OREANDA-NEWS. June 04, 2015. The performance of projects and programs supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Tajikistan remains strong; they have successfully helped improve people’s lives through better road connectivity and more reliable power supply.

These were among the key findings of the Annual Country Portfolio Performance Review conducted by ADB and the Government of Tajikistan recently.

“The Government’s strong ownership of ADB-supported projects is the key to the satisfactory performance,” said C.C. Yu, ADB’s Country Director for Tajikistan. “It’s important that everybody understands that portfolio performance and results are directly linked to our future partnership strategies and resource allocations.”  

The findings were presented at a meeting with government officials, project implementation units, and ADB staff last week. The meeting was jointly chaired by Kodiri Kosim, Chairman of the State Committee on Investments and State Property Management, and Mr. Yu.  

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998 and as of 31 December 2014, ADB’s cumulative commitments to Tajikistan totaled around \\$1.3 billion comprising 23 loans for \\$373 million, 27 grants for \\$853 million, and 75 technical assistance grants for \\$51 million. Around 83% of ADB’s portfolio is concentrated in three key sectors: energy (36%), transport (35%), and agriculture and natural resources (12%).

The Government and ADB successfully resolved issues identified during previous portfolio reviews, including strengthening monitoring and evaluation capacity of implementing agencies, and improving project linkages to sector institutional frameworks.

The review also showed improvements in many areas of ADB operations, including timely submission of audited financial statements and better safeguard performance. The Government and ADB will continue to further improve procurement processes for projects and programs, with ADB planning a procurement risk assessment for Tajikistan in 2015.

ADB, based in Manila, dedicates itself 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 – 48 from the Asia-Pacific region. In 2014, ADB assistance totaled \\$22.9 billion, including cofinancing of \\$9.2 billion.