Ibrahim Osta is an international economic development expert with experience in international trade and investment promotion, youth entrepreneurship, and tourism development. He has designed, launched, and managed international development projects exceeding $140 million in donor financing with an additional quarter billion dollars in leveraged funds from public, private, and international institutions. Currently based in Washington,…
Many Georgians, especially those living in rural communities, face hunger and poverty. USAID’s New Economic Opportunities (NEO) Initiative tackled this issue by helping individuals living in rural communities and encouraging long-term economic growth in the country. By providing assistance to local governments, businesses, and people in Georgia, NEO successfully raised incomes, reduced poverty levels, and…
Doina Nistor is an enterprise development and competitiveness professional with more than 15 years of relevant consulting, management, and economic development experience. As the chief of party of the USAID Moldova Competitiveness Project, she develops and leads flagship initiatives in the industries of wine, tourism, fashion and manufacturing, information and communications technology and creative services.…
Farrukh Khan is a private sector development leader with over 25 years of experience leading Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development, competitive enhancement, and business enabling environment activities in Pakistan. He holds 19 years of experience in progressive leadership roles including five years as the value chain development component leader on the USAID-funded Pakistan Firms…
The agriculture sector plays a critical role in western Afghanistan, employing 80 percent of the population and contributing to one-third of the country’s gross domestic product. The USAID Regional Agricultural Development Program-West (RADP-W) worked with local partners to promote sustainable agriculture, improve agricultural productivity, and increase food and economic security in the region. RADP-W strengthened…
Jordan’s tourism industry generates more than 14 percent of the country’s annual gross domestic product and is the greatest source of private sector employment in the country. To make the most of this economic opportunity, the USAID Economic Growth Through Sustainable Tourism Project (Siyaha) improved Jordan’s competitiveness as an international tourism destination. Building on the…
Douglas Griffith is the chief of party of the Lebanon Enterprise Development Project. His areas of expertise include enterprise development, industry competitiveness, value-chain strengthening, institutional strengthening, and policy reform. Previously, he was chief of party of the Uganda Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Agriculture Activity, which focused on improving economic governance related to agro-inputs…
Middleman — the very term itself is associated with extra hoops to jump through, farmers being cheated, and limited value being offered to farmers and value chains generally. The idea of cutting out the middleman is frequently thought of as a selling point, casting these intermediaries as the “bad guys” of the value chain, worth…
SMEs account for almost all of Salvadoran businesses, employing more than one-third of the national workforce and generating nearly half of the country’s gross domestic product. USAID’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Program worked with the Ministry of Economy, the private sector, and international cooperation agencies to strengthen the country’s SMEs. To create a more…
Although apparel, information and technology, wine, home furnishings, and fashion industries in Moldova are stable and capable of growing, they have historically lacked the structured support they need to flourish internationally. The USAID Competitiveness Enhancement and Economic Development (CEED) II project partnered with Moldovan enterprises and the government to support export- and investment-driven growth. Targeting…
Micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play a critical role in Georgia’s economy, but without the proper support, they have been unable to realize their full potential. The USAID Zrda activity in Georgia targets MSMEs across the country to help people in rural communities strengthen their skills and productivity and, in turn, contribute to broad-based…
The June 2014 ratification of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union enabled Moldova to expand its trade significantly. Funded by USAID and Sweden, the Moldova Competitiveness Project (MCP) made the most of these economic benefits by improving the quality of Moldovan products and encouraging the country’s…