World Bank to allocate $15 mln grant to Tajikistan for Rogun HPP $50 mln for development policy

DUSHANBE. Jan 19 (Interfax) - The World Bank will provide Tajikistan with two grants, one of $15 million for the construction of the Rogun hydropower plant and the other $50 million to support economic development policy, the World Bank says on its website.

"The aims of the technical assistance for financing the Rogun HPP Project are to strengthen its financial and commercial frameworks, enhance its environmental and social sustainability, improve the transparency, and support establishment of the project's benefit sharing program," it said.

The second project aims to support the authorities in increasing resilience and sustainability of growth by improving the business environment, the integrity of the financial sector, and financial inclusion and strengthening the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the public sector, and enhancing social and environmental resilience to shocks.

The World Bank in Tajikistan said the country's finance minster, Fayziddin Qahhorda and Ozan Sevimli, World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan, had signed an agreement on the implementation of projects financed by the World Bank.

These projects "address food security concerns and support key reforms to enhance the sustainability of economic growth and the Rogun HPP Project," according to a press release.

Construction of the Rogun HPP should be completed by 2033. The HPP with installed capacity of 3,600 MW will be the largest in Central Asia, with an estimated annual output of 13-17 billion kWh.

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors in December approved grant financing of $50 million for Tajikistan to enhance the overall resilience of the agriculture sector and support foods security.

Currently, the World Bank is financing 22 projects in Tajikistan totaling $1.4 billion.