Bishkek – June 17, 2021 – In the Great Hall of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, a round table conference was held on the topic "Opportunities and Barriers to the Development of Electric Transport in Kyrgyzstan", organized by the Institute for Economic Policy Research under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, with financial support from UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Within the framework of the event, the results of the study of the opportunities and barriers of the electric vehicle market in Kyrgyzstan were discussed with the participation of the First Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic Imanaliev Daniyar Sharshenbekovich, Director of the Institute for Economic Policy Research Isanov Almaz Nasirdinovich, and "UNDP Climate Promise" project coordinator Baktygul Ysabekova.

The First Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, Daniyar Imanaliev, in his welcoming speech, said that “We have developed a green economy program. We have developed an action plan for this program, and one of the key directions is the development of low-carbon green transport. In addition, today our country is updating NDC, and within the framework of this document, an assessment of the number of emissions was carried out depending on the sectors of the economy. It should be noted that in the energy sector, the highest share of emissions comes from transport.”

In turn, the “UNDP Climate Promise” project coordinator Baktygul Ysabekova stressed that “In many countries, UNDP is supporting the development of climate commitments for the next 5 years, such as NDCs. We are pleased to announce that the results of this study have been taken into account in the NDC, where one of the mitigation measures is the introduction of electromobility."

Currently, the development of the electric transport sector is one of the priority areas of the government's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In Kyrgyzstan today, the main driving forces behind increasing emissions are the quantity and quality of vehicles. According to research, vehicles in the Kyrgyz Republic, on average, emit more than 107.88 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year. Most public vehicles in the country are well out of service and need replacement. Public buses and minibusses mostly run on diesel fuel, while diesel engines generally meet only Euro IV or lower standards.

The introduction of electric vehicles is a feasible solution to reduce emissions. However, there are a number of problems and barriers, which include the high cost of the car compared to conventional cars with internal combustion engines, lack of charging infrastructure, obtaining technical conditions for connecting charging stations, general lack of awareness among the population, as well as lack of state support for this sector.

According to the State Registration Service, as of January 1, 2021, a total of 100 electric vehicles were registered in Kyrgyzstan. The transition to electric transport requires a serious systemic step, the development of infrastructure, the installation of charging stations, and raising awareness among the population.

During a round table conference between the public sector, the business community, donors, experts, and banks, a review of the results of studies on the opportunities and barriers of the electric vehicle market in Kyrgyzstan, existing barriers, solutions, and recommendations for accelerating the introduction of electric transport was carried out.

The Institute for Economic Policy Research director Almaz Isanov noted that Kyrgyzstan can receive funding from such organizations as the Global Environment Facility, the Global Green Growth Institute, the UN Green Climate Fund, the ADB Climate Change Fund, UNIDO, the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative, the European Commission and EU programs. He also noted that “The inability to drive long distances in an electric car, the lack of charging stations, the high cost are the main barriers to the use of electric vehicles. However, there are mechanisms to reduce such barriers. The state can play the role of an accelerator.”

During the discussion, business structures presented their projects in the electric transport industry in the Kyrgyz Republic and the ways to promote them, opportunities for project financing, the economic sustainability of charging infrastructure, and the involvement of the Kyrgyz Republic financial sector in improving green financing opportunities were discussed. The results of the study were summed up, further plans and project proposals for the development of electric transport in Kyrgyzstan were discussed.