• $14.28 million in economic and social-sector reform programs;

• $1.62 million in security, regional stability and law enforcement programs;

• $21.43 million in humanitarian programs;

• $4.50 million in cross-sectoral and other programs; and

• privately donated and U.S. Defense Department excess humanitarian commodities valued at $47.02 million.

U.S. ASSISTANCE PRIORITIES

Democratic Reform Programs: In FY 2003, the main priorities of USG democratic reform assistance included developing political parties, promoting improved access to information through independent media, enhancing local decision making through strengthened local government, fostering greater citizen participation through a new civics program in schools, helping to address causes of ethnic tensions and potential conflict, and promoting further development of civil society. USG-funded exchange programs sought to familiarize Tajikistan’s emerging leaders with the day-to-day functioning of a democratic, market-based system, thereby helping to build a cadre of young professionals who can spearhead reform in the public and private sectors.

Economic and Social-Sector Reform Programs: In FY 2003, USG economic reform programs sought to foster a legal and regulatory environment conducive to private investment and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). USG-funded activities are helping to modernize tax administration, strengthen banking supervision, draft or revise essential pieces of commercial legislation, and identify and help remove barriers to trade and investment. These policy-level initiatives are complemented by direct support to small businesses in the form of business advice and training, and financial support through credit and microfinance programs. The USG’s highest social-sector priority is addressing the intertwined factors aggravating the problems of drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), while reorienting the country’s health services to provide better preventive and primary health care. These efforts gained support through Tajikistan’s successful application for funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to combat the spread of all three diseases in Tajikistan. A new USG-funded basic education initiative supports teacher training, curriculum reforms and school rehabilitation in an effort to reverse declines in education standards. USG-funded environmental programs focused on promoting interregional water-sharing agreements between Tajikistan and neighboring states, while improving the technical capacity of the country’s hydro-meteorological service.

Security, Regional Stability and Law Enforcement Programs: In FY 2003, expanded USG security-related assistance programs fostered closer cooperation in addressing regional security concerns and enhanced Tajikistan’s capability to interdict the flow of narcotics through the country from neighboring Afghanistan. The USG continued to promote regional stability by helping Tajikistan to participate in the Partnership for Peace and to begin training troops to serve in international peacekeeping operations. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs began in FY 2003. The initial purchases of clothing and communication equipment under FMF were made, and Tajikistan’s first five IMET students are were completing English-language instruction in the United States prior to starting military training. In the law enforcement arena, the USG focused on strengthening Tajikistan’s institutional capacity to stop the trafficking of weapons and illicit narcotics across its borders, while also focusing increased attention on the problem of trafficking in persons.

SECTORAL ASSESSMENTS

Democratic Reform

The 1997 power-sharing peace accord established Tajikistan as the first country in Central Asia to have a multiparty government, and the inclusion of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) in the government made it the only Islamic-based political force in the region to function openly and legally. Nevertheless, Tajikistan remains an authoritarian regime with a poor human rights record. Political development is essentially at a standstill. The major political parties in the country are strictly controlled by the government and have very weak constituencies; their regional branches are only beginning to voice their opinions and recruit active members. There are a number of private media outlets in the country, both electronic and print, but they are hampered by restrictive laws and government harassment, and independent outlets lack the finances to be sustainable. While many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are active in the country, very few are willing to advocate for issues deemed too political in nature, for fear of government harassment for "jeopardizing peace and stability."

The June 2003 referendum, through which over 30 amendments to the constitution were approved, was a litmus test for political development in the country. While debate initially took place between political parties in the months before the referendum, the Tajik Government proceeded to conduct the referendum in a secretive fashion. The international community criticized the referendum process as neither free nor fair. The ability of the government to push through the referendum with little opposition did not bode well for the future development of a pluralist system or a peaceful transfer of power. Under the amendments passed this past summer, President Rahmonov could stay in power for another 14 years beyond his current term, which ends in 2006.

