Attachment_J.1e_SOO__Annex_5__USAID_Donors_Activities.docx

Attachment J.1e: Annex 5: List of ongoing USAID and donor-funded private sector development activities:

USAID private sector support and export promotion activities:

Afghanistan Jobs Creation Program (AJCP), a five-year program that will address the following program objectives: a) Generate Revenue and Sustainable Jobs by Supporting Value Chain Development in MSMEs; and b) Support Trade Promotion and Facilitate Afghan Businesses in Increasing Exports.

Establishing Kabul Carpet Export Center (KCEC): The purpose of the KCEC is to enhance capacity of Afghan Carpet industry to meet International market requirements by addressing major critical constraints in the carpet value chain. The Project will establish a carpet export center near Kabul Airport that will provide value added services to carpet producers and exporters, facilitate their access to finance, match buyers with carpet producers and assist in customs clearances and freight forwarding.

The Goldozi Project: Create a class of 500 new trained and certified sales agents who are equipped with new skills and access to market insights; connect them to embroiderers and other actors along the value chain, from input suppliers to retail and export markets; and build and promote a strong brand that advertises the authenticity and ethical production of its product lines. Upgrade the skills and access to market information for 15,000 women in and around Kabul, thereby increasing the commercial potential of the embroidered products they make. See Attachment J.16 for more information.

Livelihood Advancement for Marginalized Populations (LAMP): The purpose of LAMP is to create job opportunities and address the constraints to marginalized populations -- Internally Displaced People, returnees, women, and youth -- in Afghanistan. LAMP will establish a Livelihood Support Committee in each urban center, comprised of government officials and local leaders, as a cornerstone for livelihood support during and beyond implementation. LSCs will develop working relationships with area business leaders to ultimately lead to beneficiary job placement. LAMP will implement its jobs creation/economic growth strategy through the following components: 1. High-value vegetable production for beneficiaries with limited access to land; 2. Livestock and Poultry production; 3. Vocational Training and jobs / business development support services; 4. School to Work transition support for new high school and university grads.

Trade Show Support (TSS) activity supports Afghan exporters through facilitating trade shows, business events, exhibitions and other fora where Afghan businesses can interact with potential buyers and importers.

Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) delivers policy-level assistance to the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) to support its trade compliance and negotiations, information and communications technology sector development, policy and strategy development for the mining industry, customs and export facilitation including support to one-stop- shops for air cargo, and business enabling environment reform including support to export processing zones and export financing solutions.

Development Credit Authority (DCA). USAID/Afghanistan has a Portable Guarantee for two microfinance institutions (MFIs): FINCA Afghanistan and OXUS Afghanistan; and three Loan Portfolio Guarantees with: Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) to support MSME lending; First Micro Finance Bank (FMFB) to support lending to returning Afghans and IDPs; and Ghazanfar Bank to support SME lending.

The Commercial Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing Program (CHAMP) works with leading Afghan processing and export firms to enhance the supply chain, marketing, and export promotion of Afghan fruits and nuts. CHAMP supports traders through its trade offices located in New Delhi, India and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to boost Afghan agricultural exports in these and other major regional markets..

The Regional Agricultural Development Program-North (RADP-N) is a sustainable agriculture development program which works in six provinces of the Northern region (Jawzjan, Balkh, Samangan, Baghlan, Kunduz and Badakhshan). RADP-N focuses on investing in increased sustainability and profitability of wheat, high value horticulture crops, and livestock to provide food and economic security for rural Afghans in the targeted provinces.

The Regional Agricultural Development Program –South (RADP-S) promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth for rural Afghans in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, and Zabul Provinces. The program supports farmers as well as micro, small, medium, and large agribusinesses to improve production, processing, and commodity sales.

The Regional Agricultural Development Program-East (RADP_E): The main objective of RADP-E is to foster the expansion of sustainable agriculture-led economic growth in eastern Afghanistan, and to contribute to the development of a vibrant and prosperous agriculture sector in the eastern region. The project provides technical services in order to increase the competitiveness of the Apricot, Dairy, Tomato, Poultry value chains.

Agriculture Credit Enhancement (ACE II): ACE project established and managed the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) until it was transferred to the Afghan government (GoA) in 2015. The follow-on project, ACE-II, seeks to build on results achieved by the previous program and expand access to agriculture-related credit to increase commercial viability of small-and medium-size farms and agribusinesses as a necessary condition for a thriving agricultural economy.

Promoting Value Chains – West (PVC–W) is a 3-year market-oriented program that strengthens the capabilities of private enterprises to effectively link Afghan farmers to domestic and international markets, with the goal of promoting inclusive growth and job creation. The project will improve the wheat, high-value crops, and livestock value chains in the provinces of Badghis, Farah, Herat, and Nimroz.

Afghanistan Value Chains – Livestock (AVC-L) is a 5-year market-oriented program that will operate throughout the country, with regional offices in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar. AVC-L represents USAID’s shift towards private-sector and agriculture-led economic growth by building the capacity of individual livestock-related enterprises to be profitable and competitive. See Attachment J.16 for more information.

Afghanistan Value Chains – High Value Crops (AVC-HVC) is a 5-year market-oriented activity that will operate throughout the country, with regional offices in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar. AVC-HVC represents USAID’s shift towards private-sector and agriculture-led economic growth by building the capacity of individual high value crop related enterprises to be profitable and competitive. See Attachment J.16 for more information.

Promote Women in the Economy (WiE) The activity is empowering educated Afghan women from across the country to gain the skills, voices, and resources to contribute to economic growth, to reduce poverty levels, and to influence workplace policies in response to the needs of women in the economy. WIE works in five regional economic zones across Afghanistan, with offices in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar.

Illustrative list of other donors’ activities[footnoteRef:1]: [1: This is by no means an exhaustive list, but an indication of the activities taking place.]

DFID. Harakat Afghanistan Investment Climate Program http://harakat.af/index GIZ. Sustainable economic development and employment promotion in Afghanistan (SEDEP) https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/30881.html GIZ. Support to technical and vocational education and training in Afghanistan https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/14616.html WB. Women's Economic Empowerment Rural Development Project http://projects.worldbank.org/P164443?lang=en WB AF Rural Enterprise Development Program, http://projects.worldbank.org/P110407/af-rural-enterprise-development-program?lang=en