ADB considered Tajikistan's main international donor

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

About 82 percent of financing approved by international development banks in the first quarter of this year for Tajikistan falls on the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“In Tajikistan, the bulk of investments are accounted for the ADB’s $90 million loan in the transport sector,” according to the international development banks’ investment review for the first quarter of 2018 published by the Eurasian Development Bank.

It is noted that a grant of $90 million is sent for the rehabilitation of a 40-kilometer section of the road linking the capital of Dushanbe and the city of Bokhtar (Kurgan-Tyube) in Khatlon region.

In addition, the review highlights that in the first quarter ADB approved technical assistance to Tajikistan in the amount of $700,000 to improve the comprehensive care for maternal and child health.

Moreover, the World Bank approved funding for two projects totaling $18.37 million in Tajikistan. In particular, $16.57 million are allocated for the implementation of the Zarafshan irrigation rehabilitation and management project, and $1.8 million for the project to strengthen the network that provides social security in the country.

The review also noted the investments of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) approved in the first quarter of this year in the amount of $2 million to finance the working capital needs of Tagero Ltd (a trading company specializing in the import and distribution of food and household chemicals).

ADB is the main international donor of Tajikistan. ADB is celebrating 20 years of development partnership with Tajikistan in 2018. To date, ADB has approved around $1.6 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country. ADB and Tajikistan’s development partnership, which began in 1998, has restored and built the country’s new transport and energy infrastructure, supported social development, expanded agricultural production, and improved regional cooperation and trade.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members, with 48 being from the region. In 2017, ADB operations totaled $32.2 billion, including $11.9 billion in co-financing.