 |
COMPLETED PROJECTS
Uzbekistan Dairy Sector Supply Chain Development Project 2003 - 2004 Funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) The objective of the project was to develop local suppliers to the Nestle production facility in Uzbekistan. Given the broad and comprehensive deterioration of primary dairy production in the area during the past ten years and the virtual absence of large modern farms, Nestle relied on a total of about 40 collection centers in the area which collect milk from different farms in the region. Most farms typically have only one or two cows each, but there are also a number of larger private farms. Nestle needed to dramatically increase its milk supply in order to expand production. The main difficulty faced by the small household farms is improving the quality and increasing the quantity of the milk to supply Nestle. While Nestle already provided farms with technical assistance on milk quality, farmers faced a number of other issues. For example, outdated farming techniques have meant limited production of poor quality feed, which in turn has lead to disastrously low milk yields per cow. The project provided advice and assistance directly to farms in Namangan Region who wanted to become suppliers to Nestle, as well as to current supplier on agricultural, financial and legal issues. Improving Microfinance Legislation in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (IFC PEP) 2002 - 2004 Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) The project buildt on IFC's previous work to develop draft legislation on Microfinance organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic. The project worked with local stakeholders and policymakers to advocate passage of the new law and develop similar legislation for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It also built the capacity of the central banks in each of the three countries to monitor these organizations in accordance with the new legislation. Plastic Card Program 2003 - 2004 With funding from the Government of Finland In the mid-1990s, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU) began to develop a centralized plastic card system as part of a program to extend the reach of the inter-bank payments system and modernize the payment practices of the retail and SME sectors. To achieve this goal, CBU and the Uzbekistan Banking Association (UBA) asked IFC for advisory assistance. IFC developed an advisory program consisting of (i) a market study to determine the extent of demand for plastic card payments and identify obstacles to introducing a new system; (ii) a business plan to address strategic choices, projected revenue flows and costs, and prevailing social attitudes toward the current banking system (iii) a technological review of the most appropriate software and hardware for Uzbekistan once market data confirms the project’s feasibility. Textile Sector Survey and Textile Seminar 2000 - 2001 With funding from the Government Switzerland The Government asked IFC for help in tapping the country’s potential to become a much stronger player in the international textiles market. Though it is the world’s fourth largest producer of cotton, Uzbekistan actually processes less than 15% of its indigenous crop beyond the ginning stage. IFC designed a sector review and competitiveness analysis in the Andean and Karakalpakstan Oblasts. The study produced specific recommendations for introducing technical skills training and marketing strategies, as well as increasing quality control capacity. It also outlined necessary changes to costing and production techniques, and logistics and banking support arrangements. The report also identified a select number of local small and medium enterprises with investment potential. IFC organized a successful international conference to promote the study results and introduce foreign investors to the Uzbek textile industry. Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Assistance to Parvina and Hamkor Banks 2000 Funded by the Government of Japan Through a “twinning” program in which these small, privately owned banks were partnered for two years with an established commercial bank, Bank of Ireland, this TA provided hands-on training in all areas of banking operations. Areas covered included: asset/liability management, product development, internal audit and control functions, marketing and relationship management, information technology (IT) and Management Information System (MIS), bad loans workout, strategic planning, and strengthening of credit policies. The successful delivery of the TA was a requirement prior to the extension of IFC credit lines to each bank for the purpose of on-lending to SME’s in the region. Uzbekistan SME Consultants’ Training (PEP) Funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (seco) The Partnership completed a pilot project in Uzbekistan to improve local business consulting services. In September 2001, a group of seven Uzbek consultants traveled to Ukraine and participated in a 16-day training program organized by the Ukraine Consulting Network (UCN). UCN is 11 self-sustaining consulting companies, which were established by IFC with support from the United States Government (USAID). The training program focused on such skills as business plan writing, conducting market research and financial analysis. The consultants participating in the first training program were selected from the regional branches of UzInvestProject, a local consulting company with operations throughout Uzbekistan. A second group of UzInvestProject consultants participated in a similar program in 2002. | SITE TOOLS  
|