WB continues to support reforms in Tajik provinces
By Sara Rajabova
A World Bank official has voiced the organizations’ commitment toward continuing supporting Tajikistan’s private sector reforms for job creation, while also focusing on better public and social services for the population.
Patricia Veevers-Carter, World Bank country manager for Tajikistan recently visited the northern Sughd Oblast of the country to discuss with local authorities and beneficiaries the progress of the World Bank financed projects in agriculture, health, education, social protection, transportation and private sector development.
She met with officials of the Sughd Oblast to discuss the social and economic development of the region and the impacts Russia’s economic slowdown had on the Oblast’s residents, The Times of Central Asia reported.
The weak state of the Russian economy, associated with the series sanctions which were slammed on Moscow over Ukraine crisis have significantly affected Tajikistan since it heavily depends on the remittances from Russia. The Asian Development Bank in its recent report forecasted that Russia’s economic slump will further slow export and remittances to Tajikistan, lowering the economic growth in the country.
Veevers-Carter also visited the World Bank-supported projects in other districts of the Sughd Oblast.
World Bank is supporting the Tajik government in expanding the pilot to almost 300 additional primary health care facilities in Sughd and Khatlon Oblasts, which are the project’s target regions.
Another key reform supported by World Bank and successfully piloted in Istravshan district is Targeted Social Assistance, which aims to provide a consolidated social assistance benefit to the poorest 20 percent of the population through better targeting.
In Konibodom and Bobojon Gafurov districts, Veevers-Carter met with farmers, who benefited from much needed water for their land through better irrigation and drainage infrastructure as part of the World Bank financed Ferghana Valley Water Resource Management Project, a grant of $24.17 million. The project improved irrigation for 7,349 hectares of land, benefiting 2,134 farming households in the two districts through the rehabilitation of pumps, wells and drainage infrastructures, cleaning of canals and improvement of embankments.
In Konibodom, Veevers-Carter also visited areas to be rehabilitated as part of the World Bank financed second phase of the Central Asia Road Links Program. This $45 million equivalent project will help increase transport connectivity between Tajikistan and neighboring countries along key cross-border road links in Sughd Oblast, and thus connect people and firms, markets and opportunities, regionally.
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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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