Purchase OBG Publications

While Tunisia remains a country with a number of strong assets on which to base future development, challenges of the last few years have slowed policymakers’ drive to adequately plan and execute necessary reforms to make the economy more competitive. However, several measures implemented by the government in 2018 and 2019 are helping to clear a path for Tunisian entrepreneurs, which is hoped to help reduce informality. Still, to successfully implement a new growth dynamic over the medium term, Tunisia will need to establish a clear consensus about economic reforms. For instance, public sector reform, although unpopular under the current environment, is also still seen as critical to reverse Tunisia’s unfavourable budgetary position. This chapter contains interviews with Zied Ladhari, Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation; Abdelbasset Ghanmi, General Manager, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency; and Samir Majoul, President, Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts.

This chapter contains selected listings of some of the country’s top hotels across a range of its regions, as well as contact details for a range of different embassies, ministries, prominent organisations and other important bodies. In addition, it contains a guide of helpful tips for both leisure travellers and business visitors operating in a professional environment. The chapter also offers other useful suggestions for those travelling to the Philippines. This chapter also contains local insight from Ebb Hinchliffe, Executive Director, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

This chapter examines the legal system of the Philippines, including recent reforms that have been passed into law and their impact on the business community. The chapter covers amendments to: The New Central Bank Act; The Philippine Deposit Insurance Act; The Anti-Money Laundering Act. In addition, it provides an overview of the newly implemented Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof; Telecommuting Act; and the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law; and The Revised Corporation Code. This chapter also contains an interview with Alejandro Alfonso E Navarro, Managing Partner, Villaraza & Angangco Law.

This chapter examines the tax system of the Philippines, focusing primarily on those stemming from AmBisyon Natin 2040. This includes: The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion bill; The Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities bill; the Green Jobs Act; The Tax Amnesties Act; and The Tax Amnesty of Delinquencies. This chapter also outlines which processes can now be completed electronically on the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s digital services platform, as well as which operations are streamlined under the Ease of Doing Business Act. This chapter also contains an interview with Potacio T Tacandong, COO, Reyes Tacandong & Co.

Educational attainment in the Philippines was falling at the beginning of the 21st century, marked by declining enrolment and literacy rates, as well as persistent underfunding. In response, successive governments have worked to overhaul the education system and increase expenditure, taking measures to keep more children in school, raise the quality of tertiary education, enhance the education system’s global competitiveness, and improve employability through linkages between academic institutions and industry. All this is proving crucial to keep pace in a world adapting to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where technological competitiveness and the hunt for qualified human capital is placing education at the centre of many countries’ reform plans. This chapter also contains an interview with Fortunato de la Peña, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology.