Private sector participation in Central Asia infrastructure

Multilateral financing institutions are moving their activities eastwards, from SEE via the Caucasus on to Central Asia. In mid 2008, IFC’s Private-Enterprise Partnership for Southeast Europe (PEPSEI) commissioned ECORYS to carry out an explorative study on the possibilities for private sector participation (PSP) in infrastructure projects in Central Asia.

In many cases in Central Asia countries, political will and curiosity towards infrastructure PSP projects is present or developing. The financing implications of undertaking large infrastructure projects through PSP is increasingly considered by key stakeholders in government ministries and state companies. However, abundant funding resources due to -until recently- high oil prices serve to remove the direct necessity to attract external financing for large public capital investments. Combined with a discomfort or in some cases unawareness about key PSP principles, the region still faces a challenging road towards progress in this field.

For more information, please contact:
Koen van Baekel
E koen.vanbaekel@ecorys.com