IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Ministry of Finance’s PPP Agency, with support from the Government of Switzerland, hosted a two-day round-table discussion to explore public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the energy and transport sectors.
The event is part of the government’s commitment to adopt new mechanisms to boost growth and open up opportunities for private investment, easing the burden on public finances. Participants discussed key issues and were presented case studies and lessons learned from PPP transactions in the region and around the world, focusing on the airport, energy, and road sectors. About 60 participants from ministries and agencies along with key stakeholders, attended.
“The government of Uzbekistan is keen to support greater private participation through sustainable PPP models as part of our framework for private participation in infrastructure, and events like this one provide an excellent way to move the discussions and projects forward,” said Golib Kholjigitov, Head of the PPP Agency. “We hope that participants will benefit from the debates and talks with both domestic and international experts.”
Zafar Khashimov, IFC Country Officer for Uzbekistan, said: “This initiative is part of IFC’s support for the Uzbek government’s ongoing reforms to increase the role of the private sector in the economy. IFC is pleased to assist the government of Uzbekistan as it launches a PPP program. We will bring our global experience in advising and structuring PPPs to ensure that projects are well-balanced and sustainable.”
As a transaction advisor, IFC is currently helping the government of Uzbekistan structure a PPP to mobilize private sector experience and capital for the financing, construction, and operation of a 100-megawatt solar plant. IFC is also advising on a PPP to attract private investors to finance, equip, maintain, and operate several hemodialysis centers throughout the country.
In addition, a training for local media has been organized to help local reporters better understand PPPs and cover this topic more professionally. There were more than 30 local journalists participated at the training.
