Advisory services comprise a significant portion of IFC’s work and help enhance IFC’s development impact. These activities are central to building a sustainable private sector in emerging economies, beyond what IFC can do through its commercially oriented investing. IFC’s advisory programs are funded jointly by IFC out of its profits and by donor governments. IFC’s contribution typically pays for the programs’ management, allowing for the vast majority of donor funding to be used for programming activities.
IFC runs six advisory services projects in the East Asia and the Pacific region:
The Mekong Private Sector Development Facility (MPDF) is a multi-donor funded initiative that operates in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR to reduce poverty through sustainable private sector development. MPDF works through 6 interrelated programs that seek to improve the business environment, develop the financial sector, improve managerial capacity, and increase sustainable business practices in three sectors that are central to economic growth and poverty reduction: tourism, agribusiness, and garments.
More information on MPDF
The Program for Eastern Indonesia Small and Medium Enterprise Assistance (PENSA) is jointly funded by IFC, the Asian Development Bank and the governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. It was established in September 2003 with the task of improving lives and livelihoods by expanding the range of opportunities and capabilities for small and medium businesses. PENSA delivers its products and services in the form of technical assistance and capacity building to small and medium enterprises.
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The Private Enterprise Partnership for Aceh & Nias (PEP-Aceh & Nias) is a multi donor initiative designed to support the growth of private enterprises in areas affected by last year’s tsunami. It was set up in October 2005 with a four year mandate and initial funding commitment of $1 million from IFC. Additional donor funding is being sought from other donor agencies. PEP-Aceh & Nias will improve business opportunities for small and medium enterprises by increasing access to finance, promoting an improved regulatory environment, and creating sector-specific opportunities for sustainable growth, especially in the agribusiness sector. PEP-Aceh & Nias is supported by PENSA.
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The Private Enterprise Partnership for China (PEP-China) is a multi-donor facility co-funded by IFC and the governments of Australia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In 2006 it embarked upon its second five year cycle of operations and will focus on extending successful experiences from its first five years in Sichuan to other less-advanced regions and continue to develop innovative ways to address key development issues facing China. PEP-China will focus on improving access to finance for underprivileged groups, raising the sustainability performance of China’s private sector, strengthening the investment climate in specific sectors and regions, and building management skills for China’s emerging SME sector.
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The Private Enterprise Partnership for the Pacific (PEP-Pacific) is funded by donations from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. The primary activity of PEP-Pacific is to facilitate and support best practice in the design and delivery of business support services to the private sector in the Pacific region with a particular focus on small to medium enterprises. PEP-Pacific works with institutions, organizations and associations on capacity building and strengthening in a wide range of areas across industry sectors and financial markets.
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The Private Enterprise Partnership for the Philippines (PEP-Philippines) is funded by the governments of Australia and Canada and operates from IFC’s new office in Davao. PEP-Philippines aims to increase the contribution of small and medium enterprises to the economy by expanding the range of opportunities and capabilities available to them. Its programs range from increasing small businesses’ access to financing, enhancing the business climate at the sub-national level, and fostering agribusiness linkages between small and large businesses. PEP-Philippines is supported by PENSA.
More information on PEP-Philippines