Despite the lackluster performance of NGOs and political parties, USG-supported local government, civic education and media programs made significant progress in FY 2003. USAID worked with a newly formed Presidential Working Group to draft new local government legislation that will significantly modify the old Soviet-style centralized governance structure by providing for the direct election of local councils and chairmen. Efforts to strengthen city administration were enthusiastically received in two pilot cities this year. These initiatives will help professionalize city administration and prepare local authorities to manage the increased responsibilities expected to come out of reforms aimed at devolving power from the national to the local level. A new civic education curriculum and textbook launched this year is being lauded by the Ministry of Education and will be rolled out to 120 schools across the country. Opposition political parties see the use and acceptance of the course materials as an essential step in legitimizing their role in the political process, especially among the next generation of voters.

On the media front, the first independent radio station went on the air in Dushanbe this year, after waiting four years to receive a license. Reporters without Borders rated Tajikistan higher on press freedom than the other Central Asian countries. However, many observers consider Tajikistan’s independent media as among the most fledgling in the region, and the country’s media laws remain very restrictive. After prolonged discussion of a new media law, there is still little evidence of the government’s commitment to liberalizing media regulation. Recently, the government once again refused to issue a license to a private radio station to expand its operations to include a television station. The authorities continue to harass and at times stifle independent media. There are, however, 14 independent local television stations scattered throughout the country. In 2003, these stations continued to broadcast two weekly USG-supported information programs: The Pulse of Life and Open Asia. Two government-controlled television stations in Dushanbe are now broadcasting these programs as well.

In anticipation of parliamentary elections in 2005, the USG began to engage key partners on election reform in FY 2003. A USG-supported conference in Dushanbe on the election law brought together Tajik Government election officials, representatives from international organizations, and assistance implementers to discuss shortcomings observed during the 2000 parliamentary election and identify needed changes to the electoral law. Following through on this initial work is a high priority for USG assistance in FY 2004.

The USG launched a follow-on civil society support program that will work through a nationwide network of civil society resource centers to provide training to NGOs, offer institutional grants to leading NGOs, advocate for a better legal environment for NGOs, and mobilize communities to solve local problems and advocate their interests to local governments. The U.S. Embassy provided Democracy Commission grants to help local NGOs promote greater public awareness of human rights, particularly among women, the elderly and other marginalized groups. Many NGOs are still mistrusted by local governments and operate with few resources. Nonetheless, NGOs are becoming more involved in solving community problems, building social partnerships with the government and advocating the needs of their constituents. For example, one NGO helped a community address a critical need for drinking water by mobilizing community and donor resources to lay a water pipeline. The community contributed over 30% in matching funds and, as a result, 652 people in the village now have access to safe drinking water.

Recognizing the continuing potential for ethnic and regional tensions to escalate into conflict in Tajikistan, the USG is supporting local NGOs that focus on promoting inter-communal dialogue and better local governance. These programs seek to identify sources of tension and support appropriate interventions. More than 200 projects reaching over 170 communities were completed in FY 2003. Examples of projects include: the organization of a sports field located between three villages with different ethnic identities and a history of hostility; construction of a small primary school in a mountain village where children had attended an over-crowded school in a neighboring village, a situation that caused resentment among their parents; and building a water supply system in two communities that had clashed over access to water. With the implementation of the project almost complete, community members from the two villages have not only settled their differences but are working side-by-side to install the systems.

Economic and Social-Sector Reform

Tajikistan’s economy grew at 7.9% for the first ten months of 2003, the fourth year of strong economic growth. This performance reflects the Tajik Government’s reasonably sound fiscal and monetary policies, as well as its success in establishing security and political stability, both of which have allowed slow but steady progress on economic reforms. Economic prospects for individuals and families have also been buoyed by the increasing flow of cash remittances from Tajik citizens working abroad. Fundamental weaknesses remain, however, and Tajikistan’s continued failure to make the full transition to a market economy continues to keep most Tajiks living in poverty: an estimated 80% of the population still lives below the poverty line and a national nutritional survey undertaken in 2003 found that 4.7% of children under the age of five suffered from acute malnutrition and 36.2% were affected by chronic malnutrition. The effect of poverty was also evident in declining school attendance, particularly by girls, which had dropped to 88.4%.

