Tajikistan May Receive about One Billion Dollars for Combating Poverty

Members of donor countries' governments and of international agencies for development have expressed readiness to allocate $900 million to Tajikistan for combating poverty.

According to Director of the World Bank for the Countries of Central Asia Dennis de Tray, the money will be given to Tajikistan during a three-year period, with $200 million in the form of humanitarian aid and $700 million in the form of grants.

The Tajik government has already familiarised the Consultaive Group on Tajikistan with the action plan to support the development of the private sector and to improve services in the spheres of health and education.

The May 2-3 meeting of the donor countries in a suburb of Dushanbe was organised by the government of Tajikistan and by the World Bank.

Representatives of the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, China, Korea, the United States, France, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan, as well as of the Asian Development Bank, the EBRD, the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, the Kuwaiti Economic Development Fund, the Saudi Development Fund, the Development Network of the Aga Khan Foundation and the UN took part in the meeting.

The previous meeting of the Consultative Group on Tajikistan was held in Tokyo in June 2001. At that time the intent to give $390 million to the country within the next two years was stated, but Tajikistan has received not more than 40 million dollars by now.