International cooperation

The Agency for Statistics is grateful to all development partners who carried out their activities for development of Tajikistan’s statistics in the past and brought the national statistical system closer to international standards. Since 2015, the AS has received support and assistance from the following development partners:

THE WORLD BANK

In 2015, the World Bank assisted in improvement of HBS and development of the national methodology for poverty assessment, and an annual poverty and national poverty assessment was conducted for the Government and other users.

In 2016-2018 – Improving the poverty assessment methodology for international assessment and the national poverty assessment. Modernization of HBS, introduction of new modules and software for data collection in electronic format by means of tablets. Transition from the old method of collection on paper carriers to electronic collection using new technologies. Obtaining disaggregated data to provide SDG indicators and NDR RT indicators by 2030.

2016-2018 – Together with the State Enterprise “Development of Entrepreneurship in Agriculture” with the technical support of the World Bank – the “Commercialization of Agriculture” project to modernize the system for collection, processing and disseminating of the data on price through SMS messaging mechanism. i.e. automation of the process of collecting weekly prices from certain cities and regions of the country (22 districs and cities) and distribution of information on agricultural producers through mechanism of the SMS-messages. 5 laptops and 40 tablets and 2 servers worth 30 thousand USD were received.

The AS together with the State Committee for Investments and State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan implemented the project “Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Private Sector of the Republic of Tajikistan”. The technical assistance was provided within the framework of this project for acquisition of 1 server bundled with storage, 5 computers and 1 laptop. Training was also organized. The total cost of the project made 110.6 thousand USD.

IMF

As part of the program on improvement of the statistics of national accounts, the IMF’s international experts on national accounts visited the AS in 2016 to provide technical assistance. After the mission, the staff revised calculations of some indicators of national accounts, as well as developed a program of technical assistance to the AS.

The IMF’s international expert on national accounts visited the AS in 2017 to provide technical assistance within the framework of the IMF program on improvement of the national accounts statistics. This activity of 18STG8500 was carried out in the context of the STA_AFR_2016_10 – The Enhanced Data Dissemination Initiative 2 (RIRD 2, EDDI 2), funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

 Also in 2018, the second mission of the IMF expert was carried out. At present, work has begun to improve the indicators of national accounts and implementation of the SNA 2008. In addition, it is also planned to introduce and regularly compile quarterly estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for production and expenditure. To implement these tasks, the form of statistical reporting 1-IA “Indicators of economic activity of enterprises (organizations)” was revised which will be one of the main sources of formation of quarterly GDP.

UNDP

In 2016, within the framework of the UNDP-UNEP IHP project, a situation analysis was conducted to identify the technical preparedness of the Agency for Statistics under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan for implementation of environmental statistics and its relationship to the economy as the basis for official statistics. Based on results of analysis, the sufficient resource potential of the Agency was identified to introduce the SEEA into the system of national accounts. This project was implemented from 2016 to 2017 for 22.8 thousand USD.

 The Preliminary Tables of the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting were prepared for the first time within the framework of the Project “Poverty and Environment Initiative in Tajikistan” in the Agency for Statistics with support of the United Nations Development Program. The main task of this work is collection, analysis and calculations of indicators of water resources and forestry statistics, the formation of SEEA tables in natural and value terms. This work is the first step in implementation of the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting in the statistical system. The “Report on results of implementation of the pilot tables of the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting for Water Resources and Forestry” was prepared in October 2017. This work is also presented in Dushanbe at the national seminar on the “Joint Environmental Information Systems (SEIS) and environmental statistics for the” Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)”.

In 2017 – “Improvement of the system of trade statistics to create a source of information for the trade register” within the framework of the “trade facilitation” project. The following results were achieved as a result of the sub-project implementation:

1. Statistical tools have been improved to reduce the burden on respondents, taking into account application of international standards;
2. Methodology of internal trade and foreign trade statistics is improved;
3. The knowledge and experience of specialists in the management of trade statistics are improved for application of international standards, such as the General Classifier of Economic Activities – OKED2, the use of the Tramo / Seats soft, the application of sampling techniques for sample surveys, and the use of SPSS software; and
4. Coordination with the Customs Service is established on provision of data on foreign economic activity at the level of 6 or more signs (10 characters).

The UNDP Project is planned for 2018-2020 to implement the “Road Map” for monitoring of implementation of the SDG.

In order to ensure achievement of the SDG in its entirety and monitor results of its work, the AS with the support of UNDP developed a “Road Map” for monitoring the implementation of the SDG.

Totally, the “Roadmap” includes 37 subcomponents and implementation of them is planned to be funded by allocating 150.000 USD from the UNSD-DFID Project.

THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT FUND

The UNFPA has been providing various kinds of support to the Agency for several years. The support of UNFPA is especially appreciable in preparation and conduct of the population and housing census of 2020.

Assistance was provided in preparation of legislative acts, the draft of questionnaires for the housing and population census and the draft budget for 2017-2022; Conducting seminars for specialists of departments, census departments of regions, cities and regions in preparation for the population and housing census of 2020; Conducting seminars for heads of departments, divisions of sectors within local bodies on statistics in preparations for the population and housing census of 2020. Financial support was provided for the exchange of experience by and between the specialists of the AS on study of new technologies to be applied for conducting the population and housing census.

Laptops were purchased to introduce electronic household books for Jamoats of Zafarabad district of the Sogd region.

Several events were held In 2016 by the financial support of the United Nations Population and Development Fund in the amount of 86.7 thousand TJS.

• Support in updating the Tojikinfo website;
• Training to improve the quality of the ICD-10 death coding for demographers and medical statistics specialists of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan;
• Training for preparation of conducting the time budget survey for chiefs and deputy chiefs of household budget departments of the Main Departments of Oblast Statistics (Khatlon, Sughd and GBAO), in Dushanbe, and specialists in the Department of Demography of the Agency and the Office of the Household Budget Survey of the Agency’s Headquarters;
• Conducting monitoring to improve the registration of births and deaths in jamoats and medical institutions in Khatlon and Sughd regions, GBAO and Districts of the Republican Subordination; and
• Technical support in preparation of a survey on returned migrants.

According to the signed agreements with the AS in 2017, several events were held by the financial support of the United Nations Population and Development Fund: 4 local consultants were hired to organize the second copies of civil status acts and to complete the acts for archiving. According to the technical assignment, the civil status acts were completed in sets as per births, deaths, marriages and divorces in the cities and districts of the country for 2004, 2007, 2015.

Training seminars for demographic specialists were organized “On Coding the Causes of Death according to International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10)” within the framework of the project in 2017, and totally 21 specialists participated in this seminar. This seminar allowed to consider existing shortcomings in the field of an appropriate coding of causes of deaths at the regional level.

The training was conducted to train the health workers – biomarker by the technical assistance of the UNFPA, under the MDI program. 3 stages of monitoring the MDIT of 2017 were conducted with participation of an international expert from the ICF (USAID).

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO)

In 2015-2017 the “Assessment of diversity of women’s diet” was conducted during the household budget survey and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation mechanism of the MCI-G in various regions of Tajikistan

Capacity of economists of the Household Budget Survey has been increased on nutrition and integration of the food diversity instrument in HBS. Technical support has been provided for conducting the number of seminars (Dushanbe, Kurgan Tyube, Sughd region).

The FAO assisted in conducting the survey of women of reproductive age 15-49 years in 2015, 2016 and in 2017, and collection of data on 2000 women 15-49 years.

In 2017-2018 the survey was carried out on “Women’s empowerment in agriculture”. An actual information was received on the impact of migration and women’s participation in the agricultural sector.

Seminars were held on “Improving the registration system for farmers and for switching to electronic messages form 1-farmer “Report on activities of farms” within the framework of the project “Strengthening the skills of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan and veterinary science”,  and a register of dehkan farms is developed in statistics of the rural farms in various regions of Tajikistan.

The capacity of economists of agricultural statisticians were built to improve the registration system for farmers and to switch to electronic messages Form 1-Farmer “Report on activities of the farms”.

The technical support worth 12.400 USD was provided to conduct of a number of seminars (Vahdat, Kurgan Tyube and Kulyab of Khatlon region, Khujand city of Sughd Region and Khorog city of GBAO).

In 2018 FAO provided technical support worth 43.000 USD for publication of the agricultural census of 2013 and a study visit to the NSO of Georgia within the framework of the “Strengthening the Capacity of the Institutions of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan and the State Veterinary Surveillance Service for Policy Development Project “.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Tajikistan

In 2017, financial support was provided in amount of 16.000 USD to conduct the pilot survey of revised health module questionnaire and included in the regular HBS survey.

Interviewers were trained in the health module and interviewed in 750 households and that was provided in the SPSS format to WHO for analysis of results.

Within the framework of the “STEP” Project, the WHO Office in the Republic of Tajikistan provided technical and financial support to conduct the household listing for the “Research to assess the quality of medical services in the Republic of Tajikistan”.

