About Us

In the Mekong region covering Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam, IFC’s primary vehicle for engagement is MPDF, a private sector development initiative established in 1997 and currently in its third, five-year programming cycle. Our donors are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Finland, IFC, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

What we do

Our advisory strategy is derived from an ongoing analysis of local and regional development needs. Our current strategic plan consists of five focal areas that a decade of ‘on the ground’ experience has indicated will best improve the investment climate and enterprise development. The focal areas are:

• Improving the business enabling environment (BEE): Working with governments, civil society, and private firms to improve conditions for private sector development
• Increasing private sector access to financial services (ATF): Working with financial institutions and regulators to extend their outreach to smaller businesses
• Improving environmental and social sustainability in private firms (ESS): Working with service providers, governments, and NGOs to increase company competitiveness and upgrade labor and environmental standards.
• Increasing value added in specific supply chain linkages (SCL): Working with local governments, investors, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to increase opportunities in potential growth sectors.
• Increasing private sector access to infrastructure (ATI): Working with government and private firms for better infrastructure across the region to facilitate enterprise growth.

These programs are conducive to the three governments’ poverty reduction strategies, the World Bank Group’s programs, and United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

How we do it

To achieve maximum impact, the programs are administered at all levels of economy (micro, meso, and macro), target the various levels of government and agency administration (national, provincial, district, communal), collaborate with other development partners and local stakeholders, and are, when appropriate, implemented and/or replicated across the region. Activities are consistently tailored to suit local challenges and opportunities and changing economic conditions. Work is rigorously monitored and independent evaluators are employed to measure progress and assess effectiveness.

Our extensive regional experience is complemented by IFC’s international expertise and valued World Bank networks. This combination creates a distinct comparative advantage and strengthens our ability to collaborate with governments and other interested partners.

Our work in the Mekong

The ability to blend international best practices with regional and local practicality has become increasingly valuable in the face of the considerable changes that have taken place in the Mekong since IFC MPDF was first established in 1997. All three countries now have both more specific and complex assistance needs that require targeted programming. And while the governments are committed to private sector development and have introduced supportive policies and legislation, there are still significant challenges, especially for the SMEs that make up more than 95% of the private sector. Constraints remain in the business enabling environment, in accessing finance, and in the availability of adequate and low cost infrastructure. Growth may not be sustainable if it does not provide decent work and preserve the environment. These constraints are acute in rural areas, where most of the poor live and work.

So there is still much to be done. We are confident we have the strategy, support, and resources to deliver the results and opportunities that the peoples of the Mekong require in order to continue to improve their lives.