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Addressing barriers to private-sector development has been a long-standing ambition of the government of Uzbekistan, with an extensive programme of reforms that began in 2017 redoubling efforts to foster the growth of a more competitive and productive population of private-sector firms. Uzbekistan needs a more dynamic and innovative private sector if it is to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the green and digital transitions, which create a new impetus for accelerating these reforms. Elaborating on feedback garnered through a small, focussed survey of foreign firms in Uzbekistan, this report provides new insights into their perceptions of the ongoing reform process and in doing so draws attention to some of the most pressing issues facing policymakers and business.

This report analyses the relationship between financial literacy, inclusion, and awareness, as well as the use of financial products and services, and the digitalisation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). It presents the results of a thorough data collection and analysis exercise carried out with owners and managers of MSMEs in Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Romania in 2021 and 2022.

The informal extractive sector is a major source of employment in most countries affected by conflict but has up until now been largely left aside when identifying reinsertion opportunities for ex-combatants. This paper identifies synergies between disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) programmes implemented in conflict-affected and high-risk areas and existing supply chain due diligence initiatives fostering the integration of artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) in global supply chains in these areas. The report highlights the role that OECD-led initiatives to support ASM formalisation in conflict zones can play to support DDR programmes.

Although measurements of biodiversity-related financial risks are in their infancy, several metrics and indicators are available to assess their impacts and dependencies in the financial system, and approaches are emerging to translate biodiversity risks into financial risks. This mapping paper provides a comprehensive catalogue and literature review of existing and emerging definitions, key metrics and indicators, measurement approaches, tools and practices for central banks, financial supervisors, and financial market participants to measure biodiversity-related financial risks.

Innovative providers’ payment models represent an important policy lever that could be used to promote value-based health systems. By bundling services across the continuum of care or to target acute events or chronic conditions, innovative payment models set financial incentives for providers to increase efficiency in service delivery, improve health outcomes and enhance patient experience with care. This paper offers insights on value-based payment models, a type of innovative payment model implemented in several OECD countries and reviews the publicly available evidence on the impact of those payment models on value. Innovative payment models tend to be exceptional and small-scale compared to activity-based payment models and have been extensively piloted in the United States while implementation and evaluation in other countries is limited. The publicly available empirical evidence points to modest efficiency and quality gains from value-based payment models. Impact on healthcare spending, outcomes and patient experience varies across programmes. Given the significant variation in the key features of value-based payment models and the context-specific issues they address, those models do not offer a one-size-fits-all solution. This paper outlines several intervention points that policy makers need to consider when designing and implementing value-based payment models to maximise their positive outcome.

This report examines effective communication strategies that tax administrations can use to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in fulfilling their tax obligations. It analyses the various tools and channels available to tax administrations and their respective roles. The report draws on examples from the OECD Forum on Tax Administration members and includes two detailed case studies. The report was drafted by officials from the United Kingdom’s HM Revenue and Customs, with support from the OECD Forum on Tax Administration's Community of Interest on SMEs.

Insurance coverage plays an important role in protecting households, businesses and governments from the financial impacts of climate-related disasters. However, climate change is expected to increase the frequency and/or intensity of a range of climate-related (weather) perils and could potentially limit the availability of affordable insurance in the future. Risk reduction through adaptation to climate change will be the only sustainable means to limit the increase in future climate damages and losses and potential disruptions to insurance markets. This paper examines the contribution of the insurance sector to climate adaptation. It outlines some of the challenges to assessing future climate risks, encouraging policyholder risk reduction and supporting resilient reinstatement. The paper also identifies potential approaches that policymakers, regulators and supervisors could consider to support a greater contribution of the insurance sector to climate adaptation.

This paper assesses good practices and lessons learned in investment promotion in European Union (EU) Member States. It focuses on two specific areas of investment promotion: state aid for regional development under EU law and special economic zone frameworks. It provides an overview of the concept of state aid and compatibility of regional aid with the internal market, as well as lessons learned from the case law determining the existence of state aid in regional development measures. It also outlines the calculation of the gross grant equivalent of state aid. The paper explores special economic zone policies, identifies success factors and describes the complementary framework conditions to maximise their spillover effects on local economic development.