Within the framework of the strategy aimed at improving the business environment in Central Asia, implemented through the CIPE, a meeting of the Working Group on the priority: “Fiscal Policy and Access to Finance” of the National Business Agenda took place. The event, held on December 20, 2023, brought together representatives of the business community, government officials and expert community.

During the meeting, a presentation of the National Business Agenda in the field of “Fiscal Policy and Access to Finance” was conducted. Participants discussed and approved the further advocacy plan of the Working Group, addressing the following issues:

• Insufficient number of bilateral agreements on double taxation avoidance between the Kyrgyz Republic and other countries.
• High banking commissions for transactions in dollars and euros putting significant pressure on domestic businesses.
• Lack of an agreement on the exchange of credit information among Central Asian countries.

The IBECA program for improving the business environment in Central Asian countries has initiated the preparation of a regional platform for the B5+1 business dialogue (Business Community of Central Asian countries and the United States). This platform will operate in parallel with the diplomatic platform C5+1 and will be dedicated to strengthening economic ties and attracting international investments to Central Asian countries. The scheduled event is planned for March 14–15, 2024, in Almaty, Kazakhstan.