According to him, products from Kyrgyz sewing companies are in significant demand in Russia, especially among sellers on marketplaces. However, changes in import regulations have posed a real challenge for most of them.
“Last year, the sewing industry faced new challenges due to changes in the conditions for importing goods into Russia, which many companies were not ready for,” noted Jumaliev.
In response to these challenges, training sessions and seminars were organized in collaboration with government agencies, the tax service, certification centers, and representatives of the "Honest Sign" marking system at the Ministry of Economy. Entrepreneurs were provided with information on the procedure for preparing export documents, obtaining certificates of conformity and origin, as well as conducting laboratory tests and product marking.
According to Jumaliev, an operational headquarters was established, which worked for several months and provided daily consultations to sewing companies.
In addition to consulting assistance, financial measures are also in place. State banks are reviewing applications from sewing companies for preferential loans to ensure working capital and refinance existing loans. As part of the cooperation with the Development Bank of the Republic, a pilot project for lending to small and medium-sized businesses at an annual rate of 4% is set to launch.
This year, the "Export Accelerator" project for SMEs is also planned to be implemented. This project will allow companies to receive support in implementing international quality standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 22000, and HACCP. There is also consideration for reimbursement of up to 50% of costs associated with implementing standards, logistics, participation in exhibitions, and conducting laboratory analyses.
“Russia remains one of Kyrgyzstan's key trade and economic partners. In February, more than 20 domestic companies participated in the "Prodexpo" exhibition in Moscow, where 11 of them signed export contracts,” reported Jumaliev.
Additionally, an exhibition platform B2Gether with the participation of Russian buyers is planned to be held in Bishkek in April, and in June, a B2B exhibition in Moscow aimed at promoting Kyrgyz products in the Russian market is scheduled.
