Aid on Spreadsheets

IFC/WBG Private Sector and Trade Advisory Programs in Liberia

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has requested 6,105,263 USD, approximately 55 MSEK, to implement a private sector and trade advisory programme during 2019-2022 that is aimed at creating and expanding markets through agriculture value chain development, trade, access to finance, and improved business climate. The proposed intervention builds on or compliments previous Embassy of Sweden support to IFC Investment Climate Reform and Private Sector Development programme in Liberia between 2010 and 2016.The proposed intervention overall objective is to develop the private sector with specific focus on diversifying the economy through agriculture value chain development, trade facilitation, increasing access to finance, and improving the business climate.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) 2019-2022 Advisory Service Program seeks to support the development of Liberia’s private sector through agriculture value chain development, trade facilitation, increased access to finance, and an improved business climate. Proposed interventions under this program aim to improve access to markets for Liberia’s budding private sector. The intervention has the following objectives within its different thematic areas. - Agriculture Value Chain Development: This program aims to link agri producers, processors, and markets with the goal of increasing revenues and investments from the agri sector in Liberia. - Trade Facilitation: To reduce the time and costs of importing and exporting by making processes transparent and predictable, while improving access to markets for agri and mining products. - Capital Market Development: To execute key follow-ups identified in the local currency and capital market development roadmap. - Financial Inclusion and Digitization with a Focus on Banking and Finance for Women: To support Liberian SMEs through building the capacity of Access Bank Liberia (ABL) as the largest MSME bank in the market serving over 2,000 micro (most of whom are female business owners) and over 300 SME clients. This program also aims to increase access to finance throughout Liberia and especially in rural areas by assisting the build out of Mobile Banking Platforms.    - Enhancing the Collateral Registry: To increase utilization of the collateral registry by financial institutions and other stakeholders to be able to track movable assets. - Improving Liberia’s Doing Business Indicators: To support GoL and private sector to reform key indicators to attract investments and decrease challenges to operating in the private sector in Liberia - Support to Special Economic Zone: To support GoL to operationalize the Special Economic Zone Authority - Private Public Dialogue: To revive a sustainable private-public dialogue program which acts as a thinktank to improve the business climate of Liberia - Business Registry Capacity Building: To support the Liberia Business Registry (LBR) to update software systems with the aim of improving data collection and output related to real time statistics of registered businesses in Liberia - NIC Capacity Building: To support the National Investment Commission (NIC) in the review of its National Investment Promotion Program to reflect post-Ebola economic realities, with emphasis placed on agriculture value addition - Debt Resolution/Insolvency Reform: To ensure greater efficiency surrounding the resolution of commercial claims and improve creditor’s debt recovery and ultimately, access to finance for SMEs

Project ID

SE-0-SE-6-11744A0101-LBR-25010

Activity status

2 - Implementation

Aid type

C01 - Project-type interventions

% to Liberia

100.00

Organisations

Funding

Sweden

Extending

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Implementing

International Finance Corporation

Accountable

IBRD/INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RE

CRS code	%
Business support services and institutions (25010)	100.0