KHOROG, January 14, Asia-Plus — In 2007, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) provided more than $23 million through a number of programs to support development of various branches of Tajikistan’s economy, Yodgor Fayzov, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
According to him, most projects were carried out through the AKF’s Mountain Societies Development Support Program (MSDSP).
“In 16 regions of the country, 56 schools as well as a number of first-aid posts, outpatient clinics and bridges were built and renovated with participation of local communities,” Mr. Fayzov said.
More than 10,000 farmers have got benefit from the AKF programs implemented in the agrarian sector, the CEO said.
“Health Program has completed work in Gorno Badakhshan and launched jointly with the Ministry of Heath (MoH) a number of projects in four districts of the Khatlon province,” said Fayzov, “$1.2 million are expected to go to supporting implementation of these projects”
Mr. Fayzov noted that education remained of one of priorities of cooperation between the AKDN and the Government of Tajikistan. “More than $800,000 are expected to be spent for implementation of projects aimed at introducing new education methods and involving the public into tackling problems facing schools in the country,” said Fayzov, “A special attention will be paid to encouraging school students to study exact sciences and modern professions”
Besides, the AKDN last year launched a number of large projects in Tajikistan such as construction of a five-star Serena Hotel in Dushanbe and a campus of the University of Central Asia (UCA) in Khorog.
AKDN also implements projects aimed at facilitating expansion and strengthening of foreign economic relations of Tajikistan. “This year, we intend to build another bridge across the Panj River in Gorno Badakhshan that will be the forth of a series of bridges in the region to consolidate permanent overland link between Tajikistan and Afghanistan,” Fayzov said.
He added that general strategy of activity of AKDN in Tajikistan would also change in the future. “We will act not as helpers in tackling problems but as partners of local authorities,” said Fayzov, “In this connection, we intend to implement a new project the main objective of which will be to promote development of local government reform and increasing powers of local authorities.”
“Earlier, 90 percent of the implemented projects had been funded by AKDN and share of communities and local governments had been only 10 percent, while over the past several years, the share of local governments and communities has increased to up to 60 percent,” Fayzov stressed.
