DUSHANBE
, June 19, Asia-Plus — A roundtable meeting to discuss the results of the implementation of
Tajikistan
’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and prospects of further economic development of
Tajikistan
was held in
Dushanbe
on June 16.
Participants of the meeting staged by the National Social investment Fund of Tajikistan (NSIFT), PRSP Monitoring Department and the Foreign Aid Coordination Unit of the President’s Executive Office included representatives the government, NGOs and international organizations.
The NSIFT head Sherali Zardov inaugurating the meeting stressed that a joint discussion of the PRSP and new documents would allow enhancing the process of participation of the interested sides in working out, implementing and monitoring those documents.
The meeting also discussed a draft PRSP designed for 2007-2009 and the draft National Development Strategy for
Tajikistan
to 2015. The National Development Strategy for
Tajikistan
for 2006-2015 provides an overview of the
Republic
of
Tajikistan
in relation to its long-term development and the directions of action required to realize projected economic reforms. The goal of these reforms is to guarantee a stable high rate of economic growth and thereby reduce poverty levels, with the aim of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Ms. Noziqul Khushvakhtova, an employee with the PRSP Monitoring Department within the President’s Executive Office, telling the meeting pointed to the significance of participation of NGOs in the discussion of the document. “NGOs working directly in the provinces may contribute to defining priorities and main directions of the activity within the framework of the PRSP,” Ms. Khushvakhtova said.
She noted that the new PRSP took into consideration all shortcomings of the previous year and “this document has become a many-aspect suggesting participation of all sections of the population in the work on reduction of poverty in the country.” At the same time, she pointed that “resources spent at the first stage have not provided maximum return because of lack of the single approach and regulated mechanism of management of this process.” “PRSP has not become the main strategic document of the country defining goals and priorities as it was intended primordially,” Ms. Khushvakhtova said.
Thus, more than 2,206 dehqan (peasant) farms have been set up on the basis of 245 large farms in the country. These 2,206 farming units currently account for 66 percent of ploughed fields. However, the problem of debts remains unsolved. Besides, 98,000 inhabitants of the mountain regions have been resettled to the plains and more than 290,000 new jobs have been created in the country for this period. However, many of these jobs have remained to be not in demand because of low wages.
On the results of the meeting, its participants adopted recommendations, which will be taken into consideration on working out the final versions of the documents.
