Equal Access and Simplified Environment for Investment Project - Additional Financing (WB-P171088)

Regions
  • Middle East and North Africa
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • Egypt
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Financial Institutions
  • World Bank (WB)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Closed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
C
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Voting Date
Nov 8, 2019
Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.
Borrower
Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Finance
  • Industry and Trade
  • Law and Government
  • Technical Cooperation
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Advisory Services, Grant
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 1.75 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Grant Amount (USD)
$ 1.75 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 1.75 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Bank Documents
Other Related Projects
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ WB website

Updated in EWS Jul 31, 2024

Disclosed by Bank Jun 3, 2019

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

According to bank documents, the project objective is to improve the regulatory environment for investors through simplified licensing and transparent industrial land
allocation processes. The Additional Financing (AF) will scale-up activities being implemented under the Component 1 “Facilitating Accessible and Transparent Investor Services (GAFI)” of the parent project. . The details of activities to be supported through this AF are described below:

  1. Activity 1: Supporting the Role of Investor Service Center (ISC) as the National Platform for Business Registration. The AF aims to strengthen GAFI’s role, in line with the new Investment Law, as the main business entry point for all sorts of companies and the “one window” for providing certain licensing and permits activities to investors.
    1. Task 1.1: Assessment of Technical Requirement for digitalized process among stakeholders. The AF will provide a full readiness assessment to relevant national entities that are involved in the licensing and permits of business activities with the objective of evaluating their capacities and preparedness to implement this digital transformation of the licensing services.
    2. Task 1.2: Procurement and installation of needed IT Equipment. The AF will support the preliminary step of deploying “digital integration units\kits” that can enable relevant ministries and government institutions to perform licensing transactions in a complete digital cycle using basic hardware, software, and digital signature solutions. 
    3. Task 1.3: Creating Agents’ Network to Support Digital Transformation The AF will assist GAFI in creating a network of digitally enabled certified agents to support full deployment of GAFI online systems and mitigate the current deficiency and limitations in the community of users, allowing GAFI to reach a complete digital transformation scenario. In particular, this would facilitate the creation of certified lawyers and auditors’ network who are trained on the usage, features and benefits of the new system and are licensed to provide services to the investment community. The AF will support GAFI in:
      a) Establishing new business unit to manage and operate the network activities.
      b) Providing internal capacity building activities, developing necessary training manuals, and providing Training of Trainers (TOT) modules to ensure sustainability and knowledge sharing.
      c) Providing external training activities and setting criteria of participation and certification.
      d) Supporting a communication campaign that targets (i) informing the investment community of the complete transformation from physical to digital submission to create the incentive and for the trainees to enroll in the system and for the investors to use it, and (ii) recruiting candidates for training.
  2. Activity 2: Expanding Digital Transformation in GAFI. The parent project assists GAFI in establishing an online portal and in providing electronic services to investors through the Investors Service Center. Further developments are needed to efficiently manage investment data, expand investors’ online services and connect affiliate entities to the digital network, which will be supported through the AF.
    1. Task 2.1: Developing a Unified Information Management System for Investment. The AF will enable GAFI with the latest solutions to support multiple data sources, data consolidation and reporting tools. 
    2. Task 2.2: Expanding Investment Map Services. The AF will support introducing new features and business services through the Investment Map. The parent
      project contributed to the launch of the first phase of the Investment Map, which provided the necessary data and information on key investment opportunities, classified by sector and geographical location, through an interactive system. More services and features are necessary to increase value to investors and boost the role of the map in promoting investments and business opportunities. Thus, the AF will support GAFI in introducing the following additional features through the Investment Map:
      a) “Customer 360” module, which is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) best practice that
      targets strengthening the relationship with current investors, reaching out to new ones, and reconnecting
      with former customers. It will enable GAFI to carry out targeted promotional events in order to attract
      investors.
      b) Activating revenue-generating features on the map that include: detailed information and data
      elements to support the investors’ feasibility studies, notifications of new available investment
      opportunities as well as bidding procedures.
  3. Activity 3: Sustaining Reforms through Enhancing Human and Organizational Capacities. The AF will support the sustainability of reform outcomes through a comprehensive strategy targeting organizational and human competencies.
    1. Task 3.1: Supporting the Change Management Process. The AF will support GAFI to institutionalize functions aimed at facilitating the implementation and sustainability of the new reforms and digital transformation. 
    2. Task 3.2: Improving standardized operation in GAFI’s Information Technology Department. The AF will provide GAFI staff with the needed information technology service management skills to effectively and efficiently manage the digitalized system.
    3. Task 3.3: Project Management. The Project Implementation Unit (PIU), established in the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation (MIIC)
      under the parent project will continue the management of the AF activities.
Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

World Bank:
Andrei Mikhnev
Country Manager

Borrower:
Ministry of International Cooperation and Investment
Sahar Nasr
Minister
snasr@moic.gov.eg

Ministry of International Cooperation and Investment
Eng. Magdy Ghazy
Chairman
magdy.ghazy@ida.gov.eg

Implementing Agency:
General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI)

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. You can learn more about the Inspection Panel and how to file a complaint at: http://ewebapps.worldbank.org/apps/ip/Pages/Home.aspx.

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