DUSHANBE, July 4, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Through its project “Supply of Equipment in Support of Strengthening the Tajik Financial and Economic Institute", the European Union (EU) on July 3 handed over 24 computers, 4 electronic smart boards, 6 printers, 4 projectors, 2 Fax machines, 2 servers, 2 accounting software licenses and auxiliary equipment to the Tajik Financial and Economic Institute under the Ministry of Finance of Tajikistan, press release issued by the EU Delegation to Tajikistan said.

The total cost of hardware equipment amounts to 100.000 Euro (approximately 630,000 Tajik somoni), which was supplied by IT system vendor "Online Datensysteme GmbH", Berlin.

The equipment will be used by the Tajik Financial and Economic Institute (TFEI), that focuses on higher education in public financial management (PFM), to built up a modern internal communication structure and personnel management, improve the technical backbone of the already existing and improved website of the Institute, improve the quality of teaching through state of the art technology facilitating lectures and production of lecture materials, and enable offering in future distant learning courses.

The presence of the Minister of Finance Najmiddinov, First Deputy Minister of Finance Nouraliyev, Deputy Finance Minister Sohibov, and the Rector of the Institute Mirboboyev demonstrated the weight given to the progress in reforming the Institute.

"The improvement of the Institute''s quality in teaching and researching public finance will ultimately improve the knowledge of officials working in the Ministry of Finance and in its nationwide branches, because the Ministry will hire new staff from the Institute and this will enhance our capacity ", said the Minister of Finance.

"We hope our common efforts will result in the improvement of the quality of both education and research in Public Finance, thereby contributing to enhancement of PFM system in Tajikistan”, the Ambassador of the European Union to Tajikistan Eduard Auer mentioned, adding that the updated website of the Institute has been well received and he wishes every success in completing over the coming years all of its planned parts.

The accompanying technical assistance EUR 1 million project “Support to the Effective and Efficient Functioning of the Tajik Financial and Economic Institute” which contributes to reforming the syllabus, management, mission, international relations, and the website of the Institute, will last until the end of this year.  This support will be continued as part of a comprehensive "PFM Reform Support Program" of 8 million Euros over the period 2014-2016.