DUSHANBE, October 18, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Today, the Business Advisory Services (BAS) program of the European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) marks its 5th anniversary in Tajikistan.

According to the EBRD Dushanbe Office, the main celebration event is taking place at Tojikiston Hotel in Dushanbe. Representatives of the local government institutions, the stakeholders and donor agencies, the Regional BAS Program, the small and medium business enterprises, the consulting companies and mass media have been invited to attend the event.

In parallel, an exhibition of SME production and consulting services and a roundtable “Role of consulting for SME sector development in Tajikistan” are being held.

EBRD Business Advisory Services (BAS) enables micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to access a diverse range of consulting services by facilitating projects with local consultants on a cost sharing basis.  Direct assistance to enhance enterprise performance is combined with systemic market development activities to create sustainable and commercially viable infrastructures of MSME support in the Bank’s countries of operations.

BAS assists its clients to define their business needs and identify services provided by professional consultants that can assist them to improve their performance.  By assisting individual enterprises to engage with local consultants and providing project grants, of up to €10,000, demand is stimulated and the understanding of the potential benefits of using external consultants.

BAS activities in Tajikistan address cross-cutting objectives that are pertinent to MSME sector development such as climate change, gender equality and environmental improvements in line with the EBRD’s priorities in the country.