Advisory Projects in Tajikistan

IFC is implementing the following projects in Tajikistan:

CURRENT PROJECTS

Azerbaijan & Central Asia Microfinance Transformation Support Project
Azerbaijan-Central Asia Leasing Facility
Azerbaijan and Central Asia Primary Mortgage Market Development Project
Central Asia Corporate Governance Project
First Microfinance Bank of Tajikistan
Southern Tajikistan Agribusiness Supply Chains Development Project
Southern Tajikistan Cotton Lending Project
Tajikistan Business Enabling Environment / SME Policy Project

COMPLETED PROJECTS


CURRENT PROJECTS

Azerbaijan & Central Asia Microfinance Transformation Support Project
2008 – present
Supported with funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and IFC

The Project is centered in Almaty and its objectives are to assist and support Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) based in Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Kazakhstan. It focuses on those institutions that wish to transform their activities from being traditionally credit based to being able to provide their customers with a broader range of financial services. Normally these services would include the acceptance of deposits and could also require profiling of institutions before they are able to obtain a full banking license.
In keeping with the IFC strategy for Central Asia, which is to support competitiveness of the private sector in areas with social development aspects such as micro loans to the poor, IFC brings additionality through the Project by aiming to combine advisory services with investment funds. This leverages the effectiveness of both components in enabling MFIs to expand their outreach and services and thereby help their clients to raise their standards of living and improve their livelihoods.
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Southern Tajikistan Cotton Lending Project
2007 - present
Supported with funds from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

In partnership with Tojiksodirotbonk (TSB), the third-largest joint stock commercial bank in Tajikistan, the project will assist the bank to successfully enter the cotton sector in Southern Tajikistan, assisting small and medium cotton farmers to grow through better access to capital, and helping to empower women farmers. Besides providing a long–term loan to TSB for on-lending to cotton farmers, the project will introduce a specific and tested lending technology for financing cotton farmers, and build internal bank capabilities.
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Southern Tajikistan Agribusiness Supply Chains Development Project
2007 - current
Supported with funds from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)

The project helps to diversify the agricultural base in Southern Tajikistan away from cotton, by working to strengthen tomato and milk supply chains in the region. The project partners with farmers and households to help them improve productivity, management skills and product quality, and works with local processors to provide a market for their output.
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Central Asia Corporate Governance Project
www.ifc.org/cacgp
2006 – present
Supported with IFC funds

The project helps local joint stock companies and banks strengthen their corporate governance practices with a view to improving their operations and increasing their ability to attract investment and financing. In addition, the project works with policymakers to improve the regulatory framework for corporate governance and increase the region's overall investment climate and the business-enabling environment. The project was launched in Kazakhstan and is currently expanding to Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
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Azerbaijan and Central Asia Primary Mortgage Market Development Project
Phase 1, 2005 – 2006, supported with funds from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO)
Phase 2, 2006 – present, supported with funds from the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO)

The project focuses on improving the housing finance legislative framework in Azerbaijan and Central Asia by building institutional capacity for mortgage lending and raising mortgage awareness. By partnering with policymakers, banks, and key stakeholders in the mortgage market, the project works to increase access to affordable housing in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
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Azerbaijan-Central Asia Leasing Facility
www.ifc.org/acalf
2005 – present
Supported with funds from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO)

The project facilitates the development of the leasing industry in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan by strengthening the capacity of selected financial institutions, improving their Management Information Systems, and facilitating improvements in the regulatory framework for leasing in each country.
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Tajikistan Business Enabling Environment - SME Policy Project
www.ifc.org/tajikistan/sme
2004 - current
Supported with funds from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK Government

To improve the business environment for SMEs and facilitate the growth and launch of small and medium enterprises, the project works with the government of Tajikistan to help reform business inspections practices and permit procedures. The project focuses on legal reform, reform of inspectorates’ procedures, providing information and training for government agencies, and raise entrepreneurs’ awareness about their rights and responsibilities. The project also conducts regular surveys among SMEs to monitor the evolution of the business environment.
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The Challenge
In Tajikistan, small and medium enterprises make up most of the private sector and represent about 30% of overall employment. Yet Tajikistan still has a difficult environment for SMEs to conduct business, with complex administrative procedures hindering business start-up and growth. Procedures such as tax administration, inspections and receiving permits and licenses represent serious constraints for SME development, as they are often complex, unclear, and cost significant time and money to complete. These barriers are intensified by the fact that many entrepreneurs lack legal knowledge to protect themselves. As a result the number of unofficial payments rises significantly.

The IFC Approach
In partnership with agencies such as the Fire, Sanitary and Tax Inspectorates, the project helps to streamline inspections procedures and rationalize the process of selecting companies for inspections, in line with international best practices. The project partners with NGOs to deliver trainings to SMEs, and helps to inform SMEs of their rights through media articles, printed materials, and social advertisements.

To monitor the business environment and help the government to prioritize areas requiring reform, the project conducts regular surveys of the SME sector in Tajikistan.

Achievements to Date as of July 1, 2008
• The project conducted 2 comprehensive surveys of small and medium businesses; to date, the government has adopted 14 policy recommendations arising from these surveys
• Assisted in drafting the Inspections Law, relevant amendments to the Tax Code adopted and “Super License” – savings for SMEs are estimated at $11.2 million in direct and indirect costs
• Trained 85% of Fire inspectors and 99% of Sanitary inspectors on implementation of the Inspections law and new checklists
• Closely collaborated with inspections agencies to adopt internal inspection manuals for 22 inspection bodies
• Partnered with NGOs and other organizations to conduct 127 trainings for entrepreneurs and more than 1,000 government officials about reformed inspection procedures
• Developed a tax amendment to simplify tax administration for individual entrepreneurs, which was passed in May 2008

First Microfinance Bank of Tajikistan
2004 - current
Funded by Canada and KfW Development Bank

In July 2004, the First MicroFinanceBank of Tajikistan began operations as the country’s first full-service microfinance bank. Responding to the needs of the current and future small entrepreneurs who are the foundation of the Tajik economy, the bank will provide credit and savings products to micro and small enterprises, particularly those belonging to women in underserved rural regions.