Experts convened via the APEC project, Implementing Digital Permitting & E-Government Measures to Advance the Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery, to (a) discuss immediate, actionable recommendations for digitalizing L&P processes; (b) deliberate a voluntary region-wide certification process; and (c) share case studies from the OECD; Chile; and Chinese Taipei that provide context-specific examples of digitalization.

This report synthesizes those discussions to provide foundational elements of an overall strategy that APEC economies can consider as they seek to digitalize their own L&P processes. They include suggestions for voluntary, APEC-wide initiatives that can serve as standards-setting measures, which will provide additional impetus for local governments to comply. Implementation of the recommendations will entail striking a balance between protecting investor and business data, and facilitating cross-jurisdiction data flows, new ways of re-organizing governance, and instituting a robust digital infrastructure.