OSCE Centre supports development of "business incubators" in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, 15 November 2005 - Developing business incubators that nurture young firms, helping them to survive and grow during the start-up period when they are most vulnerable, and their role in reducing poverty in Kyrgyzstan, will be the focus of a meeting tomorrow in Bishkek.

The event, organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) and the International Labour Organization, brings together over 60 participants representing governmental structures, international organizations, and businesses.

"Business incubators are dynamic instruments for regional economic development and therefore can help in fighting poverty," said Markus Muller, Head of the OSCE Centre.

"We support a pragmatic discussion of the problems business incubators are currently facing. A realistic analysis of the experience of existing business incubators will help improve the performance of others, especially those in rural areas."

In 2000, GTZ helped set up the first Kyrgyz incubator in Bishkek, and since then, more than 60 incubators have been created throughout the country.

"We want to know how effective they are in fighting unemployment and supporting small companies, and whether they manage to provide good services and are financially sustainable," said Mrs. Ulrike Roesler, Head of the GTZ Office in Bishkek.