15 December 2008 Asia-PLUS Daily Blitz
DUSHANBE, December 15, 2008, Asia-Plus /Bahrom Mannonov/ — Within the framework of its assistance to Tajikistan, the European Commission has allocated ˆ 423,100 through the Central Asian Invest (CAI) Program for development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), press release issued by the EC Delegation in Tajikistan said. The new action will be implemented by the Mountain Societies Development Support Program (MSDSP), a project of the Aga Khan Foundation over the next two years under the project entitled: Enabling Business Intermediary Organizations to support Small Enabling Business Intermediary Organizations to support SMEs in Tajikistan. The overall objective of the action is to enhance and sustain economic development of SMEs through Business Intermediary Organizations (BIOs) in Tajikistan.
The proposed objectives are three fold: 1) to reinforce skills and competences of Tajik BIOs and, through them, improve the business environment; 2) to contribute to regional economic integration; and 3) to link European and Tajik SMEs to engage in meaningful partnerships. Under this action MSDSP will work with existing BIOs to assist SMEs to increase their overall efficacy, ability to compete in the market, export their products, access foreign technologies and employ best practices. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and three Centers for Business Development Services (CBDS) supported under this action will become strong local BIOs that, by the end of the action, will provide sustainable and demand driven BDS for local SMEs. Linkages and partnership between Tajikistan and Europe will enhance regional economic ties and foster broader collaboration between Tajik and European businesses. The new EU Strategy for Central Asia aims to strengthen ties between the European Union
and its Central Asian partners. It has doubled European Commission assistance to the region to ˆ750 million for 2007-2013. Tajikistan gets the main share of bilateral assistance (ˆ66 million for 2007-2010) in support to sector programs, technical assistance and grants. It focuses on social protection, health and private sector development, underpinned by public finance management. Projects aimed at enhancing living standards continue. Tajikistan also receives regional and thematic assistance in areas like border management and drug control (BOMCA/CADAP), education (TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus), water / environment, human rights and democracy (EIDHR), non-State actors (NSA) and SME development (CA-Invest). The total value of EC assistance disbursed to Tajikistan since 1992 is over ˆ500 million.
Ismailimail 