On January 26, 2012 Mr.Takuya Kamata, World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan, made a presentation to the AmCham community. He presented the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Uzbekistan recently approved by the Board of Executive Directors.

Mr.Takuya Kamata explained the history of the Bank’s engagement in Uzbekistan with special focus on the expansion of the program for 2012-2015. He noted that the new Strategy proposes a program linked to Uzbekistan’s development vision to reach high middle income status by mid-century.

Through implementation of the CPS, the World Bank intends to help enhance the key elements of the Government’s medium-term growth and development strategy: promoting efficiency, enhancing competitiveness, accelerating diversification, and ensuring social inclusion. A new financing envelope of US$ 1.3 billion - consisting of concessional IDA Credits and IBRD loans - reflects the country’s development needs, its income level, economic prospects, economic management, poverty level, and performance of Bank sponsored programs. It will support projects in the areas of water supply and sanitation, irrigation, energy, transport, and private sectors, in the next four years. The Bank will also extend the on-going support for basic services in health and education.

Organized in 1997 by members of foreign business community resident in Uzbekistan, the AmCham Uzbekistan is a voluntary, independent association of businesspersons and entities that unites mostly foreign companies originating from US, Europe and South Pacific Asia.

AmCham activities serve to facilitate members’ business operations in Uzbekistan via holding monthly meetings with prominent guest speakers, representing the business or diplomatic community, organizing monthly business gatherings for networking purposes.

“We believe that your presentation will add great value to our discussions and understanding of the World Bank Group Country Partnership Strategy for Uzbekistan”, - said Tatyana Bystrushkina, executive Director of AmCham in Uzbekistan.