While Tajikistan’s leadership recognizes the need for fundamental reforms, the underfinanced and poorly staffed "line" ministries are ill-prepared to develop or implement required policy changes. The country’s weak judicial system is similarly unprepared to cope with the demands of a market economy, and corruption is a pervasive problem that inhibits the growth of private businesses. Despite improved tax collection, all levels of government lack the resources needed to adequately finance public investments and services. Crumbling infrastructure, declining social services, and a largely subsistence (and somewhat criminalized) economy further limit the potential for economic growth. Some key reforms, such as land privatization, have been poorly implemented, while others, such as banking and taxes, have only just begun. The impact of reform will therefore be slow, as new legal and regulatory regimes are developed and the modestly expanding economy allows only incremental increases in social-sector spending.

USG assistance is supporting the development and implementation of economic policy reforms in key government ministries and institutions, while also providing direct support to small businesses and business associations. FY 2003 saw significant accomplishments. A USG-funded banking reform effort successfully introduced a new off-site supervision system and trained National Bank and commercial bank staff in its application. USG-funded efforts to promote improved tax administration brought government ministry personnel and private business representatives together to develop tax policies that promote compliance and ease implementation. A revised draft tax code will be presented in early 2004. Similarly, USG support for customs administration reform is aimed at bringing Tajikistan into compliance with regional and international standards. Several key pieces of commercial legislation were drafted this year, including a new Joint Stock Company Law and a revised Civil Procedure Code.

The USG is also supporting Tajikistan’s integration into the world economy by assisting the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Tajikistan submitted its Memorandum of Foreign Trade Regime to the WTO Secretariat earlier this year, and efforts are being made to prepare the Tajik negotiation team for negotiations due to start in early 2004. The Tajik Government also formally committed to making the transition to International Accounting Standards (IAS) for all government operations and enterprises by 2005, an essential step in attracting international investment to the country. A USG-funded training and certification program has resulted in the recognition of 70 IAS-certified accounting practitioners and established an IAS-based accounting curriculum in 15 universities across the country. A successful judicial training program also continued in FY 2003. The number of cases heard by the country’s Commercial Court increased from 200 in 2000 to over 1500 in 2002, a clear sign of increased public confidence in the courts and, more indirectly, the success of the USG-funded training program.

A key USG challenge in FY 2004 will be redirecting and reenergizing the Tajik Government’s land reform effort. The poorly implemented land privatization program has left poor farmers without access to land, leaving them tenants or poorly paid employees on the unrestructured state farms. The effects of this failed effort have resulted in worsened poverty and malnutrition rates in the southern province of Khatlon, where land reform is most urgently needed.

Tajikistan’s efforts to reform health care delivery and improve health care services were aided this year by the appointment of a new Minister of Health. Among his top priorities are developing a new health-care financing mechanism to improve services and reduce corruption, and dealing with the threat from HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Based on cost data collected at selected hospitals and clinics this year, a new health care payment system will be piloted in early 2004 with USG support. At the same time, the immediate threats posed by HIV/AIDS and the associated problems of TB and drug abuse are receiving much greater attention, while work to fight other infectious diseases such as malaria, and to address malnutrition, continued to make strong progress. In 2003, more than 37,000 screenings of children below age five identified 1,286 moderately malnourished children that received supplementary feeding and 105 severely-malnourished children that needed to be enrolled in therapeutic feeding centers.

