THE EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IS NOT INTENDED TO INVEST IN TALCO

            Dushanbe, December, 19th. (Timur Bandishoev, Olga Saprykina, the NIAT "Khovar"). — The Meeting of representatives of the civil society with workers of the Tajik office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has taken place in the capital. Discussion of the draught variant of the new Strategy of work of the bank in Tajikistan became an occasion to the meeting. As the NIAT "Khovar" was informed in the office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in RТ, representatives of the bank, and also microfinancial institutions and public organizations who are united in the one category of the bank — the organizations of the civil society (OCS) were participants of the meeting.             Mass-media which also is under this category have not been presented at the meeting. According to Matthew Le Blan, the head of the office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Tajikistan, new strategy should plan types of projects for the following 3 years. In his presentation the head of the office noticed, that the basic priorities of the new strategy are private and financial sector.            Concerning the investment climate, M. Le Blan noticed, that the bank is intended to co-operate in this direction with IMF and the National Bank of RT for the improvement of transparency and reporting of the National bank. "The Central Bank of the country should not finance cotton sector, — he has noted, — but to pay attention to regulation of the financial system of the country and stabilization of prices". In his presentation Matthew Le Blan actually recognised a failure of several projects of the bank.            In particular, he has noticed, that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has lost money at once on 3 commercial projects. Therefore now he is interested more in small and medium business. The bank does not intend to invest in Talco (aluminium factory) while there will be no transparency