Tajikistan: AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants Supports Ministry of Finance to Manage a World Bank Grant

Tajikistan has steadily progressed in growing its economy over the past decade. However, slowing economic growth and declining remittances have worsened the prospects for reducing poverty. Most of the labor force is engaged in the agriculture sector which contributes about a quarter to the country’s gross domestic product. To improve the sources of livelihood for the local populations, Tajikistan has received financing from the International Development Association of the World Bank Group for the implementation of the Tajikistan Rural Economy Development Project.

The project is jointly implemented by Tajikistan’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Committee of Tourism Development. It is comprised of four components focusing on: i) improving public infrastructure for the development of agribusiness and tourism; ii) supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in agribusiness and community-based tourism through matching grants; iii) strengthening skills, entrepreneurship, and business development services to enable potential beneficiaries; and iv) grant management.