Interview with UN Resident Coordinator Matthew Kehane

Five years after emerging from a disastrous post-independence civil war which claimed the lives of up to 100,000 people, Tajikistan is still considered the most vulnerable and backward of the five Central Asian states. Last week IRIN spoke to United Nations Resident Coordinator, Matthew Kahane and asked him if the stereotypical view of Tajikistan as a failed state still held true and whether any significant strides toward development had been made since the end of the war in 1997. QUESTION: People continue to think of Tajikistan as a country at war. Is this a fair assessment? ANSWER: It’s wrong to continue thinking of Tajikistan as a war ravaged country. These days I am glad to say that there is a much greater sense of internal stability in the country. Many of the problems we had before - namely certain field commanders who were refusing to integrate themselves into the government - have been resolved. Some have been disciplined, some have come into the fold and others have been killed in action resisting arrest. So, yes, there is a much greater sense of political stability at the moment. Q. Aside from political developments are there any clear signs that the economy is improving? A. In terms of economic recovery the situation is much more complex. We have seen a definite increase in agricultural production on land that is privately owned, but the picture on state owned land where cotton production is widespread and where farmers do not have a choice in what they farm is less rosy. One of the interesting by-products of the collapse of the subsidised state as practiced during the Soviet era is that we now have some excellent organic production, since farmers cannot afford to pay for unsubsidised fertilizers. So what we and the authorities need to do is look at ways in which production and post-production can be improved in such a way that it plays to the strengths of this country. But we should not forget that Tajikistan remains a food-deficit country where more than 10 percent of households are food insecure. Q. What are the main obstacles that aid agencies and the government face in kick-starting economic development in Tajikistan? A. The main problems that this country faces are geography, topography and climate. As an example consider these statistics. The average height above sea level here is 3,000 metres and there is only one pass through the mountains which separate the north and south of the country and even that pass is cut for six months of the year. This means that for half the year there is no road link between one half of the country and the other. Furthermore, while six percent of the land in Tajikistan is glacial only seven percent of the land is arable. So when you consider that almost as much land is covered with ice as is available to grow food then you can see what we are up against and you will see why I say that ultimately the well being of the Tajik people is left at the mercy of these uncontrollable factors. But these are problems that will always be there and which we have to work around. Perhaps more seriously I would say that Tajikistan’s biggest problems are inherited. That is to say the unsustainable economic policies of the Soviet Union which in turn meant that problems of infrastructure and self-reliance were never addressed during Soviet times. Moreover the government of Tajikistan has a substantial level of foreign debt and the government budget for 2002 is approximately twice the amount of international aid it received in 2001. Q. Corruption is said to be another of the major obstacles to development. Are there any strategies in place to tackle this? A. Corruption is definitely a major issue for Tajikistan and it is something that UNDP, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank are working together on to try and tackle. In many walks of life here corruption is endemic and stems in large part from the parlous state of the country’s economy and the poor state of the government’s revenue base. If this problem is not addressed then it will only continue to create difficulties and obstacles to economic growth. Q. It sounds as if Tajikistan has not only a physical mountain to climb but a metaphorical one as well? A. Well, development will definitely be a long-term process but as I said it’s wrong to think of Tajikistan as a war-ravaged state incapable of development. Let me give you an example of one of the ideas that we are looking at. We at UNDP are developing a Central Asian Procurement Initiative to build a database of suppliers in Central Asia with a view to making this information available to international aid agencies so that they have the option, when working in regional countries like Afghanistan, to buy materials and products locally. Industrial capacity in Tajikistan for example would be well-placed to supply products that could be used for returning refugees or IDPs such as pots and pans, blankets, plastic bales and rubber tubing. But again, I should stress that a lot of work would have to be done working with suppliers and getting them familiar with procurement procedures of the international aid agencies in particular and the west in general. We would have to work hard with suppliers to get them to change their habits and practices, but I see no reason why we cannot begin opening up the Tajik economy to opportunities like this as and when they present themselves.