Location, size and activities

In-depth interviews were carries out with 30 traders, who represented small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from across the country and were actively engaged in production and trade activities.

Around 67 per cent of the enterprises were located in the capital city of Bishkek. The remaining were located in the regions of Chui in the northern part of the country (with a  10 percent share of the surveyed enterprises), Osh in the southern part (with a 10 per cent share) and the Issyk Kul province in the eastern part of the country.

Exports and target markets

The surveyed enterprises exported 30 products, with food products constituting the largest category (measured in terms of the number of products). Clothing and apparel constitute the second largest export category, followed by non-metallic products

Kazakhstan constitutes the main outlet for the enterprises’ exports, followed by the Russian Federation. This is consistent with Kyrgyzstan’s overall trade pattern, which is characterized by the geographical concentration of exports and the limited importance of countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States region.

Download : Product and target market list

Supply sources

The enterprises had a less diversified list of suppliers, with Germany and Italy accounting for 27 percent of total imports, followed by the Romania, the Russian Federation and Ukraine

Transport modes

Over 66 percent of the surveyed enterprises were small, employing less than 50 persons. The remaining were dominated by medium enterprises, employing between 51 and 200 persons. Only one enterprise was large, employing over 200 persons. Moreover, just like the broader population of Kyrgyz enterprises belonging to this category, most of the small enterprises employ less than 20 persons (Figure Breakdown of the Surveyed Enterprises, by Size (Kyrgyzstan)).

Around 43 per cent of the surveyed enterprises were engaged in manufacturing activities, particularly in the food industry, mirroring the country-wide sectoral distribution of enterprises. Enterprises engaged in the manufacturing of apparel and clothing accessories constituted the second largest segment, followed by manufacturers of machinery and transport equipment (Figure Breakdown of Producing Enterprises, by Sector (Kyrgyzstan)).