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 Success Stories
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz Prime Minister Makes BEI “Part of the Team”
Like many other countries, the Kyrgyz Republic faces a shortage in expertise, on which Government can rely to design and implement needed reforms. USAID’s TFI Project, and its successor, BEI, have helped fill the gap by providing advice and technical assistance to government and the private sector. Based on BEI’s work with the recent Law on Inspections, the Prime Minister of the Republic encouraged USAID and the BEI Project to continue supporting the reform process through closer ties with the Prime Minister’s Office. Recent BEI collaboration with the Prime Minister’s office has led to reforms that are expected to save the state an estimated $3.5 million, annually, and to improve the business environment, more generally.
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The lack of qualified and competent expertise needed to resolve emerging national economic issues is one of the most significant constraints to increasing the pace of development and reform in the Kyrgyz Republic (KR). Although a shortage of expertise affects the private sector, it is most problematic in government institutions because it is these bodies that have the power and responsibility for reforming the old centralized, Soviet syste.
The appointment of Prime Minister Atambaev, in 2007, presented the USAID Business Environment Improvement (BEI) Project with a unique and promising opportunity to advance reform activities in KR. Mr. Atambaev was previously Minister of Industry, Economic Development and Trade, and had worked well with BEI’s predecessor project, the Trade Facilitation and Investment Project (TFI). Early in Mr. Atambaev’s administration, BEI worked with the Prime Minister’s office in implementing a new Law on Inspections, and on associated media coverage. These cooperative efforts enabled BEI to further demonstrate its expertise and value both to the Government, and the public.
In recognition of the important contribution made by USAID and BEI, the Prime Minister presented an honorary award to BEI Country Manager Nursulu Ahmetova, in early August 2007, appointing her as an official counselor to the Prime Minister and member of Expert Council under the PM’s Office.
A number of BEI recommendations have already been embraced by the PM’s office, including:
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Creation of an Expert Group charged with collaborating directly with the PM on issues of administrative and territorial reform.
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Collaboration with civil society groups to reach a common understanding and consensus about food security issues and concerns.
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Streamlining of Government structures, in line with the announced KR Country Development Strategy (CDS) for 2007-2010.
As a result of its partnership with the PM’s Office, USAID and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic have discussed and agreed to collaborate on a wide scope of activities, including those related to energy, agriculture, and administrative and territorial reform. Recommendations made by BEI and by USAID public governance decentralization experts, such as the Urban Institute, have already been included in the Government’s resolution on the implementation of administrative reform. The resulting administrative and territorial reform is expected to eliminate 124 units of redundant provincial-level (oblast) public government, and reduce Government staff by 1,777 positions, saving the annual budget an estimated 122 million soms (about $3.5 million USD). This is a good initial step, as the KR Government budget must currently provide for a public work force of half a million, a number that constitutes roughly 10% of the total population.
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