DUSHANBE, April 26, 2011, Asia-Plus — Jeffrey Lehrer, Tajikistan Country Office Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Marilynne B. Davis, Chief of Party for USAID’s Central Asia Local Development Initiative (USAID LDI), and Davlatsho Gulmahmadov, Tursunzoda City Chairman officially launched a solid waste collection and disposal services in infrastructure project in Tursunzoda on April 21, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe reported.
Representatives of the city administration, public utilities, and the chairs of neighborhood committees, teachers, students, and USAID LDI staff attended the opening ceremony. The U.S. Government contributed $24,500, and Tursunzoda City provided $12,500 to cooperatively realize the project.
“Improvement of local government capacity in providing public services is critical to Tajikistan’s long-term prosperity. By working together at the local level, communities and their government officials can find sustainable solutions to many of their problems”, said Mr. Lehrer during his speech at the ceremony.
To date, USAID LDI has manufactured and handed over a total of 70 metal containers for waste collection, provided technical assistance services to enterprises to develop new tariffs, and arranged citizen participation trainings and events. The city has refurbished one garbage truck and renovated 20 garbage disposal areas. More than 17,000 people will benefit from improved solid waste collection and removal services as a result of the project. Regular garbage collection will improve sanitary condition in the city and reduce infectious diseases among the population.
Since April 2010, USAID’s Local Development Initiative has worked closely with the local governments of six districts including Tursunzoda to provide capacity building for officials and deputies, improve of the quality of services delivered to the population, and improve citizen cooperation with local governments at district and community level. LDI will continue to finalize and implement new policies for housing and communal sector reform that will decentralize those services and improve their quality.
The city authorities and USAID LDI intend to continue their successful partnership and implement new projects on solid waste and potable water in the Tursunzoda District and its communities.
The USAID Local Development Initiative project is one of the many assistance projects supported by the American people through USAID. Since 1992, the American people have provided more than $900 million in programs that support Tajikistan’s security, democratic institutions, the social sector, and economic growth.
