DUSHANBE, March 14, Asia-Plus — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) intends to realize new economic program in Tajikistan.
Mr. Carlos Pinerua, head of the IMF mission to Tajikistan, told journalists this in Dushanbe today following his meeting with President Rahmonov.
According to him, a work on the previous program was completed in early February, “and in this connection, economic policy of Tajikistan has been high appraised.”
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has expressed favor to provide new program for Tajikistan,“ said Mr. Pinerua, “Today afternoon, we will start three-day official negotiations on a complex of events that will be a part of this program.”
The head of the IMF mission to Tajikistan also noted that the program would be submitted for approval to the IMF Executive Board probably in late May or early June.
On the amount that will be provided for implementation of this program, Mr. Pinerua said that it was equal to 55 percent of the state’s quota in the IMF, which was determined at SDR 87 million (more than $120 million).
Dwelling the priorities and main directions of cooperation between the IMF and Tajikistan, Mr. Pinerua noted that they would continue work in the area of macroeconomic policy, budgetary monetary policy, as well as on strengthening of tax administration, mechanism for regulation of state expenses. With the World Bank, the IMF will continue cooperation on carrying out reforms in energy and agrarian sector, and on enhancement of climate for non-government investments as a whole, according to him.
Asked about write-off of Tajikistan’s debt to the IMF, Carlos Pinerua said that in December 2005, the IMF Executive Board approved an initiative on reducing a multilateral debt of Tajikistan. “But for this initiative being realized, Tajikistan had to obtain consent of all 13 states, while by that time, seven states had not provided their consent,” said the head of the IMF mission to Tajikistan, “Their consent was received on January 6 and following that the IMF has written off US$99 million of Tajikistan’s debt.” According to him, the debt written off (US$99 million) is the debt that had accumulated before 2004 and two loans in a total amount of some US$45 million provided to Tajikistan last year remain a part of Tajikistan’s external debt.
