Taiwan Taipei China and the EBRD
2013-09-09 00:00:00
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Taiwan Taipei China has a long-standing cooperation with the EBRD, with its first technical cooperation (TC) fund established in 1991. It has contributed over €24 million for technical cooperation, which is now channelled through the TaiwanBusiness – EBRD Cooperation Fund.Our work
In Depth: Taipei China and the EBRD Donor funding | Co-financing | Consultancy services and procurement | Cooperation with Taiwanese banks | Taiwanese confirming banks Donor funding Taipei China has a long-standing cooperation with the EBRD, with its first technical cooperation (TC) fund established in 1991. It has contributed over €24 million for technical cooperation, which is now channelled through the TaiwanBusiness – EBRD Cooperation Fund. By December 2011, 266 technical cooperation (TC) projects worth over €20 million had been implemented, mainly in the energy efficiency sector, particularly through urban transport. Taipei China has also contributed US$ 1.5 million to the EBRD Balkan Region Special Fund (BRSF), €1 million to the Mongolia Cooperation Fund (MCF) and €2 million to the Early Transition Countries Fund (ETC) Fund. In 1994 the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), Taipei China’s agency responsible for foreign assistance programmes, extended US$ 20 million for co‑financing projects in the EBRD countries of operations. In 1994 the EBRD and the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), the bilateral executing agency of Taipei China’s foreign assistance programme, signed a memorandum of understanding of US$ 20 million for co-financing. TaiwanICDF has co-financed the Belarus SME/MSE Credit-line (US$ 7.5 million) and a number of private-sector SME projects through the EBRD’s Financial Intermediary Investment Special Fund (FIISF) for an amount of US$ 10.6 million for projects in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lithuania and Romania. This account is now closed following a successful implementation. TaiwanICDF provided further funding in 2005 under the above FIISF for an additional US$ 10 million for small businesses, and is co-financing microlending and a non-bank micro financing projects mainly in the Early Transition Countries. In 2006, an additional US$ 5 million was provided for the risk sharing facility for the Bank’s Trade Facilitation Programme in Azerbaijan, Russian Federation and Ukraine. In 2008, a further US$ 10 million was provided to extend their assistance to small businesses through FIISF, and the resources are supporting a number of investments in Turkey. In 2011, TaiwanICDF signed an agreement to provide US$ 80 million for concessional financing to support the Bank’s municipal and environmental infrastructure projects in the field of energy efficiency and green technology, and additional resources in the amount of US$ 20 million to support small business lending, making Taipei China the largest donor in 2011. Enterprise Growth Programme (EGP) Since 1998, Taipei China has provided about €1.38 million to fund 21 EGP projects in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine in the areas of manufacturing, agribusiness, electronics and IT. Business Advisory Services (BAS) Taipei China has provided €270,000 to support the Women in Business Programme in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The programme promotes women entrepreneurship and has financed over 40 seminars, workshops and training courses for businesswomen. Co-financing Taipei China is an important source of foreign direct investment in the EBRD’s countries of operations. The value of joint Taipei China-EBRD investment stood at €1.19 billion as of January 2012. EBRD finance accounted for €0.95 billion, and Taiwanese investment accounted for €0.24 billion. Adding in further investment from other countries and sources, the total value of projects with Taiwanese-EBRD involvement was €3.69 billion. The majority of these deals were in the private sector. Taipei China-EBRD investments have been especially strong in Russia, at €869 million, followed by Kazakhstan, at €92million, and Romania, at €73 million. Broken down by industry, joint Taipei China-EBRD investments have been €806 million in financial institutions and €371 million in industry, commerce and agribusiness and €13 million in infrastructure. Taipei China's investments include €229 million of commercial co-financing and €10 million of co-financing from official sources, such as export credit agencies. Consultancy services and procurement Consultancy services In 2011 the EBRD and its clients awarded 29 contracts totalling €885,473 to Taiwanese consultants. These include 22 contract awards for €239,492 by the EBRD Small Business Support (SBS) team for provision of management and industry advice. To facilitate Taiwanese consultants’ participation in the Bank’s consultancy assignments, the EBRD’s Consultancy Services Unit conducted a consultants outreach in Taiwan, which aimed to raise Taiwanese consultants’ awareness of consultancy opportunities with the EBRD. 2011 Consultancy Contracts’ Highlights: Assignment: Regional - Trade Facilitation Programme - E-Factoring Workshops Funding Source: Taiwan Business - EBRD TC Fund Contract Value: €260,000 Consultant: Morrison Consulting Corp., Taipei China Assignment: Moldova: Chisinau Public Transport - E-ticketing System Design Funding Source: Taiwan Business - EBRD TC Fund Contract Value: €270,450 Consultant: Metro Consulting Services Ltd, Taipei China Procurement In 2011 the EBRD financed 219 public sector contracts for a total contract value of over €1.6 billion. 53 Nuclear Safety Grant funded contracts were also signed for a total value of €109 million. Cooperation with Taiwanese banks The EBRD works closely with Taiwanese banks involved in the Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), through which the EBRD guarantees the payment of trade finance instruments (such as letters of credit or payment guarantees) that are issued by banks in its countries of operations to foreign confirming banks. Since the start of the Programme in 1999, the TFP has guaranteed more than 11,629 transactions worth over €7.2 billion, including 82 export and import transactions of Taipei China in the total amount of €20.5 million. Some 101 issuing banks in 22 EBRD countries of operations participate in the Programme, together with over 800 foreign confirming banks, of which 17 are Taiwanese. Taiwanese Confirming Banks Bank of New York Mellon, Taipei Branch Bank of Nova Scotia, Taipei Branch Bank of Overseas Chinese Bank of Taiwan Bank SinoPac Chang Hwa Commercial Bank, Ltd Chinatrust Commercial Bank First Commercial Bank Ltd Hua Nan Commercial Bank, Ltd KBC Taiwan, Taipei KBC Kaohsing Mega International Commercial Bank Co., Ltd The Royal Bank of Scotland (formerly ABN Amro Bank N.V.) Societe Generale, Taipei Branch Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Taipei Branch Taiwan Cooperative Bank Union Bank of California N.A, Taipei Branch Source of article:ebrd.com Author(s):Press Office |