In 2016, financial support was provided in amount of 11.000 USD to the AS to conduct the “Sampling of Clusters and Listing of Households”, in the regions of Tajikistan for the given leadership and a list of specified households was submitted to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tatarstan. 22 specialists of the Agency were trained within the framework of this project in conducting the Listing.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Every year, support is provided to improve the indicators for women and children in the framework of the TransMoni and Tojinfo. The Country Analytical Report on Women and Children has been prepared. The indicators based on TransMoni and Tojinfo on demography, poverty, social statistics and the labor market on gender aspects and indicators of children and adolescents have been updated.

UNESCAP UN

2016-2017 The financial and technical assistance was provided in the amount of 22,000 USD to conduct the survey of the trade margins.

The purpose of this survey is to obtain up-to-date information on the trade margin and its structure by type of activity in accordance with the OKEC, 2^nd edition (NACE Rev.2) and the types of products in accordance with the CEDA 2008 (CPA 2008) in the Republic of Tajikistan.

The results of this survey provided an opportunity to harmonize statistical data in accordance with international standards. And they will also be used for the SNA calculations.

This allowed the Agency for Statistics:

• to improve the database of national accounts with new trade indicators;
• to get an up-to-date information on the trade margin as per required structure;
• To improve calculations and assessments of macroeconomic indicators by the new supplemented trade indicators;
• to use results of research in the tables on “Resources and application”; and
• update the information of the Business Register.

Results of the survey were presented and discussed with representatives of ministries and departments of the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as international organizations and representatives of the media at a meeting of the interdepartmental working group.

The INOGATE Program

In 2012-2016, the “Improving the methodology and tools of energy statistics project “, where the main goal was to assist in the development of an institutional framework for energy statistics with a view to harmonizing them with international standards, as well as improving the methodologies used in data collection and compilation of energy statistics, energy balances, energy price statistics and energy indicators (energy efficiency indicators). The methodology for accounting the energy statistics has been improved, and a new statistical forms 4A-CH “Report on the purchase, sale, stock of energy resources and electricity” have been introduced lately as a result of implementation of the sub-project.

Center for Statistical Studies, Economic, Social and Professional Training of Personnel for Islamic Countries (SESRIK).

In 2016, a training was conducted on the poverty assessment methodology in the countries of Central Asia and the EU.

In 2016, the AS conducted the first national survey of the adult population on consumption of tobacco products in the Republic of Tajikistan and the technical assistance in amount of $ 10.000 USD was provided by SESRIK.

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in Tajikistan in 2016 was a nationally representative survey of men and women 15 years old and elder ones designed to obtain internationally comparable data on tobacco consumption and measures for its control using the standard questionnaire, sampling, data collection and management procedures.

The survey uses the four-stage sample of heterogeneous variation to obtain the key indicators for the country as a whole, as well as for the place of permanent residence (city / countryside) and the gender. 3,000 people aged 15 years and over were successfully interviewed, and the response rate made 100. As a result of the Adult Consumption Survey on Tobacco Consumption (GATS), data was obtained on consumption of tobacco products, cessation of smoking, consumption of the tobacco product of the demodium smoking (the green powder -nos), as well as knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about the harm of tobacco consumption.

Representation of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)

The “Framework conditions and financing for private sector development in Tajikistan” Project was launched at the beginning of 2014, with the support of the Representation of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Ministries and departments of the republic were involved to implement this project. The AS was also involved in implementation of the project component on compilation of the Social Accounts Matrix. The purpose of the project was to compile the table of Tajikistan on “Resources-Use”. This work serves as a tool for balancing the calculation of gross domestic product by production and consumption method. In addition, it was necessary to classify production and consumption by types of economic activities and types of products (services).

An international expert was involved to implement this assignment. The work continued from 2014 to 2015. In 2014, a pilot version of the resource table and its application, and in early 2015, the full version with the most possible detailed breakdown by sector of the economy were prepared. In September 2015, the publication “Formation of the “Resources-Application” Table for 2011 was provided to users”.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

2017-2018. Technical support in conducting the Medical-Demographic Research (MDI), assistance in data collection and analysis which was necessary for planning, monitoring and evaluation of programs for population, health and nutrition. The project is implemented with the assistance of ICF International Rokvilla, Maryland, USA, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health / Communication Program Center, the Appropriate Health Technology Program (PATH), and AvenirHealth (Future Health), VysnovaPartners (Visnova Partners) “BlueRaster” (Blue Raster), “EnCompass” and “Kimetrica”.

The AS acts as an implementing agency for the MDI and works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population. AS assumed responsibility for solving the operational issues, including planning and conducting the field works, processing of collected data, arrangement of preparation and distribution of reports.

Financial support for MDI is provided by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donors, such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Employees of the ICHF Medical and Demographic Research Program (the DHS Program) provided technical assistance during all stages of the study. The main report of results of the MDIT / 2017 will be prepared and presented by September’2018.