Since the early 1990s, the malaria situation in Tajikistan has deteriorated considerably, owing to the collapse of mosquito control efforts, massive population movements, and a worsening of the problem in neighboring Afghanistan. Communities where multi-faceted USG-funded programs are active have seen significant declines in the incidence of malaria. In FY 2003, USAID trained 98 health professionals (including laboratory workers, clinicians, and public health workers) in malaria diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology; provided necessary supplies to 109 parasitology labs; and trained 68 primary health care workers in surveillance, and 50 teachers from 22 schools to provide health education to schoolchildren. As a result of these efforts, no outbreaks of malaria were identified in any of the USAID-funded surveillance sites in FY 2003.

The Tajik public sees HIV/AIDS as a problem only facing intravenous drug users; however, the Tajik Government is strongly committed to an aggressive strategy to head off a broader epidemic. A five-year national strategy on HIV/AIDS gained financial support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. USAID will provide technical assistance to help implement this grant over the next two years. HIV/AIDS also threatens to escalate Tajikistan’s TB epidemic. While the country’s TB case notification rate is the lowest in Central Asia, this is due to a virtually nonexistent reporting system rather than low infection rates. Working in two pilot sites, USAID has gained Tajik Government support for national adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed TB-DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course) program. Recognizing the Tajik Government’s commitment to fight the reemergence of the disease, the Global Fund also awarded Tajikistan a $3 million grant to fight TB.

As a primary transit country for drugs produced in neighboring Afghanistan, Tajikistan has a growing problem of drug abuse. USAID’s new Drug Demand Reduction Program seeks to reduce the demand for illegal drugs among select populations by working with governmental and NGO counterparts and community-based organizations. Associated with this program is a new condom social marketing program that has already sold or distributed 370,000 condoms across the country.

The USG is promoting greater regional cooperation in the management and use of Central Asia’s vast water resources by providing equipment that now collects, stores, and transmits water data electronically to all five countries in the Central Asian region. Of special importance this year was the installation of a key meteorological station at the Fedchenko Glacier, located at an altitude of over 13,000 feet in the remote Pamir Mountains. In FY 2004, USAID plans to upgrade the Tajikistan Hydrometeorological Agency’s main weather and water forecasting communications center. This will bring the Tajikistan’s institutional capacity to a level equal with its Central Asian neighbors, thus enabling closer regional collaboration. These activities are being implemented in close cooperation with complementary activities funded by the Swiss Development Agency. A large portion of Tajikistan’s agriculture is served by pump irrigation. This past year, USAID rehabilitated nine key stations with new pumps, motors, and electrical systems, bringing an estimated 20,000 hectares back into production.

Security, Regional Stability, and Law Enforcement

Tajikistan is a coalition member of the Global War on Terrorism and has fully supported U.S. security objectives in the region. Tajikistan has also become a full member in Partnership for Peace. Since Tajikistan’s removal from the International Trafficking in Arms Regulation (ITAR) list in 2001, the country has actively participated in IMET, E-IMET, Foreign Military Financing (FMF) Program and the Regional Defense Counter-Terrorism Fellowship (RDCTF) Program – all of which are new programs that have expended a total of over $5 million over the last two years. Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense recently started reorganizing a motorized rifle brigade into a light mountain brigade, started the development of a peacekeeping battalion and has completed a defense planning assessment conference to help develop a national military strategy and determine missions down to the brigade level. Tajikistan’s growing component of the IMET program sent its first five officers to IMET training, and the number of students is expected to double in FY 2004. The USG also sent over 80 Tajik officers and civilian officials to six programs and six conferences at the U.S. Defense Department’s Marshall Center in Germany, the impact of which was clearly visible in Tajikistan’s new national security strategy. USG-funded security assistance programs have already resulted in increasing political will and capability on the part of the Tajik Government to assist in the Global War on Terror; for example, the Ministry of Defense recently offered to provide military assistance to the ongoing operation in Afghanistan.

Tajikistan signed the 1961 Nuclear Nonproliferation Test Ban Treaty in 1995 and the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993. Although never a main repository for WMD during Soviet times, one Tajik plant refined and enriched uranium. In 2003, Tajikistan joined the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), a multilateral institution through which the USG provides grants to former Soviet weapons scientists to allow them to pursue peaceful scientific research with commercial potential. In addition, the USG-funded Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Assistance Program continued to provide training and equipment targeted at upgrading Tajikistan’s Border Guard and Customs Service.

