Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07DUSHANBE1612
2007-11-14 04:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Dushanbe
Cable title:
MCC DEMARCHE - TAJIKS STILL MISSING THE POINT
how-toVZCZCXRO5384 RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHDBU #1612 3180421 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 140421Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1316 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 3225 RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2050 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK NY RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0203
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001612
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/IFD/ODF;
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV ETRD ECON KMCA MCC TI
SUBJECT: MCC DEMARCHE - TAJIKS STILL MISSING THE POINT
REF: STATE 146777
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 001612
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/IFD/ODF;
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV ETRD ECON KMCA MCC TI
SUBJECT: MCC DEMARCHE - TAJIKS STILL MISSING THE POINT
REF: STATE 146777
1. (U) Summary. EmbOffs delivered the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) scorecard to a variety of Tajik officials, who
roundly ignored its implications and instead attacked the
legitimacy and methodology behind the indicators. Kyrgyzstan's
pending Threshold Program caught the attention of several
officials, but none was willing to engage in a discussion about
steps Tajikistan might take in order to qualify for the program.
End Summary.
2. (U) EmbOffs delivered the MCC scorecard and talking points to
the State Committee on Investments and State Property, the
Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Center for Strategic
Studies. EmbOffs noted that the MCC criteria closely matched
Tajikistan's own National Development Strategy and the United
Nation's Millennium Development Goals. Tajikistan's ratings
changed little from last year, reflecting the Tajik government's
inability to implement key reforms and seriously address
corruption.
3. (U) Despite Foreign Minister Zarifi's interest in the MCC
program, nearly all the officials we met went on the defensive
about MCC, drubbing the scorecard's independent methodology.
EconOff referenced the 50-page MCC indicator description booklet
frequently to fend off attacks. Several officials asked how
Freedom House could analyze the country when they don't even
have an office here. In a sad commentary on the state of Tajik
academic rigor, Deputy Director Bobokalonov from the Center for
Strategic Studies, a government run think tank, asked EconOff to
explain what "healthy governance" means. EconOff responded that
Tajikistan has many laws on its books, but lacks the capacity or
political will to implement them. An official from the Ministry
of Trade and Economy argued that Tajikistan "has very excellent
political and civil rights," and that the researchers should
come to the government to confirm their data. This official
requested to meet with these organizations in order to explain
the government's methodology. The official brushed off
EconOff's suggestion that the government should instead meet
with these organizations to figure out how Tajikistan might
actually improve its indicators.
4. (SBU) Comment: As in past years' discussions regarding MCC,
Tajik officials demonstrated that they were not interested in
discussing meaningful reforms. They would welcome the
additional assistance, but are not keen to do the heavy lifting
necessary to bring about the necessary improvements in
governance. We will continue to use the MCC scorecard as an
instrument to help prod Tajikistan to reform, but recognize that
aid conditioned on policy reforms is a hard sell here. End
Comment.
JACOBSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/IFD/ODF;
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV ETRD ECON KMCA MCC TI
SUBJECT: MCC DEMARCHE - TAJIKS STILL MISSING THE POINT
REF: STATE 146777
1. (U) Summary. EmbOffs delivered the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) scorecard to a variety of Tajik officials, who
roundly ignored its implications and instead attacked the
legitimacy and methodology behind the indicators. Kyrgyzstan's
pending Threshold Program caught the attention of several
officials, but none was willing to engage in a discussion about
steps Tajikistan might take in order to qualify for the program.
End Summary.
2. (U) EmbOffs delivered the MCC scorecard and talking points to
the State Committee on Investments and State Property, the
Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Center for Strategic
Studies. EmbOffs noted that the MCC criteria closely matched
Tajikistan's own National Development Strategy and the United
Nation's Millennium Development Goals. Tajikistan's ratings
changed little from last year, reflecting the Tajik government's
inability to implement key reforms and seriously address
corruption.
3. (U) Despite Foreign Minister Zarifi's interest in the MCC
program, nearly all the officials we met went on the defensive
about MCC, drubbing the scorecard's independent methodology.
EconOff referenced the 50-page MCC indicator description booklet
frequently to fend off attacks. Several officials asked how
Freedom House could analyze the country when they don't even
have an office here. In a sad commentary on the state of Tajik
academic rigor, Deputy Director Bobokalonov from the Center for
Strategic Studies, a government run think tank, asked EconOff to
explain what "healthy governance" means. EconOff responded that
Tajikistan has many laws on its books, but lacks the capacity or
political will to implement them. An official from the Ministry
of Trade and Economy argued that Tajikistan "has very excellent
political and civil rights," and that the researchers should
come to the government to confirm their data. This official
requested to meet with these organizations in order to explain
the government's methodology. The official brushed off
EconOff's suggestion that the government should instead meet
with these organizations to figure out how Tajikistan might
actually improve its indicators.
4. (SBU) Comment: As in past years' discussions regarding MCC,
Tajik officials demonstrated that they were not interested in
discussing meaningful reforms. They would welcome the
additional assistance, but are not keen to do the heavy lifting
necessary to bring about the necessary improvements in
governance. We will continue to use the MCC scorecard as an
instrument to help prod Tajikistan to reform, but recognize that
aid conditioned on policy reforms is a hard sell here. End
Comment.
JACOBSON