QUARTERLY REPORT X FY2019 USAID COMPETITIVENESS, TRADE, and JOBS ACTIVITY in CENTRAL ASIA January 1, 2019 – March 31, 2019
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CTJ QUARTERLY REPORT X FY2019 USAID COMPETITIVENESS, TRADE, AND JOBS ACTIVITY IN CENTRAL ASIA January 1, 2019 – March 31, 2019 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DAI 1 Activity Title: USAID Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs Activity in Central Asia Contract Number: AID-176-H-16-00001 Sponsoring USAID Office: USAID-Central Asia Contractor: DAI COR: Svetlana Golovatskaya Chief of Party: Geoff Wright USAID Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs in Central Asia activity aims to facilitate exports and employment in horticulture, strengthen transport and logistics services, and tourism across the five Central Asian economies. By incentivizing firms to become more regionally competitive and by addressing cross-border impediments to trade, USAID helps to develop a more diverse and competitive private sector and generate export-driven growth. Five-Year Project: October 2016 to September 2021 Goals: Expand regional trade and employment in the horticulture, transport and logistics, and tourism sectors in Central Asia Components: • Facilitating • Partnering for • Expand Trade Innovation Employment • Partner with key • Competitively select in Key actors to assess and firms to co-finance Sectors implement solutions innovation and • Skills Component 2 Component 3 Component Component 1 Component to expand exports, expansion of exports development transport & logistics and jobs • Entrepreneurship services, and tourism • Horticulture • Customs and border • Transport & management Logistics • Central Asia Trade • Tourism Forum • Skills Development • Entrepreneurship ____________________________ The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. DAI will assume acceptance of this report by the United States Agency for International Development within 30 days of submission. 2 CONTENTS PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES 6 ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS 7 C5+1 7 INNOVATION FACILITY 9 REGIONAL UPDATES 12 STAKEHOLDERS AND DONOR COORDINATION 15 ANNEXES ANNEX CALENDAR OF EVENTS 16 ANNEX MEDIA 18 ANNEX PERFORMANCE MONITORING (ML&E) 25 ANNEX QUARTERLY PROJECT PROGRESS PER OUTPUT INDICATORS 28 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY USAID Competitiveness, Trade, and Jobs Activity in Central Asia (CTJ) is implemented through two Task Orders called CLIN 001 and CLIN 002. The goal of CLIN 0002 is aligned with the overall goal of CTJ—to increase the competitiveness of the economies of Central Asia in order to expand trade within the region and to markets beyond and to create jobs. CTJ CLIN 001 activities started in October 2016. Activities under CLIN 0002 commenced on October 1, 2018 and complement but not duplicate activities that were planned and are being implemented under CLIN 0001. This is the tenth quarterly report of the project, covering the progress of activities for both CLINs from January l, 2018 through March 31, 2019. QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS CLIN 001 C5+1 TRANSPORT CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES (TCD) C5+1 DEVELOPING AIR CORRIDORS IN CENTRAL ASIA On February 26-29, 2019 USAID CTJ conducted an air cargo terminal study tour, bringing officials from Tajikistan to meet with their counterparts from the Almaty International Airport Air Cargo Terminal. C5+1 TWO TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS CAME INTO PRACTICE IN KAZAKHSTAN On January 17, 2019. CTJ worked closely with KAZLOGISTICS, the Kazakhstan Union of Transportation and Logistics Organizations, to develop two transport and logistics professional standards. CTJ is now supporting the development of two new professional standards for cold chain specialists. C5+1 ADVISORY COUNCIL OF COLD CHAIN OPERATORS IN KAZAKHSTAN After USAID CTJ’s efforts towards association building in 2018, cold chain operators in Kazakhstan established an informal advisory council. On February 18, 2019, USAID CTJ organized the second meeting of the council to discuss the following issues: preparing a database of cold chain operators, professional standards for cold chain specialists and a work plan for the council. C5+1 CENTRAL ASIA BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS C5+1 WORLD OF RETAIL TRADE SUMMIT IN ALMATY OFFERS A “TASTE OF CENTRAL ASIA” On March 14-15, 2019, USAID CTJ supported ten Central Asian horticulture product exporters to exhibit at the World of Retail Trade Summit in Almaty. CTJ funded a stand promoting a regional brand ‘Taste of Central Asia’, enabling Central Asian fresh and dried fruit producers to showcase their products. C5+1 REGIONAL PHYTOSANITARY WORKSHOP ON PEST RISK ANALYSIS IN DUSHANBE On February 26-28, 2019, USAID CTJ in collaboration with the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization hosted a three-day Regional Phytosanitary Workshop in Dushanbe. Seventeen officials from phytosanitary agencies in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan attended. C5+1 TRUSTED TRADER AND GREEN CHANNEL PROGRAMS IN TAJIKISTAN USAID CTJ finalized two formal charters for the trusted trader and green channel programs necessary for their formal implementation in Tajikistan. Acting under the National C5+1 Working Group, CTJ sent the charters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and the Customs Service of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. 