Ms. Shanny Campbell has ended her tenure as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director for Tajikistan
“When I was appointed to this position at the beginning of 2021, I met many of you for the first time through a computer screen via Zoom or Teams, as the world was still grappling with the restrictions and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said during a farewell event marking the end of her tenure in Tajikistan.
Ms. Campbell expressed pride in the shared achievements made during her time in the country. Specifically, she highlighted the following milestones:
“Over the past four years, we added US$527 million in grants to our sovereign investment portfolio in the country, attracted US$140 million in co-financing for two projects, and provided US$10.6 million in technical assistance. Together, we developed a climate-focused portfolio for 2025-2028, comprising 20 projects worth $911 million. By the end of 2024, we expect to announce our first two non-sovereign (private sector) transactions, with a total investment of US$50 million. This will bring our partnership with Tajikistan to more than US$2.7 billion,” Campbell stated.
She emphasized that the partnership with Tajikistan consists entirely of grants. "Few people realize that grant provision is based on performance. The government's effectiveness is assessed on 16 criteria, most of which are multidimensional, with several sub-criteria, including economic management, structural policy, social policy, public sector governance, and institutional effectiveness, as well as portfolio performance.
“Tajikistan improved its scores in four areas in 2024. The country also adheres to a debt sustainability program, maintaining zero non-concessional borrowing, which is a requirement from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for continuing to receive 100% grant funding. So, these are not 'free' funds. Tajikistan, as our partner, works as hard as ADB," she noted.
However, Campbell underscored that she is most proud not of the numbers but of the outcomes achieved during her time in the country. She fondly recalled the people she worked with and many "moments" that left a lasting impression on her memory.
"I will leave a part of my heart in Tajikistan, but equally, Tajikistan will forever remain in my heart," she concluded.
The Asian Development Bank has been in partnership with Tajikistan since 1998, supporting a wide range of sectors and themes.
For 26 years, ADB has supported a wide range of sectors from strategic road and energy infrastructure to health, education, agriculture, urban development, public sector management and finance for a total of over $2.7 billion in assistance—including over $2.1 billion in grants.
