DUSHANBE, January 23, Asia-Plus – New Head of the World Bank’s Country Office in Tajikistan was introduced to President Emomali Rahmon yesterday during his meeting with Ms. Annette Dixon, the World Bank’s Country Director for five countries of Central Asia (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
Speaking to journalists after a meeting with President Rahmon, Ms. Dixon noted that Ms. Kiara Bronki (phonetically spelled) had previously worked in other countries on the issues of tax and monetary policy.
Asked about creation of consortium for completing the construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power station (HPS), Ms Dixon noted that work on conducting feasibility study for the Roghun hydroelectricity project had started and it would include details of parameters of the dam. The World Bank has provided necessary funds for this, according to her.
“Besides, new markets for export of electrical power are currently being studied,” said Ms. Dixon, “Last November a decision was made in Kabul to create a market for export of electricity from Central to South Asia.”
Commenting on measures taken by the World Bank to assist the Tajik government with resolving the debt crisis among cotton producers, she pointed to the necessity of making the agrarian sector profitable.
Ms Dixon noted that the World Bank had endorsed a $15 million credit for Tajikistan’s Cotton Sector Recovery Project. The project, funded by the International Development Association, aims at improving the livelihood of cotton farmers and supporting the cotton production in selected, low-income areas of Tajikistan. The project will assist the Government with resolving the debt crisis among cotton producers, improving the policy environment, and increasing cotton output and profitability.
At present, work on a new project for supporting the cotton harvest is being carried out. The estimated budget for this project is $7.5 million.
