DUSHANBE, December 4, 2008, Asia-Plus — In the framework of bilateral assistance to Tajikistan, a second Financing Agreement valued at €14 million, in support of Government reform of social protection has been signed between the European Commission and the Government of Tajikistan.
According to Ms. Mahbuba Abdullaeva, Media Officer, Delegation of the European Commission to Tajikistan, this complements the first financing Agreement signed in January 2008 valued at €9 million.
The Social Protection Sector Policy Support Program will assist the Government in improving the design, management and effectiveness of national social protection policies as well as public finance management in this sector. According to the Agreement, within two years €17,500,000 will be delivered in the form of budget support and € 5,500,000 will be provided as technical assistance.
The overall objective of the program is to contribute to the socio-economic development of Tajikistan and support the Government in alleviating the poverty in the country.
The program is expected to contribute to increase the efficiency of social budget spending through better financial management and accountability, help to establish a modern and sustainable social protection system and sound statistical measurement in the social field.
The aim is to support the most vulnerable groups by focusing on social benefit schemes and services, improvement of residential care institutions and development of labor market and migration policies.
In terms of public finance management, the program will target predictability and sustainability of the sector expenditures, relevance of the budgetary allocations to policy objectives and raising their efficiency.
Particular attention will be paid to regular updates of the statistical framework related to poverty, labor force data, migration and social inclusion.
The new EU Strategy for Central Asia aims to strengthen ties between the European Union and its Central Asian partners. It has doubled European Commission assistance to the region to €750 million for 2007-2013. Tajikistan gets the main share of bilateral assistance (€66 million for 2007-2010) in support to sector programs, technical assistance and grants. It focuses on social protection, health and private sector development, underpinned by public finance management. Projects aimed at enhancing living standards continue. Tajikistan also receives regional and thematic assistance in areas like border management and drug control (BOMCA/CADAP), education (TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus), water/environment, human rights and democracy (EIDHR), non-State actors (NSA) and SME development (CA-Invest). The total value of EC assistance disbursed to Tajikistan since 1992 is over €500 million.
