On Wednesday June 10, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and World Bank Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde discussed by video conference issues related to cooperation between Tajikistan and the World Bank, including Tajikistan’s response to the global COVID-19, according to the Tajik president’s official website.
Tajik leader reportedly expressed satisfaction with current level of collaboration between Tajikistan and the World Bank.
“From the very first days of detection of the disease in Tajikistan, the World Bank has provided financial support to prevent the spreading of it. The two sides also discussed the ways to mitigate the effect of the disease on the socioeconomic situation in Tajikistan,” says the Tajik president’s official website.
According to information posted by the World Bank Country Office on its Facebook page, the discussion also included ongoing implementation of the World Bank-financed $11.3 million COVID-19 emergency project, which aims to boost Tajikistan’s health and social assistance response to the pandemic. All agreed it is critical to increase protection to the most vulnerable households and those most affected by the crisis.
They reportedly also spoke about addressing the broader economic impacts of the pandemic, and ways to secure a fast recovery, including through GreenGrowth, expansion of hydro energy production, and reforms necessary to create jobs and increase exports.
Prioritizing social sectors to protect the poor, while also boosting the country’s private sector and investments, are critical to mitigating the crisis impacts. Both sides discussed ways in which the World Bank, jointly with the Tajik authorities, could support the poor and boost growth in the medium term.
