Regional Programmes for Economic Development

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME

The programme aims to improve corporate governance of private companies in South East Europe and Central Asia. In Macedonia, the current phase of the programme is implemented by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in close cooperation with the Macedonian Institute of Directors (MIOD). It focuses primarily on the transfer of knowledge and advisory services in corporate governance from IFC to the MIOD. With the programme’s support to date a) corporate governance codes and specialised manuals and tools were developed, b) governance was strengthened in numerous companies resulting in increased access to finance, c) corporate governance was integrated in undergraduate and specialisation programmes at the Faculty of Economics – Skopje and d) disclosure of regular financial reports by companies trading on the Macedonian Stock Exchange was increased by 30% – the strongest increase in disclosure based on raised awareness, rather than on changes in regulation. For more details, see http://www.ifc.org (Advisory Services – Sustainable Business – Corporate Governance).

Swiss Contribution

USD 8 million *

Duration

2006-2015

Contact

IFC 

+ 389 2 32 23 306 

* Total amount for six countries of SEE and Central Asia

SIPPO

The Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) aims to increase export sales and income in partner countries, including Macedonia, through the facilitation of improved access to the EU and Swiss market for export oriented SMEs. The programme supports the establishment of trade contacts between the Swiss and European import economy and SMEs from partner countries since 1999. SIPPO supported the promotion of many companies from Macedonia as trade partners abroad in the following sectors: food (fresh fruit and vegetables, and natural ingredients), non-food (textile and furniture), and technical products (industrial subcontracting, technical wood, and software applications). For more details, please see http://www.sippo.ch.

Swiss Contribution

CHF 27.3 million **

Duration

1999-2015

Contact

SIPPO

+ 41 44 365 54 89

** Total amount for all partner countries for the period 2012 - 2015

EBRD Trade Facilitation Programme

The Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) aims at promoting foreign trade with Central and Eastern European as well as CIS countries. Through the TFP, the EBRD provides guarantees to international banks to cover commitments of local banks from trade transactions. The guarantees cover the political and commercial risk undertaken by issuing local banks in the target countries. The guarantees cover export and import transactions. For more details , see http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/trade.shtml

Swiss Contribution

CHF 5 million ***

Duration

1999 – not defined

Contact

EBRD

+389 2 32 97 800

*** Total funds for all countries of Central and Eastern Europe and CIS

SIFEM: EQUITY FUNDS AND OTHER FINANCING INSTRUMENTS

SEAF South-Balkan Fund. Equity, equity-related instruments and leasing in export and growth-oriented SMEs. Swiss Contribution: USD 4 million**** . Duration: 2005-2016. For more details see http://www.seaf.com

7L Capital Partners Emerging Europe. Private equity and equity-related investments in SMEs in the branded goods and services, communications as well as technology and applications sectors. Swiss Contribution: € 7 million***** , Duration: 2006-2016.  For more details see http://www.7lcp.com.

Balkan Financial Sector Equity Fund. Private equity and equity-related investments in banks and non-bank financial institutions with a strong SME or advanced stage micro lending policy. Swiss Contribution: € 8 million****, Duration: 2005-2017.  For more details see http://www.dfe-partners.com.

Contact

SIFEM

+ 41 31 310 09 30

**** Total funds for Macedonia , Montenegro and Serbia

***** Total funds for selected countries in Central and Eastern Europe

SEEC CRIF

The South East Europe and Caucasus Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (SEEC CRIF) established by the World Bank aims to facilitate the development of catastrophe insurance markets in South East Europe and Caucasus, and thereby provide access to homeowners and SMEs to affordable protection against floods and earthquakes. To achieve this, a catastrophe reinsurance company, Europa Re, was established in Switzerland in 2010, in which South East Europe and Caucasus countries are shareholders. It will develop probabilistic and actuarial risk models, on the basis of which it will offer affordable insurance catastrophe products. The final products will be issued by insurance companies in the partner countries.  Macedonia became a member of Europa Re in 2012. For more details see http://www.europa-re.eberlesystems.ch.

Swiss Contribution

USD 4.5 million **

Duration


2009-2014

Contact

Europa Re

+41 44 380 50 90



The World Bank

+1 202 458 5414

** Total funds for all countries of SEE and Caucasus that are part of this project

PEM-PAL

The Public Expenditure Management – Peer Assisted Learning (PEM-PAL) programme aims to create networks of practitioners in public finance in countries of the European and Central Asian region. The purpose of the networks is to share experience on reform implementation in key areas of public financial management through so-called Communities of Practice (CoPs). Over 400 public finance practitioners from 22 countries are members of the three key CoPs in the areas of budget, treasury, and internal audit. For more details, see http://www.pempal.org.

