News

Joint Annual Review—Eight Years of the Implementation of the National Health Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan 2010–20

Jan-Peter Olters, World Bank Country Manager

Chair of the Development Coordination Council

Health is often taken for granted by those fortunate enough not to be sick or injured, but it becomes the most precious good once a family member or oneself become a patient and fully dependent on the knowledge and skills of doctors and health experts and the medical infrastructure within which they work. While a value in itself, health has important effects on decisions people make and, ultimately, on economic performance, both directly and indirectly, whether they relate to frequent or prolonged sick leaves, reduced productivity, and/or the lack of focus on the work at hand.

Most critically, ill health and poor nutrition among young children have permanently detrimental impacts on cognitive skills and, ultimately, professional perspectives. For low-income families, the high seasonality of food prices increases their vulnerability to malnutrition and stunting. In the currently fast-changing world, which values increasingly cognitive skills, malnutrition and stunting will cement inequalities of opportunity and constrain a country’s socio-economic development potential. Read More

European Union in partnership with the Executive Office of the Sughd Oblast
Promoting the Modernisation of the Fruits and Vegetables Value-Chains in Tajikistan

Sughd Oblast, 30–31 October 2018

“Support Strategies of International Donors to the Modernisation of Tajik Agriculture,
with a Focus on the Fruits and Vegetables Value Chains”

Jan-Peter Olters, World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan
Chair, Development Coordination Council

Today’s potential of increasing agri-food exports is only dwarfed by tomorrow’s opportunities in the large markets of Central, East, and South Asia and beyond. High rates of population growth in Tajikistan and neighbouring countries, rising levels of income in countries of destination, accelerated trends towards urbanisation, changes in consumer preferences (with an increased premium being paid on the quality of food products), and distinctly different markets for specialised products in Tajikistan and Central Asia, in China, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the Gulf countries, and in Russia support the prospects for very dynamic agriculture and agribusiness sectors. Undoubtedly, the demand for food—especially organically grown fruits and vegetables—will grow dramatically over the next few years and decades. At present, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are investing massively to create markets for horticulture, livestock, and other niche products, spanning production, processing, transport, and export. The mere size of, and enormous demand from, hundreds of millions of potential customers allows Tajikistan (now with “in principle” access to neighbouring markets) to tap into this potential and, in so doing, have agribusiness play a central role in reviving the modernised “Silk Road”. Flourishing trade can, should, and (I am sure) will serve as powerful tractor to pull Tajikistan’s economy onto the path of investment, innovation, and rising and more secure incomes. To succeed, the country has all the most important ingredients—abundant water, a great climate, and a geographical location in the direct vicinity of about one-third of the world’s population. Everything else becomes a political and technical challenge that the private sector can resolve with the support of a Government that is playing its role of providing an attractive business climate with properly functioning institutions to facilitate processing, transport, and trade. Read More

Press Release, 3 July 2018

Development Partners See Key Role for the Private Sector in Advancing Tajikistan’s Development Priorities

Dushanbe, 3 July 2018. The private sector will have to play a key role in ongoing efforts to set Tajikistan’s economy onto a transformational “innovative-industrial” track that fosters investments, innovation, and exports, necessitating important reforms to modernise Tajikistan’s economy and strengthen its business climate. Favourable external developments (such as the opening of large markets in Tajikistan’s immediate neighbourhood), paired with strategic decisions taken to invest into an export-oriented energy sector, have created a unique window of opportunity to transform Tajikistan’s economy and create conditions for increased employment and higher wages.

The members of the Development Coordination Council (DCC) expressed their support to this socio-economic transformation agenda, formulated along the lines of the National Development Strategy up to 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals. With this message, the development partners shared their vision at the 2018 meeting of the National Development Council and Development Forum, chaired by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon. Read More

Moscow, 11 July 2016. Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), as the Resources Manager of the Eurasian Fund for Stabilisation and Development (EFSD), announced the first competition for EFSD grants for the member states’ projects in the social sphere. Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are invited to take part in the competition.

Grants will be provided to finance projects in education, healthcare, public governance, and social support and protection, including food security. 

