The draft medium-term development program of Tajikistan designed for 2021-2025 was discussed at a roundtable in Dushanbe on March 18.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), representatives of relevant ministries and agencies, development partners and experts as well as representatives of civil society participated in the discussion.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade Zavqi Zavqizoda noted that they had taken into account proposals and recommendations of the interested parties while developing the draft program.
According to him, the program provides for taking 765 measures to achieve strategic goals in the medium term using all available resources and opportunities.
It was noted that more than 115 billion somonis (equivalent to some US$10.2 billion) are needed for implementation of this program. It is expected that 51 billion somonis of budget funds will be allocated for these purposes.
Besides, the authorities expect to attract funds from development partners (35 billion somonis) and private sector (29 billion somonis)
Representatives of development partners expressed readiness to finance the program, according to the MoEDT press center.
The program is the second phase of the National Development Strategy 2016–2030 (Strategy) and it is planned for rapid growth of investments; while the third phase (2026–2030) is projected to mark the transition from industrialized growth strategies to diversified production and knowledge-based innovation.
Meanwhile, the previous medium-term development program designed for 2016-2020, which is the first phase of the Strategy, set out a strategic plan of transition to a model of economic growth. The implementation of this program was reportedly based on a balance between the economic, social and environmental components of sustainable development, based on national and social security, democratic and effective governance, the rule of law and human rights, sustainable and equitable economic development, viability and environmental sustainability.
The implementation of the country’s medium-term development program for 2016-2020 reportedly resulted in GDP volume increasing 1.6 times, poverty rate reducing from 31.3% to 26.3%, the population incomes increasing 1.9 times, the share of exports in the country’s foreign trade turnover increasing from 20% to 26%, and Tajikistan's position in World bank’s annual report Doing Business improved by 59 points.
