DUSHANBE, July 22, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will support development of the private sector in Tajikistan.
This issue was discussed here on July 20 at a meeting of Chairman of Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Sharif Said with Mr. Makoto Ojiro, ADB”s Country Director for Tajikistan, according to the CCI press service.
The meeting participants discussed the present state of the private sector in the country and a number of issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and the ADB.
Mr. Ojiro, in particular, focused attention on investment support to private companies. He noted that the ADB would also attract private investors for working in Tajikistan, the CCI press service said.
For his part, Sharif Said noted that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are members of the Chamber. According to him, it is necessary to provide support and preferential loans to these enterprises because they are more mobile under conditions of the global financial crisis.
We will recall that the ADB and the Government of Tajikistan are currently developing a new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for the next three-four years. The main directions of the new CPS will include rehabilitation of transport and energy sectors as well as support for private sector development reforms.
Indicative allocation from ADB’s Asian Development Fund for Tajikistan is estimated at $102 million all on grant basis for 2009 and 2010. ADB”s assistance program is expected to cover investments mainly in energy and transport sectors. In order to mobilize adequate resources for development, ADB will also support critical reforms in private sector development. These areas of engagement are in line with the Government”s priorities in Tajikistan’s Poverty Reduction and National Development Strategies.
Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998. ADB has been supporting poverty reduction in the country through investments in infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, social sector, and regional cooperation.
