Publications

Asia-Pacific businesses call for services business groupings to join forces in a regional coalition, to shape a new APEC services agenda. Services represent 39% of APEC value-added trade – double the figures traditionally cited in balance of payments data. High-level business representatives in...

Global value chains in services can boost economies of small developing countries. The case of Costa Rica illustrates how global value chains in services can enable small developing countries to be significant actors in twenty-first century trade and investment patterns, as well as the challenges to...

The coffee sector has a huge potential to contribute to poverty alleviation in East Africa, but the sector’s development is hampered by a lack of savings and credit facilities. Moreover, women’s access to financial services is even more restricted than that of men, and most women in rural areas...

This study invites national legislators as well as all those involved in enhancing the national business environment to consider secured financing schemes that will allow an increase in the amount of credit offered to SMEs. The reasoning is simple: allow as collateral property that SMEs usually...

A comprehensive guide to the fast-growing field of Islamic banking, this publication describes Islamic financial instruments and provides practical examples of how to use them. It focuses on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in the area of export finance.

This guide helps small exporters understand how to obtain finance, outlining the credit process of financial institutions, pre-application preparation, finding appropriate lenders and loan repayment. Models for business plans and loan requests are included. The guide also examines barriers to...