Business Opportunities in the EBRD Regions for Taiwanese Companies

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) coordinated a joint forum in Taipei on Tuesday, 8 September, to spotlight business opportunities in the EBRD regions for Taiwanese companies.

The EBRD, founded in 1991, invests in diverse countries from Morocco to Mongolia, as well as Estonia to Egypt, to encourage the development of the private sector and move these countries to market economies. The EBRD integrates investments, which this year have totaled more than the US$130 billion-mark (€100 billion) since the Bank’s creation, with technical partnership assistance and policy dialogue. The Bank is the largest institutional investor in lots of its locations, as well as being at the forefront in combatting global warming via its funding.

The EBRD has a long-term partnership with the Taiwanese government, together with businesses that happen to be crucial participants in the Bank’s work in infrastructure, sustainable resources, agribusiness, intelligent transportation systems, health and ICT, women in business, and support for the medium business sector. Combined Taiwanese-EBRD investment amounts to almost US$1. 7 billion.

To be able to strengthen and develop this partnership, the Forum in Taipei will offer the opportunity for Taiwan organizations to acquire a greater knowledge of the EBRD’s methods. After a video message by EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti, the 4 key markets of Kazakhstan, Egypt, Turkey, and Central Europe are going to be showcased to display business opportunities for investments with the Bank.

Sir Suma Chakrabarti gave his support by declaring: “It is especially pleasing to be co-hosting this event. We visualize it as an excellent opportunity to more deeply expand our partnership as well as to help Taiwanese companies expand their overseas activities in which the EBRD countries of operation provide a number of interesting opportunities for Taiwan manufacturers and service providers.  You will discover enormous possibilities, we are in a position to support you so you can definitely make the best possible use of them.”

Taiwan: EBRD Donor Profile

Taiwan helps to develop people’s lives and environments in the nations in which the EBRD functions via generous financing for an array of projects.
Taiwan and EBRD: at a glance
US$ 29.7 million donor funds for technical cooperation projects
US$ 125 million co-financing in support of EBRD projects
€1 .33 billion Taiwan – EBRD investments

Taiwan continues to be associated with a long-standing partnership with the EBRD, with a first technical cooperation (TC) fund, which was set up in 1991. A total of US$ 29.7 million has been made available to TCs, which incorporates the bilateral Taiwan Business–EBRD Cooperation Fund together with donations to a variety of multi-donor accounts.

Taipei is benefiting the Bank’s TC projects in sustainable resource management, intelligent transportation systems, the information technology-related knowledge economy, in addition to the corporate sector via funding for the Small Business Support (SBS) and the Women in Business programs.

In 2014, it replenished the bilateral Taiwan Business-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund with US$ 1.75 million, as well as the Early Transition Countries (ETC) Fund, to which Taiwan was among the founding contributors, with US$ 250,000. Additionally, Taiwan has become a member to the SEMED Multi-Donor Account, it also contributed US$ 671 ,500 for aiding TC activities in the southern eastern Mediterranean.

In 1994, the EBRD, together with the International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF), the bilateral executing agency of Taiwan, China’s foreign assistance program, expanded their partnership supporting the MSME sector in nations in which the EBRD works.

Contributions totalling US$ 45 million have been channelled via the EBRD’s Financial Intermediary Investment Special Fund (FIISF) to the EBRD’s partner lending institutions for on-lending to MSMEs, and US$ 30 million for concessional funding to encourage the Bank’s MEI projects in the area of energy efficiency and green technology.
Since 1998, Taiwan has provided €2.5 million for 119 Small And Mid-size Business Support (SBS) projects, assisting small and medium-sized enterprises to connect with business advice by means of local consultants, together with international industry experts in 13 countries. Furthermore, the financing has supported over 69 Women in Business projects in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

A contribution of €375 ,500 from Taiwan supported the Women in Business initiative in the Western Balkans. The initiative has facilitated in excess of 150 women entrepreneurs with advisory projects, mentoring services, and training for starting a business including training in online marketing.

In 2014, Taiwan pledged an additional €750,000 towards Women in Business projects in Croatia and €690,000 towards SBS operations in the ETC region.

Taiwan is a significant source of foreign direct investment in countries in which the EBRD works . The value of joint Taiwan-EBRD investment stood at €1.33 billion as of January 2015. EBRD finance accounted for €1.1 billion, and Taiwanese investment accounted for €260 million.

The EBRD works closely with Taiwanese banks associated with the Trade Facilitation Program (TFP) ), by which the EBRD guarantees the payment of trade finance instruments (such as letters of credit or payment guarantees), which are granted by banks in countries where they work with foreign confirming banks.

Since the start of the Programme in 1999, the EBRD has guaranteed in excess of 15,500 transactions worth over €11 billion, which includes one hundred export and import transactions of Taiwanese companies, totalling €26.2 million. In total 12 Taiwanese banks and branches have joined the program as confirming banks.

Image provided by EBRD www.ebrd.com/news/media-assets.html