Although not a drug producing nation, Tajikistan is used as a transit country for illicit narcotics trafficking. Bordering Afghanistan, one of the world’s main sources of heroin, Tajikistan confiscated 8,408 kilograms of illegal narcotics in the first ten months of 2003, including 5,137 kilograms of heroin, 1,966 kilograms of opium, and 1,179 kilograms of cannabis. Heroin seizures increased considerably when compared with the total for the first ten months of last year (3.1 metric tons). Tajikistan has made progress in developing border security measures, but it lacks the resources, equipment, and training, leaving its porous borders vulnerable to smugglers and traffickers. The USG provided equipment and training for the Border Guard, State Customs, and Drug Control Agency, helping to bolster enforcement capabilities.

A new focus of USG assistance this year was criminal law reform. The USG supported the development of a new Criminal Defense Advocacy Group whose members lobbied parliament for amendments to the Criminal Code. In response, a governmental Commission on Developing Amendments and Addenda to the Criminal Code – including representatives from the Advocacy Group – was created to prepare draft amendments to the Code. The Commission’s draft law introducing amendments and addenda to the Code, which proposes reduced penalties for first-time offenders as well as reduced penalties for specific vulnerable groups (e.g., juvenile defendants), is now being vetted by the presidential administration before submission to parliament. Nevertheless, Tajikistan’s judicial infrastructure continued to be plagued by low salaries, insufficient training and endemic corruption. In FY 2003, the USG provided training and educational seminars in areas such as trafficking in persons, judicial reform and ethics, defense advocacy, and investigative techniques.

Humanitarian Assistance

In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of State continued to respond to Tajikistan’s continuing humanitarian needs through sizable shipments of privately donated and U.S. Defense Department excess commodities, including critical medicines and medical supplies, medical equipment, clothing, food, and emergency shelter items. A total of $47 million in commodities was transported at a cost to the USG of $4 million. This assistance was closely coordinated with the Ministry of Health and local health care providers to ensure the broadest possible benefit to the population. In addition, USAID’s Food for Peace Program provided $10 million in food aid commodities to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to support school feeding and distribution programs to other needy groups, including TB patients participating in USAID’s TB-DOTS program. Complementing these direct-feeding assistance programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) donated a total of 14,000 metric tons of food commodities valued at roughly $8 million to be monetized, with proceeds going to support community development activities implemented by U.S. NGOs; the majority of the proceeds were used to support agricultural development and education programs.

COUNTRY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

In FY 2003, Tajikistan made only marginal progress in the area of democratic reform. The country’s human rights record remained poor. Though the first independent radio station went on the air and some considered Tajikistan to have the freest press in the region, media laws remained restrictive. Sound fiscal and monetary policy helped boost economic growth, but fundamental weaknesses were pervasive in the country’s economy.

Economic Policy Reforms and Democratic Reforms in Tajikistan, 1991-2002

Democratic Reforms

Ratings of democratic freedoms are from Freedom House, Nations in Transit 2003 (2003) and cover events through December 2002. Economic policy reform ratings are from EBRD, Transition Report 2002 (November 2002), and cover events through September 2002. Economic policy reforms include price liberalization, trade and foreign exchange, privatization, legal, banking and capital markets, enterprise restructuring (credit and subsidy policy), and infrastructure reforms. Democratic freedoms include political rights (free and fair elections; openness of the political system to competing political parties and to minority group representation; governance and public administration) and civil liberties (free media and judiciary; freedom to develop NGOs and trade unions; equality of opportunity and freedom from corruption). Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 representing the most advanced.

Tajikistan has begun to move to a market economy, but much needs to be done before the benefits of the transition can be enjoyed by the broader population. The country is desperately poor, with a high incidence of malnutrition among children and a deteriorated health care system.

