as from the local communities most affected.
• Finally, Uzbekistan has seen a proliferation of cold storage spaces—the country’s total refrigerated warehousing has increased from 258,000 cubic meters in 2010 to more than 3.5 million cubic meters today. Richard Tracy, Vice President of International Programs of the Global Cold Chain Alliance, and Joel Taylor, who served a fellowship at the GCCA, tell the story behind this growth, which has greatly enhanced Uzbekistan’s market capabilities, improving the abilities of farmers, transporters, grocers, and exporters to increase sales.

To sign up for DAI news, newsletters, technical articles, and job postings, click here.