Senior Expert on Agriculture and Tourism Finance for the Consulting Services for the Albania Agribusiness and Tourism Support Facility (AATSF)

Background:

 

Agriculture is a key economic sector in Albania generating around 20% of GDP (vs. 2% average in the EU) and is the main source of employment in rural areas, counting for about 48% of the employed population (vs. 3% in the EU). The key challenge remains transforming agriculture from a subsistence-oriented production into a modern, commercial and competitive sector.

During recent years, the tourism industry in Albania has emerged as a significant contributor to growth with a direct contribution to total GDP of circa EUR 1 billion or 8.5% in 2018. According to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Albania’s travel and tourism contributed to 27.3% of GDP in 2019 growing by 5.2% compared to the previous year. Investments in tourism for 2017 amounted to EUR 240m or approximately 7.5% of total investments in the country. During the same period, the tourism sector employed circa 286,700 people or 25.2% of total employment in the country.

In this context, the EBRD launched in May 2016 the Albania Agribusiness and Tourism Support Facility (“AATSF” or the “Facility”), envisaged as a comprehensive approach tackling both supply and demand sides: the Facility combines funding and/or risk-sharing support to local financial institutions to increase lending to the agribusiness and tourism sectors on one hand, with support for agribusiness and tourism entities with business advice and know-how on the other.

 

Objectives of the Assignment:

The objectives of the Assignment are:

  1. Visibility and implementation support:
  • Ensure that the widest range of stakeholders is informed about the Facility, its benefits and respective donor contributions and more generally with respect to raising awareness of AATSF implementation and where applicable, energy performance standards, in order to ensure a prompt uptake of the financing and the related benefits. This constitutes the main priority of the Assignment.
  • Support EBRD with monitoring and reporting on implementation and impact of the Facility.
  1. Verification of incentives:
  • Ensure that the use of proceeds of each sub-loan has met the eligibility criteria.
  • Ensure that incentive fees due to sub-borrowers on completion of eligible investments are submitted for release by the EBRD only when a sub-project is validated as compliant with the eligibility criteria and that no recommendation on release of incentive fees will be given where such validation is not possible.
  1. Partner financial institutions (PFI, at least 4) Capacity Building TA:
  • Develop and strengthen PFIs’ capacities for agribusiness and tourism sector, including for financing green technologies.

 

 

 

Qualifications: 

The Senior Expert on Agriculture and Tourism Finance is expected to have:

  • International and/or local professional experience in the Agriculture and Tourism sectors financing e.g., for an investment firm, bank or similar; and
  • Extensive knowledge of the financial market, including from the transactional (debt and equity), but also the regulatory side. 
  • Track record in assisting 4 PFIs with capacity-building and portfolio generation efforts, including verification of eligibility criteria of sub-loans and allocation of proceeds to green technologies

Qualifications:

  • At least 10 years of substantive professional experience in similar roles.
  • Robust working experience in Albania and/or emerging markets.
  • Strong interpersonal skills. 
  • Proven track record in delivering successful consulting engagements.
  • Understanding of EBRD and its areas of focus. 
  • Master’s degree or equivalent studies in economics, banking and finance accounting or in similar field.
  • Proficiency in written and spoken English language.
Start / Duration: 

Two (2) years (estimated)

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