Working Visit of High Level Delegation Led by the Minister of Economy and Finance of Djibouti to IICPSD

IICPSD hosted a high-level delegation led by H.E. Mr. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance in Charge of Industry of Djibouti.

October 13, 2020

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Istanbul, October 9, 10 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) hosted a high-level delegation led by H.E. Mr. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance in Charge of Industry of Djibouti, with Ms. Fatima Al Sheikh, UNDP resident representative in Djibouti, for a strategic partnership on a number of areas, including financial inclusion, agrotechnology, SME development and innovation.

The delegation headed by H.E. Mr. Dawaleh was made up of Ms. Fatima Al Sheikh, UNDP Resident Representative in Djibouti; Ms. Mariam Hamadou Ali, Director of the Macroeconomic Planning Unit at the Ministry of Finance; Ms. Oubah Ahmed Malow, Director of the Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Djibouti; Mr. Aouad Ahmed Mouati, Director of the Credit Guarantee Fund of Djibouti; Mr. Malik Mohamed Garad, Head of Research and External Services Department at the Central Bank of Djibouti and Ms. Deka Moussa Ragueh, Programme Portfolio Manager at UNDP Djibouti.

During the two-day working level meeting, Mr. Sahba Sobhani, Director of IICPSD, delivered insights on how IICPSD can support the Government of Djibouti’s vision to develop inclusion and for the success of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. During his remarks, Mr. Sobhani emphasized the importance of the visit, quoted: “We are honored to host H.E. Mr. Dawaleh and his delegation in Istanbul and very excited to begin collaboration with the government of Djibouti and the UNDP Country Office to work together on the journey to poverty alleviation in Djibouti, through strategic partnerships on financial inclusion, SME development and innovation.”

The Center will provide technical assistance to develop practical solutions that will help improve Impact Investing practices in Djibouti and stimulate the sector to reach its full potential. “Impact Investing", "Financial inclusion and access to entrepreneurship" were at the center of the discussions, which are part of IICPSD’s thematic areas; while innovative financial solutions to help businesses, financial challenges and opportunities in growth sectors were also emphasized.

The meeting continued with contributions from Turkish institutions and the Center’s global initiatives. KOSGEB (Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization), which is the main body responsible for execution of SME policies in Turkey, provided insights on the various support programs designed for SMEs in Turkey and presented the institution’s entrepreneurship support models and experiences.

Mr. Metin Özdemir, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Mr. Osman Akyüz, Secretary General of the Participation Banks Association of Turkey hosted the delegation in their premises and presented the development and current status of Islamic finance in Turkey. In addition, the delegation visited Albaraka Turk Participation Bank, where the General Manager, Mr. Melikşah Utku, extended information on the bank’s financial inclusion strategy for SMEs and digital finance solutions.

The second day of the meetings included a presentation from the Islamic Development Bank on economic empowerment, as well as presentations and discussions on the Center’s focus areas and global initiatives including impact investing, Islamic finance, skills development and inclusive business.

Click on the link for the press coverage from Radio Télévision Djibouti:

https://www.facebook.com/INFOS.DJ/videos/346138150146325/