EBRD enhances support to small and medium businesses in Central Asia
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with financial support from the EU has launched a new program to reinforce small and medium enterprises in the countries of Central Asia. The presentation of the Regional Small Business Program (RSBP) was recently held in Almaty. The main working field of RSBP will be digital transfer of financial know-how in such key areas as SME financing, microfinance, e-learning and knowledge sharing with the banking institutions of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia, engaged in financial services to micro, small and medium enterprises. Under the program, the staff of partner banks, even using mobile devices will be able to get online access to the expertise of the EBRD in the field of their specialization, participate in workshops, share knowledge with their European and regional counterparts. Currently the platform already provides trainings on analysis of the creditworthiness of SMEs, and by the end of the first half of the current year it is planned to introduce the electronic testing and certification tools for employees. As the implementation of the plans, the running program will be converted into a full-scale online learning system. RSBP is realized by the German consulting company IPC GmbH (Internationale Projekt Consult GmbH), a leader in the field of international development with 35 years of experience in the design and implementation of projects and training programs related to small business financing, including in Central Asia. According to statistics committee, as of January2018, Turkmenistan has 1,471 private small and medium enterprises and 17,122 micro-enterprises, operating in such sectors as agricultural production, construction, industry, food industry, trade and services, furniture manufacturing, logistics, tourism.
