DUSHANBE, December 25, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The Agreement on granting financial and technical assistance for the North Tajik Water Rehabilitation Project was signed in Dushanbe on December 23, according to the Swiss Cooperation Office.

The document was inked by Safarali Najmiddinov, Minister of Finance of Tajikistan and Peter Mikula, Country Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan.  The Swiss contribution to improving water supply in northern Tajikistan and Khorog city amounts to US$12,323.087.  The project is co-funded by European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) through a US$10 million loan.

Based on the good cooperation and strong partnership within the Khujand Water Supply project launched in 2004 the EBRD has asked Switzerland to join the North Tajik Water Rehabilitation Project in order to replicate its approach and success in the six northern cities of Qairoqqum, Konibodom, Isfara, Ghafurov, Taboshar, Chkalovsk, and Khorog in Gorno Badakhshan.  The water utilities in these cities are managed by Khojagii Manziliu Kommunali (KMK) - a state owned holding company responsible for the delivery of basic municipal services (water supply and wastewater services) in terms of routine operations, and the extent of their dependence on this company for major rehabilitation works and investments remains pretty high.  The project is expected to help these utilities to reach a certain level of sustainability through strengthening their operations capacity, thereby triggering their release as independent structures and having KMK to become a water sector regulator.  This objective will be reached through improving financial and operational performance of the water utilities, as well as strengthening KMKs governance in relation to the water companies.

“We highly appreciate the Swiss Government’s support in this project, as it will increase access to safe drinking water for the people of seven cities of the country, thereby adding to poverty reduction.  More than that, this project is in line with our national priorities we had defined not least thanks to the assistance of the international donor community, and Switzerland in particular,” Safarali Najmiddinov said at the ceremony.

Peter Mikula, in his turn, noted that “Within the next Cooperation Strategy for 2012-2015 Switzerland will focus on water sector as one of the four key domains of cooperation, and will remain a reliable partner of the Government of Tajikistan in implementation of the water sector reforms.”

Also the project will strive to ensure that customers are billed according to actual consumption and are aware of better hygiene practices, tariffs, and water meters, and are sensitized about water conservation issues.  Overall the project will lead to ensured 24-hour uninterrupted water supply to the big proportion of the population of the seven project cities at affordable costs, as well as financial and operational sustainability and increased capacity of water utilities to deal with operations, maintenance and rehabilitation of the system jointly with the government.  As a result the ownership of the water companies will be ultimately transferred from KMK to the municipalities, and KMK will acquire the role of a water sector regulator. Moreover, consumers will learn to save water and have better hygienic conditions at household level and in schools.

For the next Strategy 2012-2015 Switzerland will focus on the most performing and effective sectors in Tajikistan as Health, Rule of Law, Water Supply and Sanitation, Private Sector Development. The overall goal for the Swiss Cooperation in Tajikistan for the next strategy is to support the transition process in Tajikistan by contributing to the economic development and by helping to build institutions and systems which are responsive to the population’s needs.  The aim of the Water Supply and Sanitation Program is to contribute to the provision of reliable and affordable drinking water and sanitation services at decentralized level. Financial and technical assistance will be given to water bodies and population at local level to build quality Water Supply and Sanitation infrastructures and to conduct awareness campaigns regarding hygiene practices.