Tajikistan: Second Review Under the Third Annual Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and Request for Waiver of a Performance Criterion—Staff Report and News Brief on the Executive Board Discussion

An IMF staff team has visited Dushanbe during April 23–May 3, 2001, to undertake the second review of the third annual arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). With the exception of a continuous performance criterion pertaining to the accumulation of external arrears, all of the performance criteria for end-March 2001 have been observed. The authorities continue to make good progress with the preparation of their Poverty Reduction and Strategy Paper (PRSP). Policy performance under the macroeconomic and structural adjustment program has improved in recent months, but some concerns persist.