WAIPA - World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies

During the next weeks the WAIPA Secretariat will prepare the WAIPA Report 2007. In order to make sure that the contact details of WAIPA members are correctly stated in the directory, we invite all our members to inform us if changes occurred since December 2006. Please contact Mrs. Alexandra Ivanova: Tel.:+41 22 797 26 63, email: Alexandra.ivanova@waipa.org

Promoting Foreign Direct Investment in the European Regions: Experience and Prospects, 3rd December 2007, Milan, Italy

Invest in Milan, the investment promotion agency of the Milan Chamber of Commerce and WAIPA’s latest member agency, is hosting a workshop on the experience and prospects of foreign direct investment promotion at regional level in Europe. The Milan workshop is supported by WAIPA. The agencies of some of Europe’s most entrepreneurial and economically dynamic regions will be sharing their concrete experiences and their considered perceptions of the future with an audience of colleagues from regional and provincial IPAs in Europe and beyond.

The workshop will address such practical issues as cooperation to target extra-European FDI seeking multiple locations in Europe, the possibility of a European FDI Policy to further the Lisbon Goals, the need to upgrade the professional competences of investment promotion personnel and the role of universities and research institutions to enhance the international competitiveness of an FDI location.

The discussion will be held against the background of an analysis of inward FDI trends presented by UNCTAD's Policy Issues Section, Division on Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development, and will conclude with an open debate. The Workshop is based on the assumption that although European regional IPAs do objectively compete for FDI, there is sufficient complementarity to make cooperation both feasible and worthwhile.

The gross domestic product in Lombardy, the region of which Milan is the administrative centre stands at over 287 billion euros or 20.2% of the total gross domestic product of Italy. In per capita terms, this corresponds to 30.429 euros per inhabitant, which is almost 25% higher than the national average. The average annual wage in Lombardy is 31.764 euros, compared to the national benchmark of 28.834. Agriculture contributes 1.1% of Lombardy's total value added; industry, including construction, 34%, whereas the services sector accounts for the remaining 64.9%.

Most of Italy’s inward FDI comes to or through Milan – in the sense that foreign investors, especially TNCs, tend to base their Italian headquarters in this metropolis. Likewise, most of Italy’s outward bound FDI comes or through Milan, as most of the larger Italian industrial and services’ groups have their administrative centres in this City.

Milan’s reputation as a global trend-setting centre of the creative industries, with fashion, industrial design, advertising and media production generally on top of the list as well as its vibrant financial services sector, contribute significantly to its attractiveness as a highly competitive FDI location and as a marketing centre. Its high concentration of centres of scientific and R&D excellence add immensurable value to a business presence in Milan.

The Workshop – which will be held at Palazzo Turati (via Meravigli 9, Milan) from 09.00hrs to 17.00hrs - is part of a series of activities organised by the Milan Chamber of Commerce, of relevance to European FDI issues; the last such event before the 3rd December workshop is a round table to be held on 26th November. For registration, please contact: Mrs. Alexandra Ivanova: Tel.:+41 22 797 26 63, email: Alexandra.ivanova@waipa.org

The Fourth North African Power Industry Convention (NAPIC), 10-12 December 2007, Algiers, Algeria

North African countries are displaying a high level of cooperation in the power sector, the most credible of which is the electricity grid interconnection, which should link each country's power system to other countries in the region, from Morocco to Egypt. Interconnection projects will result in the creation of a regional market, which will link the regional grid to Europe. Increasingly, privatisation and foreign capital are being seen as necessary steps toward financing these projects, leading to an increasingly deregulated sector.

