The Pink Book and MDB projects in Uzbekistan

For most major infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan, the money comes from multilateral development banks (MDBs): the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the EBRD, the Islamic Development Bank. And with the money comes a contract form — the Pink Book.

What the Pink Book is

The Pink Book is the MDB Harmonised Construction Contract, a version of the Red Book harmonised with the multilateral development banks. In essence it is the familiar Red Book structure — the Employer designs, payment by re-measurement, the contract administered by an Engineer — but adapted to the banks’ requirements.

That is why, for a specialist working with Uzbek infrastructure, the Pink Book matters more than any other book in the suite: you will meet it most often.

How the Pink Book differs from the ordinary Red Book

The main differences relate to the banks’ requirements for transparency and control:

• Anti-corruption provisions and integrity rules.
• Right to audit and inspect by the bank — access to documents and the site.
• Alignment with the bank’s procurement rules.
• Specifics around the source of financing and payments.

On top of this, there are almost always Particular Conditions for the specific project and bank. That is where the specifics hide — and exactly what you must read most carefully.

The FIDIC base text gives the framework. The real rules of the game on a specific project usually live in the Particular Conditions.

What to look at in an MDB tender

1. Which edition and which bank. The Pink Book exists in several versions; a bank may reference its own.
2. Particular Conditions Part B. This is where the base text is amended for the project. Check every change against the General Conditions.
3. The bank’s procurement procedures. They affect qualification, evaluation and award.
4. Currency and payment mechanism. The source of financing determines the order and currency of payments.
5. Reporting and audit requirements. Underestimating these causes problems during execution.

Why this matters for the region

Central Asia is a region of active MDB-financed infrastructure construction: roads, water supply, energy, irrigation. The ability to work competently with the Pink Book and the banks’ Particular Conditions directly affects the success of projects and the standing of participants — employers, engineers and contractors.

If you are preparing a tender or supporting a project financed by a development bank and want to go through specific Particular Conditions, request a consultation or explore the interactive FIDIC suite to see where the Pink Book sits in the overall picture.