Tajikistan has identified Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction as a critical component of its national development strategy, which could contribute to the achievement of several policy goals, including private sector growth, job creation, and economic diversification. As the COVID-19 pandemic has increased competition for FDI, the role of investment promotion agencies (IPAs) is growing around the world.

Building on robust economic growth since the end of a civil war in 1997, Tajikistan has transformed itself into a service economy driven by consumer spending fueled by strong remittance inflow. Yet the transfer of resources to high value-added sectors has been restrained, and structural change has generated few new jobs. Without sufficient employment opportunities in the services and industrial sectors, agriculture became the fallback for most of the labor force. To continue its economic growth, Tajikistan requires new drivers from a diversified industry sector and a modernized economy through structural transformation and export diversification.

While Central Asia has proven relatively resilient to the shocks of COVID-19, China’s slowdown and Russia’s war in Ukraine, declining trend rates of growth across the region, lacklustre productivity performance and lingering global uncertainty underscore the need to address weaknesses in the business and investment climate.

World Bank Discussion Paper No. 257S. Spanish edition (Mejoramiento de la Calidad de la EducaciÃ[3]n Primaria en América Latina y Caribe: Hacia el Siglo XXI). Countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC) have invested heavily in primary education over the past 10 years. International studies of achievement, however, show that LAC countries still perform significantly worse than those in the developed world and worse than many developing countries in Asia. This report reviews selected issues and progress to date in the LAC region and makes recommendations for the future. The paper recommends strategies for managing three elements that are identified as fundamental for improving primary education: increasing the provision of pre-schooling, making textbooks and teaching materials available, and changing teachers' behavior through new incentives and techniques. The volume includes tables, figures, and more than nine case studies. Also available in English: (ISBN 0-8213-2985-5) Stock No. 12985.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have recorded impressive economic growth rates since 2000, driven mainly by the export of commodities and labour.

Tajikistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. The country is noted for its natural beauty and diverse landscapes, including rugged mountains, vast deserts, and lush valleys. Its population of approximately 9 million people is made up of ethnic Tajiks, as well as minority groups such as Uzbeks, Russians, and Kyrgyz. Tajikistan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and since then, the country has undergone significant political and economic changes. In recent years, the government has focused on boosting the country's economy, particularly by investing in infrastructure development, such as the construction of a new airport and improved road networks. While Tajikistan's economy still faces challenges, such as high unemployment and poverty rates, the country is making strides towards a brighter future.

- Foreword - Acronyms and abbreviations - Executive summary - A regional agenda for economic diversification in Central Asia - Business environment in Central Asia: Access to finance - Business environment in Central Asia: Firms' internationalisation - Business environment in Central Asia: Skills - Country factsheets - Details of country projects