DUSHANBE, March 2, 2012, Asia-Plus — The second meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Council (IMCC) on drinking water supply took place at the conference hall of the Ministry for Land Reclamation and Water Resources (LRWR) in Dushanbe on March 2.
According to Tajikistan Water Supply and Sanitation Project (TajWSS), the meeting participants included representatives from the relevant ministries and agencies, donor organizations and financial institutions involved in the development of water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector.
The objective of the Second IMCC meeting was to discuss proposals for simplified administrative procedures in the sphere of drinking WSS systems construction, enhanced institutional structure for governance and management, as well as some proposals on economic policy in drinking WSS sector.
Specifically, members of the IMCC discussed mechanism for implementation of Tajik government’s endorsed decree (#282, as of May 6, 2009) concerning construction activity by the principle of ‘Single Window’, and prepared recommendations for introduction of changes to the Regulations on allotment of land parcel for WSS systems. Moreover, with the purpose of harmonious operations and coordination among district level affiliates, institutions and organizations, the participants of the meeting discussed the proposed draft institutional structure for district-level governance and management of the WSS sector. Furthermore, the members of the IMCC reviewed draft proposals for subsidized taxation in the framework of the newly drafted Tax Code of the RT for drinking WSS sector, in the result of which more recommendations were formulated on the issue.
It should be noted that proposals on discussed issues will be submitted to the Tajik Government for further decisions, following the needed concurrence with involved government ministries and agencies.
As earlier reported, the First Meeting of the IMCC was carried out on the 11th of November 2011, in which members have discussed the following issues: ownership and operational management rights, methodology for technical inventory, and undergoing administrative procedures in the sphere of drinking WSS. On the progress of implementation and decisions on those issues, a progress report has been prepared by the Secretariat of the IMCC and shared with the participants of the meeting.
The Inter-Ministerial Coordination Council was established on an initiative of the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources and through support of the Government of Tajikistan, and in cooperation with SDC-funded “Tajikistan Water Supply and Sanitation” project (TajWSS) implemented by the UNDP and Oxfam in Tajikistan.
Tajikistan Water Supply and Sanitation Project (TajWSS) is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and implemented by Oxfam in partnership with UNDP in Tajikistan. TajWSS was launched in June 2009 and is aimed to create favorable conditions for rural communities to access clean drinking water, as well as developing and strengthening water supply sector sustainability.