The fourth North African Power Industry Convention (NAPIC) will take place from 10-12 December 2007 in Algiers, Algeria. This year’s high-level conference and exhibition takes the themes of Restructuring, Regulation and Regional Integration. Highlights of NAPIC 2007 include a pre-conference workshop hosted by Cbi Ltd on North African Energy Finance and Policy. The workshop contains four modules that will explore trends in the projects undertaken in energy infrastructure projects in North Africa; North African utility’s attitude to project development and risk; financial options and risk mitigation. A two-day conference offers delegates strategic presentations from the region’s decision makers, utility heads, consultants and vendors. Sessions focus on legal and institutional frameworks for electric interconnections; the Maghrebian market of electricity and its integration in the EU; generation, transmission and distribution of gas and electricity as well as a special focus on metering technology and AMR.

NAPIC 2007 has the patronage of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Algeria and Sonelgaz is the host utility. STEG (Tunisia) and ONE (Morocco) are participating utilities. NAPIC 2007 partners include: Observatoire Méditerranéenne de l’Energie (OME), Agence Nationale de Développement des Industries (ANDI – Investment promotion agency), Agence Algérien d’Information (AAI), Chambre de Commerce Française-Algérienne and Brussels Export Council.

Moroccan Investors of the World: Players in Economic Diplomacy, 13-14 December, Skhirat, Morocco

Morocco is organizing on 13 and 14 December 2007 at the Mohammed VI International Conferences Center in Skhirat, the Fifth Edition of the 5 year cycle “The Fundamentals of Investment” under the theme: “Moroccan Investors of the World: Players in Economic Diplomacy”.
Placed under the High Patronnage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this meeting has become after four editions a requisite to attend regarding investment in Morocco. It brings together each year more than a thousand foreign and national participants and puts to contribution a selection of University scholars, businessmen and leaders from various horizons for open and practical discussions.

After the success of the 2006 Edition, the three main objectives of the 5th edition of the Fundamentals of Investment are:

1- to contribute to the national debate on the different roles that can be played by Moroccans abroad, within the broader context of economic development in Morocco;
2- to share conclusions, at the international level, on the role of diasporas on investment promotion and to identify the main lines of a national policy reflecting Moroccan specificities and priorities;
3- to study investment promotion mechanisms [networking, associations, etc...], where Moroccans residing abroad can function as economic diplomats to promote the economy of their country.

The act of immigrating or migrating has always been an attractive proposition because of the adventures it promises, the risks it involves or the profits it ensures. Moroccan immigration has taken many forms in response to the labour requirements of host countries. Today, it has become a political, economic and social variable in the Morocco of the present and the future. Moroccans residing abroad (MRA) are contributing to the economic and social development of Morocco in increasingly sophisticated ways. There is no doubt that Moroccans born abroad, or having left later to study or advance their careers, have been responsible for dynamic, integrated and value added contributions.

Along the same lines, Morocco has initiated actions and programmes for Moroccans potentially interested by a ‘return’, meeting the orientations of the new era. The skills of Moroccans residing abroad, enriched by their double cultures, are an undeniable asset in terms of effectively contributing to economic diplomacy.

This forum, in line with the mission of the organisers, aims to provide a platform for debate between Moroccan and foreign participants from different parts of the world. Men and women actively involved in business, scientific research, civil society or public and political institutions are invited to attend.

The three main objectives of the 5th edition of the Fundamentals of Investment are the following:

Registration for participants at the Fundamentals of Investment will only be possible on the web site www.lesintegrales.com where you can also find all the details of the conference, conditions of participation, and transport.

OECD Global Forum on International Investment VII: Best practices in promoting investment for development, 27-28 March 2008, OECD Conference Centre, Paris, France