4 INNOVATION FACILITY UNITED STATES CO-INVESTS IN THE FIRST PRIVATE FOOD SAFETY LABORATORY IN TURKMENISTAN On March 14, 2019, the United States Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Mr. Allan Mustard, and Chairman of the Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists of Turkmenistan (UoIE), Mr. Dadayev, inaugurated and officially opened Hil Standart’s Microbiology Laboratory, the first private sector food safety laboratory in Turkmenistan. TOURISM USAID SUPPORTS CENTRAL ASIA TOURISM THROUGH BOOKING.COM USAID CTJ has hosted a series events across Central Asia to train local hotel and guesthouse operators to advertise and facilitate room reservations through Booking.com, a global online reservation platform. Following a workshop in Penjikent in December 2018, two further workshops took place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Almaty, Kazakhstan in March 2019. ITB TOURISM TRADE FAIR IN BERLIN: CTJ SUPPORTED EXHIBITING KYRGYZ AND TAJIK TOUR OPERATORS From March 6-10, 2019, Kyrgyz and Tajik tour operators with the support of USAID CTJ, organized an exhibition at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB Berlin), the world’s largest tourism trade fair hosted annually in Berlin. After conducting almost 2,000 meetings during the fair, Kyrgyz and Tajik operators signed 75 new contracts with European partners. A further 60 potential business opportunities will continue to be negotiated over the next few months. USAID CTJ FACILITATED TAJIKISTAN – UZBEKISTAN TOUR OPERATORS NETWORKING EVENT IN SAMARKAND On March 28, 2019, USAID CTJ hosted a networking event in Samarkand to link Uzbekistan tour operators with their Tajikistan counterparts and explore new tourism opportunities. Seven tour operators from Penjikent and five tour companies from Samarkand met to discuss new business opportunities, exchange tourism products / services, and explore new forms of cooperation. HORTICULTURE NEW GROWING TECHNOLOGIES AND ORGANIC FARMING TRAINING INTRODUCED IN KAZAKHSTAN In March 2019, USAID CTJ completed three consecutive trainings for over 60 horticulture producers in Almaty, Taraz, and Shymkent to introduce new conventional and organic horticulture techniques. The two-day training was co-hosted by CTJ and the ATAMEKEN, Kazakhstan national chamber of entrepreneurs. GRAPE POST-HARVEST STUDY TOUR TO INDIA FOR TAJIK AND UZBEK PRODUCERS From February 25 through March 5, 2019, USAID CTJ and the USAID Agricultural Value Chain Project in Uzbekistan (AVC) organized a study tour to India for a group of private sector grape producers and owners of cold storage facilities from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. USAID IMPROVES RISK MANAGEMENT SKILLS OF TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS COMPANIES AND ISO CONSULTANTS On January 31 – February 1, 2019, CTJ completed a two-day workshop designed to improve the risk management skills of private transport and logistics companies as well as local management consultants. 5 QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS CLIN 002 WTO / UZBEKISTAN USAID SUPPORT UZBEKISTAN IN WTO ACCESSION PROCESS Led by Mr. Jovan Jekic, Senior WTO / Trade Adviser, USAID CTJ is supporting Uzbekistan in its WTO accession process. Work on the Memorandum on Foreign Trade Regime of Uzbekistan has been completed and the document was presented to the newly reorganized Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan for their review in coordination with ministries/agencies involved in the accession process and the subsequent approval of the Cabinet of Ministers. UZBEKISTAN “WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY” WEEK IN UZBEKISTAN The Central Asian Women in Science and Technology Week dedicated to start-ups, science and technology was conducted from March 25 through 30, 2019 in Tashkent, Samarkand and Nukus. During the week, USAID CTJ supported the Startup Mix conference in Tashkent, devoted to women in science and technology and entrepreneurship. CTJ developed a “public relations corner” where participants could meet informally with speakers and other experts to discuss entrepreneurship. CAPTURING NEW MARKETS AND EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION DISCUSSION On March 27, 2019, seventy government officials, representatives of the private sector, international organizations, and academia