Strengthening the export base is particularly important in view of the limited availability of external financing. In this context, the government should establish additional export processing zones, following the success of the two current ones. On the structural front, key areas for reform are the public sector and the power sector. Privatization has been held up by political instability and opposition from labor unions and other vested interests. Privatization has also been hampered by the poor condition of most of the enterprises on offer.
Further obstacles are a weak and opaque regulatory environment, and restrictive sales methods.
The banking sector is in relatively poor condition. Hopes and Needs Great hopes are pinned on the new natural gas resources as the financial savior of the country. The crucial issue for the government is to keep the entire process as transparent as possible. Although foreign investors have been welcomed, the bidding process for licensing rights to oil and gas exploration has so far not been entirely transparent. The selection process has been further delayed by the lack of government expertise in dealing with such technically complex matters.