Dushanbe, January 30, Asia-Plus -- The Catalytic Fund Strategy Committee under the Education For All Fast Track Initiative, which came together for it meeting in Beijing, China, has approved the USD 9.2 million grant for the Republic of Tajikistan for the year 2006.

According to information the World Bank Dushanbe Office, the grant will support the immediate measures aimed at preventing further decline of the general education status in the country. More specifically, it will assist the implementation of the National Strategy for Education Development endorsed by the local donor community in November 2005. The Grant will cover priority areas identified in the National Strategy including education infrastructure, management and information system.

This decision had followed Tajikistan’s joining the Fast Track Initiative Partnership in November 2005. The Catalytic Fund is administered by the World Bank on behalf of contributing donors to the fund.  

To respond to recipient country’s concern about aid predictability, an additional allocation of USD 9.2 million for 2007 was also pre-approved by the Catalytic Fund Strategy Committee during the same meeting in Beijing. The actual access to the next year’s grant allocation will be contingent upon satisfactory implementation of the 2006 year grant.