DUSHANBE, November 4, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan government officials have attended a seminar on the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) anticorruption policy, which seeks to reduce the risk of fraud and corruption in ADB-financed projects.

The seminar was conducted by the ADB's Office of Anticorruption and Integrity in Dushanbe in late October, and was the first such seminar held in Tajikistan since it joined ADB in 1998, according to press release issued by the ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM) on November 4 said.

"The problem of corruption is one of the most enduring dilemmas confronting every society throughout history – the nature and scope of corruption may change, but we can find this phenomenon at all times and everywhere – in developed as well as in developing countries. And Tajikistan is no exception," said Makoto Ojiro, ADB’s Country Director for Tajikistan, who opened the seminar.

This seminar was part of a regional technical assistance, which seeks to increase the understanding of and compliance with ADB's anticorruption policy and to raise awareness of potential irregularities of executing and implementing agencies, and project stakeholders to strengthen project administration.

If ADB identifies that its anticorruption policy has been violated, ADB can debar individuals or firms from participating in ADB-funded activities.  In extreme cases, ADB can refuse to pay for activities which violated the policy or may cancel part or all loan or grant funding.

The half-day seminar focused on understanding integrity issues by defining integrity violations (fraud, corruption, collusion and conflicts of interest), providing examples, and discussing ADB's anticorruption policy, guidelines, and process.

The government agencies represented in this seminar included the Executive Office of the President, State Financial Control and Anticorruption Agency, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Ministry of Energy and Industry, State Committee on Investments and State Property, Ministry of Finance, Customs Service, Ministry of Transport and Communications, National Bank of Tajikistan, OJSHC "Barqi Tojik", Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and the Ministry of Water Resources and Land Reclamation.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998. ADB has been supporting poverty reduction in the country through investments in infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, social sector, and regional cooperation. As of October 2009, ADB has approved $372.54 million in loans, $33.89 million in technical assistance, and $160.77 million in grants to Tajikistan.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2008, it approved $10.5 billion of loans, $811.4 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $274.5 million.