DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, July 24. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a grant of $50 million to support the Tajikistani government's efforts to establish a climate-responsive business environment and assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country, Trend reports.
According to the bank, the grant is provided under the Enabling Climate-Responsive Business Environment Improvement Program.
The program supports reforms to provide subsidized financing for environmentally sustainable SMEs, especially women entrepreneurs, promotes digitalization and e-commerce by creating an Innovation and Digitalization Agency, and enhances public investment management to prioritize climate-focused projects.
It also improves fiscal transparency by building the Ministry of Finance's capacity to publish financial statistics. It also fosters international trade and investment by streamlining trade documentation and updating regulations for local and green bonds.
A $500,000 technical assistance (TA) grant was also approved to help the Tajikistani government implement further reforms to improve the climate-responsive business environment. This TA support will focus on policy, legal, and regulatory reforms, and capacity development for various government agencies.
The program aligns with Tajikistan's National Development Strategy until 2030 and the Green Economy Development Strategy for 2023–2037. It also complements ADB's partnership strategy with Tajikistan for 2021–2025, which focuses on creating an inclusive and sustainable environment for economic growth.
ADB's support in Tajikistan spans a wide range of sectors. Its assistance totals over $2.6 billion, including more than $2 billion in grants.