Regions and Countries

	Table of Contents
p. 16 of 20 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies IV. Regional Cooperation V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination VI. Cofinancing and Catalyzing External Resources VII. ADB’s Operational Program VIII. Economic and Sector Work Program IX. Local Cost Financing

Country Assistance Plans - Kazakhstan

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V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination

50. No formal consultative group meeting has been held since 1996 and the date of the next meeting has yet to be fixed. However, informal meetings and coordination among donors have frequently taken place in Kazakhstan.

51. In addition to ADB, other major sources of external assistance to Kazakhstan include the World Bank, IMF, EBRD and Japan. The World Bank has the largest aid program comprising both policy-based adjustment loans and investment projects in a wide range of areas covering agriculture, energy, environment, finance, health, legal reform, roads, social protection, taxation, urban transport, and water supply and sanitation. EBRD has focused on support to private sector development, but has been increasingly involved with public sector projects in the areas of port, power, railways, and telecommunications. The United Nations and the European Union have provided technical assistance for enterprise and civil service reforms, food production and distribution, and human development. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is active in the areas of health, transport, postal service, and water supply. Japan, the largest bilateral donor, has provided significant balance?of?payments support and has extended loans for reconstructing the Astana airport and rehabilitating the transport infrastructure. The United States has provided assistance for privatization, tax and pension reforms, and social services. Other main bilateral aid sources are Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

52. Kazakhstan first received IMF assistance under a Systemic Transformation Facility in July 1993. This was followed in 1994 by a Standby Arrangement that was renewed in 1995. In June 1996, IMF and the Government agreed to replace the Standby Arrangement with an EFF, which expired in June 1999. IMF approved a new EFF to support the Government’s economic program for 2000-2002 in December 1999. While the Government does not plan to draw on IMF’s resources soon, it intends to use IMF program to pave the way for seeking financial assistance from other donors and attracting foreign direct investment into the country (see para. 4).

53. There has been close coordination between ADB and other donors, which has reinforced and complemented the respective aid activities in Kazakhstan. Management of ADB and the World Bank signed a joint letter in March 2000 to lay out the framework and structure of the bilateral cooperation. During the consultative group meeting in 1994, it was agreed that the World Bank would focus on health while ADB would concentrate in the education sector. This agreement was reviewed and reconfirmed at the staff level during the last country consultative group meeting in 1996. ADB has excellent relations with the resident offices of other donors in Kazakhstan and there is regular exchange of operational information and documents. A summary of overall external assistance to Kazakhstan is given in Appendix 3.

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