As part of its mandate as lead institution of the 4-year EU-funded Switch Asia project on promoting sustainable cleaner development via the creation of an Asian Cleantech MSME Financing Network (ACMFN), ADFIAP, through its ADFIAP Consulting (AC) Group, conducted a project review on August 22-23, 2017 in Bandung, Indonesia with its partner there, PUPUK or Perkumpulan Untuk Peningkatan Usaha Kecil. Indonesia is one of the focal country-beneficiaries of the ACMFN project.
PUPUK, also known as the Association for Advancement of Small Business, is the National Focal Point (NFP) in Indonesia which serves as the project’s primary interface to achieve ACMFN’s objectives in the country.
ACMFN is a 3-country project which aims to build and leverage a cleantech financing eco-system to provide improved access to finance for Asian cleantech MSMEs in order to enhance sustainable consumption and production patterns in Asia. Aside from Indonesia, the other country-beneficiaries are China and India. Cleantech refers to products, services and processes that reduce or eliminate negative ecological inputs, improve the productive and responsible use of natural resources, and provide superior performance at lower cost.
The purpose of the project review mission was to monitor the progress of the performance of PUPUK vis-à-vis its target deliverables. An in-depth assessment of implementation issues such as opportunities that can be tapped as well as barriers or challenges facing the project and possible solutions thereto were discussed with the end of ensuring that project objectives are efficiently and effectively achieved. Discussion of plans and strategies on how the project can be more relevant and sustainable were likewise deliberated upon.
Results of the project review showed that target deliverables were achieved for the first 1-½ years with the need to further intensify visibility actions and cooperation from financial institutions to fast track financing in the remaining years of the project. PUPUK is well-positioned as an NFP for the project considering the strength of its project team and its strong tie-ups with the MSME sector, as well as with various communities including special groups (women and indigenous groups). This competitive advantage enhances the project’s relevance and responsiveness to the needs of the target beneficiaries.
The AC mission team consisted of Indonesia country project managers, Ms. Carmelita Chavez, Head, Product Development and Research and Ms. Cecilia M. Ibarra, Head, Advocacy and Training. The PUPUK team was composed of Ms. Early Rahmawati, Deputy Secretary, Mr. Cecep Kodir Jaelani, Executive Director, Mr. Krisanto Budi, Project Manager, and Ms.Rini Sudaryani, Project Manager.
For more information on the ACMFN project, please visit its website at https://www.acmfn.com or email [email protected].