The OECD Global Forum on International Investment (GFI) is the annual meeting of a global network of policy makers, investment promotion agencies, academics, business leaders, labour representatives, and members of civil society dealing with the policy challenges of international investment. The theme of this year’s conference is “Best practices in promoting investment for development”. The meeting will take place on 27-28 march 2008 at the new OECD Conference Centre in Paris France.
This call for papers invites contributions from WAIPA members focusing on the conference sub-themes, especially papers dealing with investment, trade, competition, and tax policy reforms aimed at promoting “investment for development”. Also welcome are papers dealing with “international investment and innovation”, “the social dimension of international investment agreements”, “policies for promoting investment in energy sustainability”, and “promoting investment for development: new approaches”. Given the focus of the GFII on the identification and disemination of practical policy solutions and knowledge, papers submitted for the conference should have a strong “applied” orientation.
Proposals and papers received will be reviewed by the OECD Secretariat and by members of the Advisory Expert Group to the GFII. All accepted submissions will be distributed as part of the official conference documentation and serve as background documentation for the relevant sessions in the programme. Depending upon the stage of development of individual papers (e.g. exploratory research versus the reporting of advanced empirical findings), authors will be invited to present their work either during regular conference sessions, poster sessions, or specially planned side events (e.g. breakfast sessions).
Papers should be no longer than 15 pages in length (approximately 7500 words) in English or French. However, much shorter submissions are also welcome.
For planning purposes, authors are strongly encouraged to indicate to the OECD Secretariat their intention to submit a paper on a given conference theme by 21 December 2007. The deadline for final submissions is 29 February 2008.
General information on the Global Forum on International Investment, including the preliminary programme, can be obtained on the OECD website at: http://www.oecd.org/investment/GFI-7. Letters of intent, paper submissions, and further inquiries concerning the Global Forum on International Investment should be directed to the GFII programme manager, Dr. Michael Gestrin [Michael.gestrin@oecd.org].

First Investors Guide for an African City
Investment opportunities are at the heart of Invest in Kenya: Focus Kisumu, the first city investment guide in Africa which was released on 26 September 2007. The Guide was prepared by the MCI of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the CPII, with the support of the Governments of Kenya and Finland, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and the European Business Council for Africa and the Mediterranean (EBCAM) have lent their support to this effort.
INVEST IN KENYA: FOCUS KISUMU
The principal investment opportunities in Kisumu are found in the rich agriculture areas with good potential for growing sugar cane, cotton, groundnuts, rice and horticultural crops. It has also high potential for agro-processing, dairy, and aquaculture. Fish processing and fish farming is yet to be exploited fully. There is a domestic market for some of these crops (e.g., rice) and products made from them (e.g., peanut butter) and a regional or overseas market for others (e.g., potable alcohol made from sugarcane). Aquaculture again has both domestic and foreign markets for its products, in particular for tilapia and Nile perch. Other opportunities may be found in service sectors. Kisumu has a serious prospect for conference and leisure tourism from the East African region. Water transport on Lake Victoria, for cargo in particular, also offers opportunities. There are opportunities in construction as well, as there is a serious shortage of low-cost housing.

Most recent investments in and around Kisumu include a farming venture and a privatized sugar plant. While the farming venture is a foreign investment of USD 15 million, 51% of the former State-owned sugar mill was privatized to a Kenyan investor. The farm produces and sells rice and other cereal grains in the Kenyan and East African markets, and tilapia fish in the Kenyan and European markets. The sugar plant became an effective operation and demonstrates that sugar can be produced competitively in Kenya.

The Earth Institute at Columbia University has launched the MCI (www.earth.columbia.edu/mci) as the urban complement to the Millennium Village Project (www.millenniumvillages.org]. It is a tool to support, through research, policy analysis and focused promotional activities, selected mid-sized cities across sub-Saharan Africa. The MCI’s core mission is to help a number of cities across sub-Saharan Africa in the transformation essential for sustainable development and attaining the Millennium Development Goals. The MCI initially concentrates on policy analysis impacting foreign direct investment and investment promotion activities, with a view towards creating employment, stimulating domestic enterprise development and fostering economic growth. This work is being pursued complementarily with promoting integrated development strategies for the selected cities.
The Kisumu Guide is available on-line at: www.planning.go.ke; www.investmentkenya.com; www.earth.columbia.edu/mci/; and www.cpii.columbia.edu . For queries on MCI or the guide please contact Karl P. Sauvant (tel. +1-212-854-0689 or karl.sauvant@law.columbia.edu) or Joerg Simon (tel. +1-646-884-7418 or jks4921@ei.columbia.edu).