Economic Structure and Human Development in Tajikistan, 1991-2002

The Human Development Index (HDI) is based on three indicators using 2001 data: longevity, as measured by life expectancy; educational attainment, as measured by a combination of adult literacy and combined primary, secondary and tertiary enrollment ratios; and standard of living, as measured by real per capita GDP ($PPP). The HDI ranges from 0 to 1, with higher values representing greater human development. UNDP, Human Development Report 2003 (July 2003). Private-sector share of GDP is from EBRD Transition Report Update (May 2003).

SECTORAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES

DEMOCRATIC REFORM

Performance Indicator: USAID NGO Sustainability Index (1 = highest; 7 = lowest)

FY 2002 Baseline	FY 2003 Target	FY 2003 Actual
4.6		Data not yet available

FY 2003 Results: Compared to 2002, the environment for the NGO sector deteriorated somewhat . The enthusiasm inspired by a series of presidentially endorsed social partnership conferences dissipated as NGOs struggled with the inertia and mistrust of local authorities. Frequently, district and city officials dutifully participated in social partnership conferences without understanding the nature and purpose of NGOs and the benefits the local governments can achieve through day-to-day cooperation. On the other hand, there have been numerous cases in which civil society organizations are organized by local officials simply in order to attract funds from international donors. According to the Ministry of Justice, there are 1255 NGOs officially registered, of which only half are believed to be active.

Despite fairly progressive NGO legislation, local organizations are consistently harassed by tax authorities, causing NGOs to draw away from government authorities. A weak economy and a lack of local philanthropy diminish the sustainability of local NGOs, leaving many of them dependent on international support. While there were efforts to influence government policy in some areas affecting NGOs, including taxation and registration, there have been no major advocacy campaigns over the past year.

Performance Indicator: Freedom House Nations in Transit 2003 Independent Media rating (1 = highest, 7 = lowest; data based on previous calendar year)

FY 2002 Baseline	FY 2003 Target	FY 2003 Actual
5.75	5.50	5.75

FY 2003 Results: Despite Tajikistan’s more favorable ranking (relative to the other Central Asian countries) for freedom of the press from Reporters Without Borders in 2003, Tajikistan’s independent media is among the most fledgling in the region. While the first private radio station in Dushanbe, Asia Plus, went on the air this past year, the Tajik Government refused to issue the station a license to expand its operations to include a television station. As a result, there still remains no independent television station in Dushanbe. Furthermore, the laws governing media in the country are restrictive, and the licensing committee in charge of reviewing broadcast applications is neither transparent nor balanced in its membership. Nevertheless
, with the help of USG assistance, 14 local independent television stations operate throughout the country.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REFORM

Performance Indicator: Tax revenues as a percentage of GDP (Source: International Monetary Fund)

FY 2002 Baseline	FY 2003 Target	FY 2003 Actual
12.7	13.1	15.2

FY 2003 Results: Indicators demonstrated positive trends in improved tax and budget practices, as the percentage of tax revenue of GDP increased. USAID worked with the Ministry of State Revenues and Duties (MSRD) to develop a central taxpayer registration system for a new national taxpayer register, which will form the basis of tax accounting and compliance control for the MSRD. Based on advice from USAID consultants, the Minister of State Revenues and Duties succeeded in implementing a cooperative partnership with the Ministry of Justice for third-party verification mechanisms that provide for monthly information exchange on the registration of legal entities within the Ministry of Justice. These monthly lists provide the Tax Service with a mechanism for verifying taxpayer information and identifying non-registered taxpayers, thus improving the accuracy of the taxpayer database and reducing the time spent by tax inspectors to verify information, thereby also reducing the potential for corruption.

FY 2000 Baseline	FY 2003 Target	FY 2003 Actual
28	30.0	35.1

FY 2003 Results: USG assistance in areas such as financial sector supervision, business association development, judicial reform, and drafting of market-oriented commercial legislation contributed to improved conditions for business growth.

