Project: Foreign Direct Investment Promotion in Kosovo

November 2006 - November 2009
Project Website: www.ipak-vienna.org

Summary
Within this project proposed by ECIKS and financed by ADA, ECIKS represents the Investment promotion Agency of Kosovo (IPAK) in the German-speaking countries.

Description
Due to its unresolved political status, Kosovo has in previous years attracted a low amount of foreign direct investments (FDI). International aid provided since 1999 has to some extent enabled the reconstruction, but has unfortunately failed to create sustainable economic development. The most important issues for the coming years in Kosovo will be country’s economic growth and the fight against poverty and unemployment.

FDI are the most efficient tool to create new jobs in Kosovo and to pave the way for a sustainable economic development in the future. Hence, the main goal of this project is to reduce the poverty and to contribute to economic development by actively stimulating and facilitating the FDI. The Economic Initiative for Kosova – ECIKS, who is implementing this project, is achieving this through a pro-active identification of potential investors in the German-Speaking countries and directly stimulating them to invest in Kosovo by providing all relevant information and assistance. To ensure a wide institutional support, ECIKS is acting within this project as a branch office for the German-Speaking Countries of the Investment Promotion Agency of Kosovo (IPAK).

The project is foreseen to last 3 years with the possibility of extension for additional 3 years. It is financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and supported by:

Ministry of Trade and Industry of Kosovo
ADA – Business Partnerships
Raiffeisen International & Raiffeisen Kosovo
Wirtschaftskammer Österreich
MIGA / IIWB (World Bank)
Vienna Economic Forum
Institut für Donauraum und Mitteleuropa
Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo
Kosovo Trust Agency

ECIKS strongly believes that foreign investments, as a trigger for economic development, will bring employment, new businesses and will promote the transfer of new technological and managerial know-how to Kosovo. In the long run, they will contribute to the sustainable economic growth of Kosovo and make it a huge winner.

Kosovo has great potential to become a favoured destination for FDI and to attract capital, information and technology. The Vienna Office of the Investment Promotion Agency of Kosovo, which is implemented by ECIKS, is committed to give its contribution towards attracting FDI for Kosovo.

Developing National FDI Strategy of Kosovo

October 2008 - Ongoing

Within this project ECIKS is coordinating activities with FIAS / World Bank
and Kosovo Government and is contributing with its inputs to the first
national FDI strategy.

In order to take a more structured and potential based approach in promoting and facilitating FDI, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has requested from the World Bank assistance in producing the national FDI strategy. The project implementation has started in October 2008 and will include all the relevant governmental and private sector institutions in the drafting process.

Study: Investor Perceptions

December 2008 - Ongoing

ECIKS is contributing to this FIAS / IIWB study with research, field
research and drafting.

The aim of this project is to conduct an investor perception survey,
outlining in this way the main barriers and reasons for investing in Kosovo.
The results of the study will help Kosovo decision makers to asses policy
reform needed for successful attraction of FDI. This project has started in
December 2008, while the full report should be available in May 2009.

Business Plan for setting up an Investment Fund in Kosovo

March 2009 - Ongoing

Within this project ECIKS is carrying out a market research for the “Kommunalkredit Public Consulting” – KPC.

The aim of this project is to analyze the developments and the legal aspects of financial markets of Albania, FRY Macedonia and Kosovo by emphasizing the following topics: the structure of financial sector; the corporate governance rules; the access to finance of small and medium-sized companies; the regulations on banks, fund and the supervisory authorities. The results of this research will be incorporated into the Business Plan for Investment Fund coordinated by the KPC.

Study: potential of economic sectors and enterprises in Kosovo

October - December 2005
Download the study online (PDF document)

Summary
Within this project, ECIKS has conducted a study about the potential of economic sectors and enterprises in Kosovo. The project was financed by ADA (Study in German available at the publications section of the website)

Description
Within the framework of the project "Economy and Development”, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) in coordination with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to strengthen the economic development in partner countries and to include more Austrian potential there. In order to support different projects in these countries, two instruments were created: “Business Partnerships” (business to business projects) and “Development Partnerships” (public-private cooperations).

In the country program Kosovo, the Austrian Government pays a special attention to the creation of new jobs and to the strengthening of the local production. The instrument of Business Partnerships aims at integrating Kosovar enterprises into national, regional and international value added chains.

In order to successfully realize the concept of business partnerships in Kosovo, exact knowledge of the local enterprises is needed. Through this study financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the Economic Initiative for Kosovo (ECIKS) will analyze the enterprise structures in Kosovo and potentials of different sectors of economy.