Evaluation of MIF Projects: Market Functioning: Promotion of Competition and Consumer Protection

The purpose of this paper (MIF/GN-78-14) is to evaluate a set of projects in the MIF's "Market Functioning" portfolio, which includes 12 projects for a total MIF contribution of US$7.6 million. The MIF projects analyzed here concentrated on four areas of vital importance to the development of the private sector and competitiveness: (i) the quality of the oversight agencies responsible for safeguarding competition in markets; (ii) protection of consumer rights; (iii) the conditions required to protect intellectual property rights; and (iv) rules and mechanisms governing private sector participation in government procurement. The portfolio comprised three competition operations, three consumer protection projects, two combined competition and consumer rights) operations, three government procurement operations, and one intellectual property operation.