The total amount made available by the EFSD for grants in the first competition approximates US $10 million. The amount of finance provided per project will be in the range between US $0.5 million to US $2 million for projects with an implementation period up to 1.5 years, and between US $2 million and US $5 million for projects with an implementation period of 1.5 years and more. The deadline for applications is 30 September 2016 (inclusively).

Artak Azizyan, Head of Project Support and Planning at the EFSD, comments that, “The Resources Manager views the ‘grant window’ as an important catalyst for development. In this context, EFSD funds will allow financing initiatives to improve living standards in the Fund’s member states by solving important social problems.”

Detailed information about the competition is available online.

Additional Information:

Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is an international financial institution founded by Russia and Kazakhstan in January 2006 with the mission to facilitate the development of market economies, sustainable economic growth, and the expansion of mutual trade and other economic ties in its member states. EDB’s charter capital totals US $7 billion. The member states of the Bank are the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan.

Read more at http://eabr.org/

Additional Information:

The Eurasian Fund for Stabilisation and Development (EFSD) amounting to US$8.513 billion was formed as the EurAsEC Anti-Crisis Fund on 9 June 2009 by the governments of six countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The objectives of the EFSD are to assist its member countries in overcoming the consequences of the global financial crisis, ensure their economic and financial stability, and foster integration processes in the region. The EFSD member countries signed the Fund Management Agreement with Eurasian Development Bank giving it the role of the EFSD Resources Manager.

Read more at http://efsd.eabr.org/e/

EDB Media Centre:

+7 (727) 244 05 45 ext. 6147 (Almaty)

+7 (495) 645 04 45 ext. 2724 (Moscow)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.”>pressa@eabr.org

Dushanbe, June 21, 2016 Tajikistan should continue its efforts to improve its socio-economic development, diversification and competitiveness over the next 15 years, and development partners stand ready to support these efforts – the Development Coordination Council (DCC), announced today at the 2016 meeting of the National Development Council  chaired by the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon.

The National Development Council meeting marked the end of the implementation of the National Development Strategy 2015 and the Tajikistan Living Standards Improvement Strategy (LSIS) 2013-2015 and the start of the new National Development Strategy 2016-2030 and the Medium-term Development Strategy 2016-2020.  

Members of the DCC, consisting of 27 multilateral, bilateral, and UN based organizations commended the Government of Tajikistan for aligning its National Development Strategy to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These includes equal access for girls and boys to quality education, taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, and promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

The DCC appreciated the Government’s efforts towards achieving the country’s strategic priorities, namely improving energy supply and transport connectivity, ensuring food security, improving public administration, developing the private sector and developing human resources. However, they also emphasized that challenges remain, in particular the creation of sustainable jobs for its growing population, the remaining winter energy deficits, the impacts of climate change, as well as improved nutrition and education for its young population.

The development partners reaffirmed their commitment to support Tajikistan to achieve its development goals and priorities to be reflected in the next Medium-term Development Strategy 2016-2020.

DUSHANBE, February 8, 2016 – The results of the high frequency survey Listening to Tajikistan covering the period of September to November 2015 were published today on the World Bank Tajikistan website. The survey aimed at measuring the impact of the economic slowdown in 2015 on households in Tajikistan was initiated by the World Bank in May 2015, with the opening of the high season for many workers from Tajikistan working abroad. The Listening to Tajikistan survey collects household data to analyze migration and remittances, income and employment, deprivation and subjective wellbeing, and quality of and access to electricity and water services. It tracks the wellbeing and deprivations of a nationally representative random sample of 800 households in Tajikistan.

Detailed results of from Listening to Tajikistan survey are available on the website: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/tajikistan/brief/listening2tajikistan

DUSHANBE, January 20, 2016 – Sean O’Sullivan, Director General of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Central and West Asia Department, concluded yesterday a two-day visit to Tajikistan, during which he met with Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda and other senior government officialsto discuss the country’s development priorities and current economic situation, ADB’s assistance program, and reaffirm ADB’s continued support for national development.

“ADB recognizes the current difficulties faced by Tajikistan and is doing is best to help the country overcome them,” Mr. O’Sullivan said. “There is an urgent need for deepening reforms to improve Tajikistan’s economic efficiency, diversification, and competitiveness, andADB stands ready to support such reforms.”

