DUSHANBE
, May 15, Asia-Plus – Representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have conducted a survey of introduction of the small and medium enterprise support program in
Tajikistan
.
The EBRD mission led by Gabriel Al-Salem, Regional Director for
Central Asia
working on the business consultations program, was on a working visit to
Tajikistan
on May 9-14. During stay in
Tajikistan
the EBRD experts met with Tajik entrepreneurs and specialists working in the advertising business. During the meetings the sides discussed issues related to recruiting European consultants to provide assistance to Tajik entrepreneurs launching their businesses in working out of business-plans, payment of their services, etc.
“These experts could provide services on conducting survey and prognosis of markets, working out marketing programs, assessing efficiency of projects, creating and transforming organizing structures, as well as on seeking ways out of crisis situations and estimating costs of objects,” the source in the EBRD Dushanbe office said.
This EBRD mission has conducted the survey
of introduction of the small and medium enterprise support program in
Tajikistan
. According to the source, the survey’s results will be known later.
During stay in
Dushanbe
representatives from the EBRD mission also met with leadership of
Tajikistan
’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI). According to information from the CCI, activities of the CCI and its branches in the provinces as well as existence of consulting companies in
Tajikistan
were in the center of discussion.
The sides also discussed prospects of further expansion cooperation on conclusion of the surveys.
We will recall that under the Tajikistan Micro and Small Finance Facility (TMSEF) project, the EBRD is providing access to finance to Tajik micro and small borrowers (MSE) since October 2003. The MSEs are recognized as a strong factor of job creation, poverty alleviation and grass-root economic development. As of April 2005, over 3500 micro loans, ranging from US$ 50 to US$ 20,000 for US$ 9 millions were financed by the TMSEF trough four Tajik participating banks (Tojiksodirotbonk, Eskhata Bank, TajPromBank, and AgroInvestBank).
