Economic Development Agencies

Overview: Economic development agencies in the Commonwealth

""Worldwide, three Commonwealth countries rank highly in the World Bank’s 2011 Ease of Doing Business Index: Singapore (number 1), New Zealand (3) and UK (7). Ranking so highly on the index means the business environment in a country is most conducive to the protection of investors with favourable taxation, international trade, credit access and the general starting and operation of a local firm. Five Commonwealth countries also rank highly on purely how easy it is to start a business: New Zealand (1), Australia (2), Canada (3), Singapore (4) and Rwanda (9).

Such success in the Commonwealth can be attributed in part to the role played by economic development agencies, bodies tasked by government with the promotion of economic development and growth in a country. Organisations involved in helping in the setting up of a business include investment promotion agencies (IPA), export processing zone (EPZ) authorities, central banks, company registration authorities, regional or local development agencies, tourism development agencies and development banks. Some economic development agencies are involved in other ways of promoting growth in the local economy, for example, export promotion agencies (EPA) and tourism promotion boards.

Select a Country:
Antigua and Barbuda Australia The Bahamas
Bangladesh Barbados Belize
Botswana Brunei Darussalam Cameroon
Canada Cyprus Dominica
Fiji Ghana Grenada
Guyana India Jamaica
Kenya Kiribati Lesotho
Malawi Malaysia Malta
Mauritius Mozambique Namibia
New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan
Papua New Guinea Rwanda Saint Lucia
Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone
Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa
Sri Lanka St Kitts and Nevis St Vincent and The Grenadines
Swaziland Tonga Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom
United Republic of Tanzania Vanuatu Zambia
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