IFC-MPDF is a multi-donor funded initiative set up by the International Finance Corporation in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR, to reduce poverty through sustainable private sector development. We work through six interrelated programs that seek to improve the business environment; develop the financial sector; improve managerial capacity; and increase sustainable business practices in three sectors that are central to economic growth and poverty reduction – tourism, agribusiness, and garments.
Our donors are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Finland, IFC, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The three countries covered by IFC-MPDF all share common challenges in developing their economies. All have large rural populations, many living in poverty, and tens of thousands of young people reach working age every year, often with no jobs to employ them. All three countries experienced decades of war and isolation that held back social and economic development, and they are still making the transition to market economies. Small and medium sized companies comprise some 90 percent of the private sector in Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR, and while governments are strongly committed to private enterprise, cumbersome regulations and unofficial fees still hamper private sector success.
To achieve maximum impact, IFC-MPDF promotes small and medium enterprise development at the macro, meso and micro levels of the economy, and achieves economies of scale by implementing programs across three countries. Activities are tailored to suit local challenges and opportunities, and to respond to changing economic conditions.
IFC-MPDF plans and often implements programs in collaboration with government, business associations and other stakeholders. To ensure maximum effectiveness, we rigorously monitor and adjust our work as needed, and employ independent evaluators to measure impact. We are strongly committed to promoting sustainable business practices and draw on IFC’s worldwide network of technical experts in this and other areas. After nearly ten years in the region, we have a team of highly experienced and largely local staff and a wealth of knowledge, experience and contacts to share.