Mr. O’Sullivan is responsible for ADB operations in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

For more details, please follow the link: http://www.adb.org/news/adb-ready-support-deeper-economic-reforms-tajikistan

DUSHANBE, February 10, 2015 Tajikistan should aim to improve its economic diversification and competitivenessover the next 15 years and the development partners will continue their support ─ the Development Coordination Council (DCC), announced today at the 2015 meeting of the National Development Council  and Development Forum chaired by the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon and Prime Minister, Kohir Rasulzoda accordingly.

The National Development Council meeting marked the end of implementation of the National Development Strategy 2015 and the Tajikistan Living Standards Improvement Strategy (LSIS) 2013-2015.

Members of the DCC, consisting of 30 multilateral, bilateral, and UN based organizations, commended the Government’s efforts towards achieving country’s strategic priorities, namely improving energy supply and transport connectivity, ensuring food security, improving public administration, developing the private sector and developing human resources. They also discussed the remaining challenges related to welfare improvement and poverty reduction, particularly in the rural areas.

Looking forward, the development partners reaffirmed their commitment to support Tajikistan to achieve its development goals and priorities to be reflected in the next National Development Strategy (2016-2030). The new strategy will reflect the theme of improving Tajikistan’s economic efficiency, diversification and competitiveness. Joint development of the strategy will result in more effective development assistance through closer collaboration between international development partner organizations and Government of Tajikistan in the coming years.

For further information, please contact:

Nargis Esufbekova

Head of Secretariat

Development Coordination Council Tajikistan

+992-37-2210558

nesufbekova.dccs@untj.org

Note on Development Coordination Council (DCC):

External assistance continues to play a significant role in the development of Tajikistan, which will require significant inputs from development partners to pursue its poverty reduction and economic development, and continue reforms and capacity-building. Development partners remain committed to work with the Government of Tajikistan (GoT) to support priorities expressed in the National Development Strategy, 2008-15 (NDS) and Tajikistan’s Living Standards Improvement Strategy, 2013-2015. In addition, they have committed to improving aid effectiveness, in accordance with the Paris Declaration, Accra Agenda and the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

With an overall objective to strengthen aid effectiveness in Tajikistan, the Development Coordination Council (DCC) was established to facilitate information exchange and collaboration within the development community, as well as foster dialogue on shared priorities with the Government of Tajikistan. The DCC functions as development partners’ coordination mechanism with the GoT in support of the National Development Strategy 2008-15 and the Living Standards Improvement Strategy 2013-2015.

The Chair of the DCC serves as the spokesperson for development partners at formal meetings with the government and is the official point of contact on general coordination matters. The heads (or in their absence, deputies) of 30 bilateral, multilateral and UN agencies comprise the Council.

Since 2010, the DCC has intensified efforts to improve donor coordination and interaction with the government, working closely with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) and the State Committee on Investments and State Property Management (SCISPM).

Detailed results of from Listening to Tajikistan survey are available on the website: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/tajikistan/brief/listening2tajikistan

The European External Action Service Head of Central Asian Divisions Mr. Toivo Klaar is on official visit to Tajikistan for 02-05 February 2015. This is the first visit of Mr. Klaar since his appointment in his current position since mid-December 2014.

Toivo Klaar met Mr. Said, First Deputy Prime-Minister; H.E. Aslov, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Zuhurov, Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament; H.E. Kurbanov, Minister of Finance; Mr. Nazriev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade; Mr Nazarzoda, Head of Drug Control Agency; Mr. Rahmonali, Commander of Tajik Border Troops. Mr. Klaar had also met the representatives of civil society in the country.

During his meetings Toivo Klaar discussed the EU-Tajikistan bilateral and multilateral cooperation for 2014-2020, security issues, including the impact of developments in Afghanistan on Central Asia, economic relations, and water, hydropower and energy issues.

Mr. Klaar confirmed the EU’s continuing support to Tajikistan in its reform process and efforts to improve social-economic conditions for the population. He recalled the importance the EU attaches to rule of law, governance, fight against corruption. He also highlighted the need to enhance regional cooperation especially due to ongoing environmental and energy problems.