Before his appointment to Dushanbe, Raballand held the position
of Governance Practice Manager for West Africa at the World Bank,
with his base in Dakar, Senegal. Over the course of his career with
the Bank, he has occupied various significant roles, including
Senior Transport Economist in the Africa Transport Unit, Senior
Public Sector Specialist in the Middle East and North Africa
region, and Lead Public Sector Specialist in Africa, with
assignments in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Nairobi (Kenya).
The World Bank's International Development Association (IDA),
which targets the world’s most impoverished countries, is currently
funding 26 active projects in Tajikistan, amounting to
approximately $1.9 billion in commitments, which include grants and
highly concessional loans.
Tajikistan has made notable progress in reducing poverty, with
the national poverty rate declining from 56% in 2010 to an
estimated 20% in 2024. The country’s ongoing efforts are focused on
consolidating these gains, with particular attention to addressing
unemployment and reducing inequality, especially among women, whose
participation in the labor force remains low at 21%.
A central area of both financial and technical support is the
energy sector, with a particular emphasis on the Rogun Hydropower
Plant (HPP) Project. This project is regarded as a key cornerstone
for providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity to
the region. The World Bank has provided considerable financial
backing and technical guidance to develop a sustainable financing
framework for the Rogun HPP
