EBRD’s workshop on export opportunities of small and medium-sized businesses in Turkmenistan
The seminar on expanding export potential in the foreign trade activities of the private sector was held in Ashgabat. The event was organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in partnership with the EU project “Support for Further Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Turkmenistan - SARD III.”
The three-day training sessions under the theme “Export Promotion for SMEs – Ready to Export” brought together managers of companies-members of the Union of Industrialists and entrepreneurs and employees of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.
Export basics, market analysis, choice of partners, trading in international markets, international marketing and strategic steps towards export are among the key topics covered in the course of trainings.
As noted at the meeting, foreign trade is one of the essential determinants of the country’s economic growth. In recent years, Turkmenistan has been implementing state programmes on export promotion and import substitution within the framework of major structural reforms. To complement these programmes, the Bank has offered a course tailored to Turkmenistan’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Numerous working groups provided a platform for discussing export strategies and opportunities for Turkmen SMEs to enter foreign markets.
According to the EBRD, later this year the most successful SMEs will be able to benefit from mentoring sessions, which will offer good opportunity to get expert assessment of their projects and valuable recommendations.
It should be noted that business consulting is one of the main directions of the EBRD in Turkmenistan. Since starting work in the country in 2008, EBRD helped over 137 enterprises from various sectors of the economy - from the food industry to wholesale and retail trade and construction – to benefit from high-quality consulting services from both local doers and international experts. In turn, these recommendations help SMEs to grow and succeed, becoming genuine catalysts for their local economies, then their region.
The project “Support for Further Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Turkmenistan - SARD III” is aimed at increasing the productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector, as well as providing marketing support for the succeeding of Turkmen producers at foreign markets.