Swiss Contribution

CHF 5.8 million *

Duration

2010-2017

Contact

Center of Exellence in Finance

+386 1 3696 194

* Total amount for 22 countries from Europe and Central Asia that are part of the programme

SAFE

The World Bank Trust Fund Strengthen Accountability and Fiduciary Environment (SAFE) aims to strengthen accountability and fiduciary environment in Public Finance Management (PFM) and other areas critical to advancing public finance management reform. This is done through assistance in reform sequencing and management based on the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessment results, as well as assessing and reforming specific fiduciary and PFM areas. Through this programme, the Ministry of Finance in Macedonia is supported for the Public Accounting and Certification Training

Swiss Contribution

USD 2 million **

Duration

2010-2015

Contact

The World Bank

+381 11 3023 700

** Total amount for all countries in Europe and Central Asia that are part of the programme

STRENGTHENING TAX ADMINISTRATION

The Regional Tax Administration Project for South East Europe (SEE) is a continuation of an IMF implemented technical assistance programme initiated in 1998. It strengthens the capacity of tax administrations in eleven SEE countries. In Macedonia, the technical assistance focuses on the reform and modernisation of the tax administration, development of stress testing to assess the resilience of the financial system, and improvement of the real sector statistics. As part of this project, the IMF reviewed and advised the Public Revenue Office on the ongoing tax administration reform.

Swiss Contribution

USD 18.4 million **

Duration

1998-2014

Contact

IMF

+381 11 333 8286



 ** Total amount for all countries in Europe and Central Asia that are part of the programme

SOUTHEAST EUROPE TAX TRANSPARENCY AND SIMPLIFICATION PROGRAMME

The overall goal of the Programme is to improve tax compliance by increasing the transparency and simplicity of tax administration procedures in countries of Southeast Europe. To achieve this, IFC organizes regional peer-to-peer training to facilitate regional cooperation and exchange of information, aiming to simplify tax administration procedures to reduce tax compliance costs, in particular for SMEs, and to improve the legal framework and efficiency of administration of international taxation procedures, with a focus on transfer pricing.

Swiss Contribution

USD 2.5 million ***

Duration

2012-2015

Contact

IFC 

+381 11 30 23 750

*** Total amount for the SEE countries that are part of the programme

SOUTH-EAST EUROPE INFRASTRUCTURE ADVISORY

Through this programme, IFC provides advisory support to governments in partner countries to prepare and implement Public-Private Partnership transactions, i.e. concession bids for large-scale infrastructure projects. The focus is on first-of-a-kind transactions with high development impact in frontier sectors, regions, and countries which are of lower interest to commercial advisors and investment banks. The programme provides technical support to the government, and creates links between private sector infrastructure investors and financing institutions on the one hand, and public sector institutions keen on engaging with the private sector on the other. This is needed since serious and financially strong national and international investors do not easily make decisions for investments in the region. In Macedonia, the programme has supported the Government’s work in structuring concession bids for the Corridor 8 road (Skopje – Kicevo) upgrading, operation, and maintenance, Cebren and Galiste Hydro Power Plant concessions, and possible concession for dialysis centres operation and renovation.

Swiss Contribution

USD 3.5 million ***

Duration

2006-2015

Contact

IFC 

+389 2 32 23 306

*** Total amount for all countries from SEE

SECO START-UP FUND

The Start-up Fund of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is a loan instrument which contributes up to CHF 500,000 to the costs incurred by Swiss companies during the start-up phase of an investment project in a SECO partner country. The fund promotes investment projects in the private sector of countries whose economies are in development or in transition. The projects must be commercially viable and meet recognised environmental and social standards.

Until 2013, the establishment of 28 companies has been supported in Macedonia through the SECO Start-up Fund. For more details, see http://www.secostartupfund.ch.

Swiss Contribution

CHF 18 million *

Duration

1997-2015

Contact

FINANCEcontact

+41 (44) 454 17 80/81

* Total funds for all SECO partner countries globally




Contact:



Swiss Cooperation Office  

aneta.damjanovska@eda.admin.ch

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