Tajikistan
This chapter describes sustainable infrastructure planning in Tajikistan and presents current trends in investment in large-scale infrastructure projects. It compares Tajikistan’s infrastructure plans in the energy, transport, industry and water sectors against its international commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The chapter also explores Tajikistan’s strategic documents for long-term economic development, sectoral development and the environment, including those related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. It identifies misalignments between stated goals and observed investment flows and provides recommendations to improve strategic planning for sustainable infrastructure.
This International Energy Agency (IEA) energy sector review of Tajikistan was conducted under the auspices of the EU4Energy programme, which is being implemented by the IEA and the European Union, along with the Energy Community Secretariat and the Energy Charter Secretariat.
With abundant water potential from its rivers, natural lakes and glaciers, Tajikistan is almost exclusively reliant on hydro for electricity generation. It is home to some of the world’s largest hydropower plants and is ranked eighth in the world for hydropower potential with an estimated 527 terawatt-hours (TWh). Currently only 4% of the country’s hydro potential is exploited. Tajikistan’s geographic proximity to some of the world’s fastest-growing energy markets means that investing in developing its hydropower potential can contribute to regional energy security and the clean energy transition, in addition to addressing Tajikistan’s high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters.
Coupled with the IEA roadmap on cross-border electricity trading for Tajikistan, published in October 2021, this report aims to give a holistic overview of Tajikistan’s energy sector and to assist policy making at all levels in order to facilitate the effective delivery of the National Development Strategy for 2030 and its ambitious goals, which include increasing hydropower generation capacity by 10 gigawatts and raising annual electricity exports by 10 TWh. It also supports government efforts for ongoing energy sector reforms, aimed at restructuring the state-owned vertically integrated electric utility with financial viability issues, introducing market mechanisms to alleviate power sector challenges and updating its regulatory and tariff regimes.
The report commends the government of Tajikistan for setting clear goals for its national development strategy and the subsequent sectoral development programmes, caveats the introduction of domestic coal as a key support for national energy security structures, and advocates for the introduction of other renewable sources and enhanced regional co operation for achieving energy security and sustainable development goals.
This chapter describes Tajikistan’s progress in creating an enabling environment for international trade. It shows the improvements in matters of simplified documentation requirements, the reduction and streamlining of fees and charges, and more inclusive mechanisms for trade community involvement. It also analyses the advances made in expanding trade and customs portals to create a Single Window and the challenges faced by Tajikistan despite the progress made. Finally, it addresses the way forward with strategic recommendations to address the remaining challenges in improving the country’s trade facilitation performance, particularly on information availability and cross-border co-operation.
This chapter focuses on Tajikistan’s achievements and remaining challenges in the three areas of reforms identified in 2020, namely the investment framework, the enforcement of contracts and arbitral decisions in domestic courts, and tax administration. Taking into account the impact of the international context on the country’s economy, the chapter offers a series of policy recommendations.
The Constitution of Tajikistan upholds the principle of equality for all citizens, regardless of gender. According to the local authorities, there are no laws or regulatory provisions that discriminate against women.
This report analyses planned infrastructure projects, decision-making frameworks related to infrastructure development and strategic planning documents in eight countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It compares current investment flows with countries' national development objectives to identify misalignments and provides policy-makers with recommendations to improve the integration of climate change and other environmental concerns into infrastucture development decision-making processes. The report presents a comprehensive overview of infrastructure investment, primarily in the transport and energy sectors, throughout the region and identifies the risks and opportunities emerging from current investment patterns.
The Republic of Tajikistan became an independent state in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The country subsequently experienced a period of civil war and internal strife. Basic stability was restored only in 1997 after the Agreement on Peaceful Settlement was signed between the government of Tajikistan and the United Tajik Opposition, and a coalition government was formed.
This OECD publication reviews the current state of education policies for children with special education needs and those with disabilities in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan. It offers an overview of the respective country backgrounds, education systems and relevant legislation, and takes a critical look at access to education for what is considered to be the most vulnerable group of children in the countries reviewed. Particular attention is paid to inclusive education policies, to the processes of identification and assessment, to overall policy co-ordination for the provision of education services, to integration in mainstream education, as well as to good practices and the role of NGOs and the donor community.
Countries in Asia and the Pacific face a heightened risk of flooding as disasters increase worldwide due to climate change. Yet these countries often lack the infrastructure necessary to prepare for and respond to floods effectively. When flood protection measures exist, they generally rely only on grey, hard-engineered infrastructure, which has been increasingly challenged in recent years. Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer a new approach for flood management, with several co-benefits beyond the reduction of risks. This approach has gained recognition from policy makers in the region, but they are confronted with a number of challenges, including the lack of a clear, common definition and guidelines, as well as financing issues. The growing imperatives of climate adaptation call for complementary, innovative and forward-looking solutions, such as a combined approach incorporating both NbS and grey infrastructure.
Subnational governments in Asia and the Pacific are key providers of the public services and infrastructure required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Given this role, it is essential that policymakers and development partners understand and support the effective functioning of multi-level governance structures and subnational government finances across the region.
This joint OECD-ADB report provides a comprehensive overview of subnational governments across Asia and the Pacific. It covers over 467,000 subnational governments from 26 countries, which represent 53% of the world’s population and 40% of global GDP. On average in 2020, subnational governments in the region accounted for 29% of total public expenditure (8.8% of GDP), 35% of total public revenue (8.5% of GDP) and 38% of public investment (2% of GDP).
