Sustainable economic growth through sustainable businesses is vital for achieving the goals under the 2030 agenda and for job creation in poor countries. A precondition for this is more, better and sustainable investments in the world’s poor countries. Sweden’s DFI (Development Finance Institution) Swedfund’s mandate is investing in poor countries, through equity acquisitions in companies, through funds or through lending. The overarching objective is the same as for Sweden’s international aid to “create preconditions for better living conditions for people living in poverty and under oppression”.
At this EBA seminar an evaluation of Swedfund will be presented. Questions discussed will be: How do DFIs operate to achieve development impact in low and middle-income countries? Have the investments undertaken by Swedfund contributed to poverty reduction? In what way can greater development impact be achieved through Swedfund and other DFIs investments?
PROGRAMME
12.00 Welcome and introduction
Kim Forss, EBA
Presentation of the report
Stephen Spratt, Institute for Development Studies (IDS)
Discussion
Maria Håkansson, Swedfund
Arne Bigsten, discussant
Stephen Spratt, Institute for Development Studies (IDS)
Moderated by Kim Forss, EBA
13.20 Seminar ends