DUSHANBE, September 17, 2011, Asia-Plus — On Friday September 16, President Emomali Rahmon received the World Bank Director for Strategy and Operations for the Europe and Central Asia region Mr. Theodore Ahlers.
According to the presidential press service, assessment studies for the proposed Roghun Hydropower and Regional Reservoir Project (Roghun HPP) were the focus of the meeting.
In the course of the talks, Mr. Ahlers reportedly said that the assessment studies for Roghun HPP would be ready by summer 2012.
Besides, it was noted at the meeting that the World Bank’s annual grant assistance to Tajikistan would increase to 58 million U.S. dollars. Over the last year, the Word Bank has provided a $38 million grants assistance to Tajikistan.
The sides also discussed the issues of implementation of the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Trade and Transmission Project (CASA 1000), which is designed to supply summer surplus electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan via Afghanistan. A meeting of representatives of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan on this subject is expected to take place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan next week. “If all the four countries – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan – come to an agreement, the World Bank is always ready to support this project and allocate funds for its implementation,” Mr. Ahlers was quoted as saying.
Tajikistan became a member of the World Bank in 1993. The active portfolio of the World Bank in Tajikistan currently consists of 16 projects with net commitment of US$ 223 million equivalent. The largest share of ongoing portfolio is in agriculture and rural development (31 percent), followed by energy (23 percent), water (17 percent), education (15 percent), health (8 percent), and economic policy and public sector (6 percent).
