On October 24, 2023, a meeting took place at the Secretariat of the Investment Council, between the Head of the Secretariat of the Investment Council under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Uluk Kydyrbaev with the Director of the State Institution "Center for Public-Private Partnership" (PPP Center), Sanzhar Bolotov.

During this meeting, the parties discussed various aspects of public-private partnership (PPP), including mechanisms for mobilizing private investments for both small and large-scale infrastructure projects. Additionally, the parties explored prospects for collaboration in the development of public-private partnership in Kyrgyzstan, considering the shared goals and objectives of both organizations.

An agreement was reached to strengthen cooperation and collaborative efforts in the analysis and risk assessment of investment projects. In addition, the PPP Center and the Secretariat of the Investment Council agreed to hold a separate meeting where presentations on projects and challenges encountered during their implementation will be presented. These materials may be further discussed in future meetings of the Investment Council.

On October 20th, at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, the first meeting of the Working Group took place in response to a request from the International Business Council. The meeting centered around the necessity to amend the regulatory framework in the Kyrgyz Republic regarding the circulation of plastic bags and plastic products within the country.

During the working group meeting, a decision was made to consider amendments to the Kyrgyz Republic's Law "On Restricting the Circulation of Plastic Bags and Plastic Products within the Territory of the Kyrgyz Republic," taking into account the suggestions put forth by the business community. The group also acknowledged the importance of implementing the concept of extended producer responsibility and importers of goods.

The Working Group comprises representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, the International Business Council, the Secretariat of the Investment Council under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, and representatives from the business community.

On October 11, a meeting was held at the Secretariat of the Investment Council to address the matter concerning the request from the International Business Council (IBC) regarding the labeling of non-alcoholic, energy beverages classified under the Harmonized System code 2202 (HS code).

Following the meeting, the parties have agreed on further actions to regulate this issue. Specifically, the State Customs Service will provide the Secretariat with the protocols from previous sessions of the working group, along with other relevant materials related to the matter under consideration. The IBC will submit materials reflecting global best practices on this issue to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will continue its collaborative efforts to develop compromise solutions on the dialogue platform of the Investment Council's Secretariat.

On one hand, the labeling of non-alcoholic beverages is a mechanism used in global practice to confirm the legality of the product's origin. On the other hand, it may impact the increase in the cost of production.

The meeting was attended by Cholpon Joldosheva, Head of the Economy and Finance Sector at the IBC, Shirin Rizaeva, IBC representative, Ulukman Maksutov, Chief Specialist at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, Chinara Mamyrbaeva, Head of the department at the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bakyt Akmatov, Head of the department at the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as employees of the Secretariat of the Investment Council.

On September 25-27, the staff of the Investment Council Secretariat successfully participated in a three-day Central Asia PPP Information Exchange Workshop. This workshop was hosted by the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) of the US Department of Commerce, with the support of the PPP Center in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The trainers were highly qualified international experts in the field of PPP: Ziad-Alexandre Hayek, President of World Association of PPP Units & Professionals (WAPPP), Dr. Eyup Vural Aydin, Chariman of PPPCOE İstanbul Co-Chair of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Chapter of WAPPP and Sergei Samolis, CEO of PPP Expertise Eurasia, Co-Chair of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Chapter of World Association of PPP Units & Professionals (WAPPP).

The seminar provided a platform for PPP representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to come together. During this event, participants and experts engaged in discussions covering various aspects of PPP, including the philosophy behind PPP, the role and management of PPP units, the promotion of small-scale PPPs, PPP financing and financial documentation, market sounding work for infrastructure projects, methodology for PPP assessments, and much more.

It's worth noting that the PPP Information Exchange Workshop was integrated into the series of events dedicated to the 2nd International PPP Conference. The Investment Council under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic was a partner in organizing this conference.

We extend our gratitude to all our partners for their contributions to the success of this highly informative workshop.