DUSHANBE, March 31, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) intends to provide 40 million US dollars for implementation of the program worked out by the Tajik government for mitigation of effects of the economic crisis, Mr. Makoto Ojiro, Country Director, ADB’s Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), told journalists in Dushanbe on March 31 on sidelines of presentation of ADB”s flagship annual economic publication, Asian Development Outlook 2009 (ADO 2009).
According to him, the funds will be provided under ADB”s investment program for Tajikistan from 2009 to 2010 that is currently set at 102 million US dollars on grant basis.
We will recall that ADB is participating in the preparation of a new country partnership strategy for 2009-2012 in close collaboration with 11 other donor agencies present in Tajikistan. The strategy is expected to be finalized by mid-2009.
The Tajik government has worked out an anticrisis program and the ADB is ready to consider it and provide necessary support for implementation of this program, the ADB country director said, noting that the Bank would focus attention on social protection of the population, including creation of new jobs, protection to vulnerable sections of the population, etc. “We are expected to submit the prepared program for consideration to the ADB’s Board of Directors by mid-2009,” Mr. Ojiro said.
He also noted that three ADB’s mission would arrive in Tajikistan in the near future to determine projects for the next two years.
