Draft ESMF and Draft SEP for Georgia: Relief and Recovery for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Project

Draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and draft Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) for Georgia: Relief and Recovery for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Project (World Bank-funded, P173975)

Enterprise Georgia, under the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and the National Bank of Georgia seek to carry out the Relief and Recovery for MSMEs Project, with the financing of the World Bank. The Project will be implemented in compliance with the national legislation and the requirements of the World Bank, including adherence to relevant Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) set forth in the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) of the World Bank.

Environmental and social impacts under the Project are mostly anticipated under Component 1 (EG), which will provide financing for MSME activities. The other project components, including 2.1 on payments infrastructure (NBG), 2.2 on e-Know-Your-Customer and e-KYC registry, 2.3 on secured transaction reform (MOESD), and component 3 on project management will finance primarily technical assistance and other investments that will not have a physical footprint on the environment or local communities and will not be associated with tangible environmental and social impacts. Component 4 will be activated to provide contingency funding under emergency circumstances.

The draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) describes the principles for environmental and social risk management to be followed under the project, as well as the specific screening, mitigation, monitoring and reporting arrangements. The ESMF specifies the roles and responsibilities of all actors to be involved in the project, including commercial banks, leasing and microfinance organizations, which may be willing participate in the Project as Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs), partner organizations of Enterprise Georgia, MSMEs and their contractors that may benefit from the Project. The ESMF will be used to identify appropriate methods and tools for assessing and managing environmental and social risks and expected impacts of the Project. 

The draft Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), is developed in accordance with the World Bank ESF. The objective of the SEP is to effectively engage with all stakeholders who have an interest in or may be affected by the project. The SEP outlines the target groups and methods of stakeholder engagement, throughout the life of the Project as well as the project’s grievance mechanisms.

The current disclosure aims to solicit feedback (verbal and/or written) from stakeholders on the presented ESMF and SEP. Comments received through the public consultation process will be incorporated into the final revision of the ESMF and SEP, as relevant. A Georgian version of the ESMF will also become available soon.

The final ESMF and SEP will be re-disclosed on the World Bank and Enterprise Georgia websites.  If need be, the ESMF and SEP can be revised at any stage during the Project, subject to agreement between Enterprise Georgia and the World Bank.

Click here to gain access to the Draft ESMF.

Click here to gain access to the draft SEP document.

Virtual public consultation information session(s) will be held on March 30 at 17:00, via Zoom: https://enterprisegeorgia-gov-ge.zoom.us/j/94636460275

For inputs to the draft ESMF and draft SEP, please submit your comments at info@enterprise.gov.ge or info@nbg.gov.ge no later than April 2, 2021.

For other feedback or queries any time during project preparation and implementation you may contact: