"World Bank Group Launches Next Phase of Private Sector Investment Lab with Expanded Membership and Focus on Job Creation"

" World Bank Group Launches Next Phase of Private Sector Investment Lab with Expanded Membership and Focus on Job Creation \r\n\r\nhe World Bank Group today announced the launch of the next phase of its Private Sector Investment Lab, focused on implementing proven solutions at scale. This new chapter also expands the Lab\u2019s membership to include industry leaders with experience generating jobs in developing economies, aligning directly with the Bank\u2019s sharpened focus on job creation as a core driver of development.\r\n\r\n\u201cWith the expanded membership, we are mainstreaming this work across our operations and tying it directly to the jobs agenda that is driving our strategy,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0World Bank Group President Ajay Banga.\u00a0\u201cThis isn\u2019t about altruism\u2014it\u2019s about helping the private sector see a path to investments that will deliver returns, and lift people and economies alike. It\u2019s central to our mandate.\u201d\r\n\r\nOver the last 18 months, the Lab brought together leaders from global financial institutions to identify the most pressing barriers to private sector investment in developing countries\u2014and to test actionable solutions. That work has now been consolidated into five priority focus areas that are being integrated across Bank Group operations:\r\n \r\n \t Regulatory and Policy Certainty: Supporting governments in creating stable regulatory frameworks. For instance, the effort to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity relies on upfront policy clarity to attract long-term capital. \r\n \t Political Risk Insurance: Streamlined guarantee instruments has led to a 30% increase in issuance compared to last year\u2014enhancing investor confidence and helping the Bank meet its goal of tripling the use of guarantees by 2030. \r\n \t Foreign Exchange Risk: Scaling local currency financing to deepen domestic capital markets. Last year, IFC committed one-third of its long-term financing in local currency\u2014with a goal of reaching 40% by 2030. \r\n \t Junior Equity Capital: Launched the Frontier Opportunities Fund to absorb early-stage risk. Initially capitalized with IFC income, the fund will grow with donor and philanthropic contributions. \r\n \t Securitization: Collaborating with institutions such as S&P and BlackRock to standardize and securitize portfolios, unlocking capital from pension funds, insurers, and sovereign wealth funds. \r\n \r\nAs the Lab enters its implementation phase, it is also expanding its membership to include private sector leaders in sectors critical to job creation\u2014such as infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing. These industries have a proven ability to translate investment into broad-based employment and economic opportunity.\r\n\r\nNew members of the Lab include:\r\n \r\n \t Bill Anderson, CEO, Bayer AG \r\n \t Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair, Bharti Enterprises \r\n \t Aliko Dangote, President & CEO, Dangote Group \r\n \t Mark Hoplamazian, President & CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation \r\n \r\n\u201cWe are grateful to the original Lab leaders who helped us deliver strong results in the initial work period,\u201d\u00a0Banga\u00a0said.\u00a0\u201cNow we\u2019re building on that foundation\u2014bringing in additional leaders from sectors that are central to job creation and moving from ideas to implementation.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe Lab\u2019s founding members included senior executives from AXA, BlackRock, HSBC, Macquarie, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Ninety One, Ping An Group, Royal Philips, Standard Bank, Standard Chartered, Sustainable Energy for All, Tata Sons, Temasek, and Three Cairns Group. The Lab is chaired by Shriti Vadera, Chair of Prudential plc.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe are grateful to the Lab leaders who helped deliver such important results in the first phase. We welcome our new members\u2019 support in continuing our focus on five key areas: regulatory and policy certainty; guarantees, as the most widely used and understood instrument to address political and credit risks; foreign exchange risk; scaling\u00a0different forms of equity; and creating an asset class and liquid market to attract institutional funds.\u201d\u00a0Shriti Vadera, Chair, Prudential plc. and Chair, Private Sector Investment Lab\r\n\r\n\u201cThe World Bank Group is leading the way with initiatives to grow economies and create opportunities in emerging markets around the globe. As President Banga has said, the private sector will play a pivotal role in this transformation, and I am delighted to join the PSIL alongside other distinguished business leaders. I have seen firsthand the power of connectivity to transform lives by creating opportunities for businesses to grow and communities to thrive. I hope that the successes of the telecommunications sector will be valuable as PSIL embarks on the next stage of its important work.\u201d\u00a0Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair,\u00a0Bharti\u00a0Enterprises\r\n\r\n\u201cI am honored to join the Private Sector Investment Lab during its next phase focused on implementation. Together, businesses and the WBG can unleash job creation in emerging markets by managing the risks and realizing the opportunities for the next generation growing up in low and middle income countries.\u201d\u00a0Bill Anderson, CEO, Bayer AG\r\n\r\n "

"World Bank Group Launches Next Phase of Private Sector Investment Lab with Expanded Membership and Focus on Job Creation"

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