The number of cases heard by the country’s Commercial Court has increased from 200 in the year 2000 to over 1,500 in 2002—a clear sign of increased public confidence in the courts and the success of the training program.

Performance Indicator: Incidence of tuberculosis (new cases per 100,000) (Source: UNICEF)

FY 2002 Baseline	FY 2003 Target	FY 2003 Actual
64.1	150	Data not yet available

FY 2003 Results: Improved surveillance of the incidence of TB has resulted in an increase in the number of new cases reported, a trend that is likely to continue over the medium term. While Tajikistan’s TB case notification rate is the lowest in Central Asia, this is due to a virtually nonexistent reporting system. According to official data, the TB new-case notification rate increased by 56%, from 28.4 per 100,000 in 1995 to 64.1 in 2002. However, the World Health Organization estimates the TB case notification rates should have been approximately 114 in 2001. Due to improved diagnostics made possible by the USG assistance, the TB case notification rate increased more than two times from 64.1 (national level) to 150 (pilot sites) in June 2003.

SECURITY, REGIONAL STABILITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

Performance Indicator: U.S. State Department Global Trafficking in Persons Report ranking

FY 2002 Baseline	FY 2003 Target	FY 2003 Actual
Tier 3	Tier 2	Tier 2

FY 2003 Results: Despite limited resources, Tajikistan made significant efforts to address its trafficking in persons (TIP) problems, resulting in a move from Tier 3 to Tier 2. In 2003, Tajikistan passed two amendments to its criminal code addressing TIP and is in the process of drafting a separate law against TIP. After President Rahmonov spoke publicly about the problem and the need to address it, a presidential working group was formed to spearhead the effort. Much effort has been directed at prevention, and Tajikistan now distributes pamphlets with information and contact numbers at main transit points. Work is also under way to train law enforcement officials, judges, and prosecutors to deal more effectively with TIP issues.

(IN MILLIONS, AS OF 12/31/03)

FSA FUNDS BUDGETED: - $27.85

USAID - Democratic Reform - $3.50
USAID - Environmental Management - $1.40
USAID - Parking Fine Withholding - $0.00
USAID - Private-Sector Initiatives - $5.09
USAID - Social-Sector Reform - $3.45
USAID - Special/Cross Cutting Initiatives - $4.49
USAID - x Eurasia Foundation - $0.65
USAID TOTAL - $18.58

Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) - Cochran Fellowship Program - $0.10
DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) TOTAL - $0.10

Dept. of Commerce - BISNIS Business Info. Service - $0.02
Dept. of Commerce - SABIT Business Internships/Training - $0.23
DEPT. OF COMMERCE TOTAL - $0.25

Dept. of State - ECA Public Diplomacy Exchanges - $1.69
Dept. of State - EUR Democracy Programs (incl.Dem.Comms.& NED) - $0.32
Dept. of State - EUR/ACE Humanitarian Transport - $2.50
Dept. of State - INL Law Enforcement - $0.43
Dept. of State - Tajikistan-Afghanistan Bridge - $3.99
DEPT. OF STATE TOTAL - $8.92

OTHER FUNDS BUDGETED: $21.51

USAID - P.L. 480, Title II Food Assistance - $9.99
USAID TOTAL - $9.99

Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) - PVO / NGO Food Aid Programs - $8.06
DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) TOTAL - $8.06

Dept. of State - DRL Human Rights & Democracy Fund - $1.21
Dept. of State - ECA Public Diplomacy Exchanges - $0.18
Dept. of State - Export Control & Related Border Security (EXBS) - $0.35
Dept. of State - International Information Programs (IIP) - $0.00
Dept. of State - Internatl. Military Educ. & Training (IMET) - $0.34
Dept. of State - PRM Humanitarian Assistance - $0.47
Dept. of State - Science Centers - $0.50
DEPT. OF STATE TOTAL - $3.05

Dept. of Defense - Humanitarian Assistance - $0.40
DEPT. OF DEFENSE TOTAL - $0.40