Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted
Offer capacity building and legislative assistance to Central Asian states to improve investment environment
Recommendation
The investment environment in Central Asian states is still far from attractive to many would-be investors. There is much more the UK Government could do to improve the situation. We recommend that capacity building for civil servants and practical assistance in policy and legislation formulation be a central offer made by the UK to Central Asian states. This should be calibrated to complement UK initiatives to support reforms to regional trading infrastructure and policies. (Paragraph 85)
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, explaining that its existing Effective Governance for Economic Development (EGED) programme and targeted non-ODA support from DBT already help improve the business environment and assist with regulation and process in Central Asian states. They commit to continuing this work to promote investment opportunities.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Partially Agree 91. The UK’s Effective Governance for Economic Development (EGED) programming supports improvements to the business environment, including through support to e-commerce to promote Central Asian (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) horticulture products to global markets and SMEs’ access to global e-marketplaces, as well as supporting the reform of State-Owned Enterprises in Uzbekistan. 92. DBT also provides targeted, non-ODA support to help Central Asian countries address areas of regulation or process which are discouraging international businesses and investors. In addition to technical barriers to investment, lack of awareness of the opportunities in Central Asia among UK businesses remains a key barrier to investment and exports. DBT will continue its work to promote opportunities in this region. 93. We also work closely with the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and international partners to deliver reform, prosperity and stability in the region.