R -- Economic Policy Reform & Competitiveness

As in many former communist countries in transition, Mongolia is struggling with the enormous challenge of improving performance across a range of areas necessary to expand growth rates, e.g., anti-corruption, tax reform, macro-economic policy, small business development, commercial law, law enforcement, competition and trade policy, enterprise privatization and restructuring, banking reform, and land use administration. While the Government has made significant progress in advancing the reform agenda, such progress tends to reflect only the very early stages of reform. Not only do these advances remain fragile and subject to backtracking, but there is a continuing need for providing the Government with high quality and timely analytical and policy formulation expertise in order to deepen the reform process. USAID/Mongolia intends to implement the Economic Policy Reform and Competitiveness (EPRC), a 5-year program that will support policy changes that cause sustainable economic growth and increase economic resiliency. Its activities will influence Mongolian competitive structure in ways that increase economic efficiency, increase investment opportunities, improve inter- and intra-sector trade efficiency and business efficiency. EPRC activities may address any issue at any appropriate level that is seen to be impeding growth. USAID anticipates awarding a cost reimbursable plus fixed fee contract (CPFF) for the 5-year EPRC program, which may be extended up to 3 years. Detailed information about this solicitation is contained in the RFP that will be available on FedBizOpps on or about February 25, 2003.