On September 19, the United States Government officially launched the reconstructed water supply system in Palos municipality in Tajikistan’s Buston city. This project, part of USAID’s Rural Water Supply (RWS) Activity, aims to provide safe drinking water to underserved communities across Tajikistan, the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan reported.
Previously, only 50% of Palos municipality’s 4,500 residents had access to safe drinking water due to frequent system breakdowns and lack of funds to maintain the system. Through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the local government and the private operator LLC “Makoni Ozod,” supported by USAID, the system was fully restored, and now serves the entire population – 4,500 people.
At the launch, USAID Tajikistan Mission Director John Riordan stated that this project “stands as a testament to what can be achieved when we unite the strengths of both the public and private sectors for a common goal.”
In addition, USAID is working with the Government of Tajikistan to develop a new PPP law that will make it easier to implement small-scale PPP projects, including those focused on water services.
Over the past five years, USAID has rehabilitated and constructed 30 water systems throughout Tajikistan, bringing safe drinking water to over 100,000 people.