Harnessing unique data from the 3rd edition of the OECD-UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment, the analysis highlights how decentralisation and territorial reforms have reconfigured the structures and finances of subnational governments in the region. It covers a range of topics including fiscal rules, financial management capacity, priority-based budgeting, asset management and the use of public-private partnerships.
Since the 1990’s, the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) have made great progress in pursuing economic development that is also environmentally sustainable. The countries, in collaboration with the GREEN Action Task Force hosted by the OECD, has developed a number of policies aiming to improve environmental quality and social well-being, while creating opportunities for strong economic growth and decent jobs in the region.
This report was prepared as the OECD contribution to the ninth “Environment for Europe” (EfE) Conference (5-7 October 2022). In this context, this report aims to: (i) take stock of progress on policy developments towards a green economy in the EECCA countries; (ii) showcase selected contributions from of the Green Action Task Force that integrate environmental and climate considerations into development pathways of the EECCA countries, and mobilise finance for action; and (iii) provide an outlook for the future, including priority actions that the Task Force in co-operation with the EECCA countries should take to enhance the momentum for green economy transition in the region.
This book presents the outcomes of a review of legal and institutional frameworks for fighting corruption in Tajikistan, which was carried out in the framework of the Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies based at the OECD. The review examined national anti-corruption policy and institutions currently in place in Tajikistan, national anti-corruption legislation, and preventive measures to ensure the integrity of civil service and effective financial control. This publication contains the recommendations as well as the full text of the self-assessment report provided by the government of Tajikistan.
Tajikistan has identified Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction as a critical component of its national development strategy, which could contribute to the achievement of several policy goals, including private sector growth, job creation, and economic diversification. As the COVID-19 pandemic has increased competition for FDI, the role of investment promotion agencies (IPAs) is growing around the world. Investment promotion and facilitation work carried out by a dedicated investment promotion agency can help attract FDI, when underpinned by measures to improve the overall investment framework.
Conveniently located near the world’s fastest growing energy markets, the resource-rich and transit countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia contribute significantly to world energy security. However, shared challenges across the region include aged infrastructure, high energy intensity, low energy efficiency, untapped alternative energy potential and poorly functioning regional energy markets.
This publication highlights the energy policies and sector developments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan during 2013-14 and provides a summary of key recommendations for policy makers in the region.
Energy policy analysis is conducted in line with the INOGATE Programme’s four main pillars of energy development: energy market convergence, energy security, sustainable development and investment attraction. Started in 1996, the INOGATE Programme is one of the longest running energy technical assistance programmes funded by the European Union and works within the policy frameworks of the Baku Initiative and the Eastern Partnership. The INOGATE Programme co-operates with 11 Partner Countries to support reduction in their dependency on fossil fuels and imports, to improve the security of their energy supply and to mitigate overall climate change. It also supports the Eastern Partnership, a joint initiative between the European Union, EU Member States, and the Eastern European and Caucasus countries. Launched in 2009, the Eastern Partnership aims at advancing political association and economic integration.
This publication has been produced with European Union financial assistance provided through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) completed this report, Cross-Border Electricity Trading for Tajikistan, as part of the EU4Energy programme, a five-year initiative funded by the European Union. The programme aims to support the development of evidence-based energy policy design and data capabilities within the countries of the Eastern Partnership and Central Asia.
The central purpose of this report is to guide policy making at all levels to facilitate effective cross-border integration of electricity markets to the benefit of Tajikistan as well as the region. This report can serve as a roadmap to support the Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy for 2030, which includes goals to export at least 10 TWh of its hydropower generation and to undertake reforms to improve the performance and sustainability of its power sector.
Cross-border electricity trading can bring many benefits in terms of optimising resource allocation among the countries involved. The availability of generation technologies, geography, socio-economic factors, and political agreements will determine the potential for cross-border electricity trading that countries could develop and subsequently the benefits that could be achieved. Therefore, the focus of this roadmap is to assess the feasibility and extent of electricity trade with Tajikistan’s neighbours and to lay out policy requirements for implementation. As the focus here is Tajikistan, the recommendations are based on the Tajik context.
This chapter summarises the country-specific reports on climate-related development finance for 11 countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). The full country reports are available on the website of the OECD-hosted GREEN Action Programme [www.oecd.org/environment/outreach/eap-tf.htm]. Each report analyses the country’s climate targets and priority sectors/areas for climate actions; development finance flows to support climate actions in the EECCA region; and in-country enabling environments, such as laws, regulations, institutional arrangements and domestic financing mechanisms.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on the economies of Central Asia. This updated policy note reports on the latest developments in the region and looks ahead to identify the key challenges likely to be faced by the region’s policy makers in the short-to medium-term. It examines five major economic challenges facing countries as they recover from the COVID-19 crisis –debt sustainability, migration, job retention, private sector fragility, and lack of connectivity –and proposes ways forward.
As in many countries, the economies of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) have been negatively affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Their governments responded by addressing the health impacts and providing relief to affected businesses and workers. Many EECCA countries have also implemented measures that will help advance environmental objectives as part of their rescue and recovery plans. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done to ensure that recovery plans accelerate a green transition, thereby building resilience against external shocks. This policy paper analyses measures related to COVID-19 in 11 EECCA countries based on their potential to advance the transition to a greener, climate-resilient and low-carbon economy. Recommendations suggest ways to ensure that governments align efforts to support economic recovery with their objectives on climate change, biodiversity and wider environmental protection.