DUSHANBE, January 17, 2014, Asia-Plus — After a seven-year interruption, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) may resume providing concessional loans to Tajikistan starting next year, ADB’s Country Director for Tajikistan, Mr. C.C. Yu, announced at a briefing in Dushanbe on January 16.
“There is a high probability that grants and concessional loans will be provided to Tajikistan in equal volumes starting next year,” ADB’s country director noted.
Since 2008, ADB has provided only grants to Tajikistan. The Bank representatives have noted that the Bank suspended lending to Tajikistan because “they did not want to worsen the country’s external debt situation.”
Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998 and, to date, the institution has approved total assistance of over $1.2 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country. The 15 years of ADB-Tajikistan partnership has promoted social development, restored and built new infrastructure, expanded agricultural production, and encouraged regional cooperation and trade within the framework of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program.
