Regions and Countries

	Table of Contents
p. 18 of 20 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies IV. Regional Cooperation V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination VI. Cofinancing and Catalyzing External Resources VII. ADB’s Operational Program VIII. Economic and Sector Work Program IX. Local Cost Financing

Country Assistance Plans - Kazakhstan

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VII. ADB’s Operational Program

A. The Proposed Program

57. The proposed lending and TA program for 2001-2003, as agreed upon by the Government, is summarized in Table 2 and shown in detail in Appendices 4 and 5 (project profiles for firm 2001 loans are given in Appendix 6). The program has an average annual level of $103 million in lending (against the IPF level of $150 million) and $4 million in technical assistance. The program is modest due to the country’s limited absorptive and implementation capacities. Nevertheless, the program strongly reflects the implementation of the poverty reduction strategy. The amount of lending for poverty interventions, including core poverty interventions, accounts for 35 percent of the total. These interventions will promote employment, improve rural household water supply, and strengthen social protection for children and women. The program for 2002-2003 is tentative and will be finalized after the poverty analysis is completed and the country’s Public Investment Program for 2003 is formulated.

58. Given the fact that responsibility for delivering social services and social assistance programs has recently been delegated to local governments, a number of the loan projects will be prepared and implemented in close consultation with local governments. The greater involvement of local governments in ADB operations will both ease the pressure on the central Government for provision of counterpart funds, and contribute to effective project implementation.

59. The TA program will help prepare the proposed lending activities and build sustainable capacities of the Government in the agriculture, energy, industry, social services, and transport sectors. With the recent decentralization of responsibility for social services and social assistance, a majority of the advisory TA projects will strengthen capacities of local governments. This will ensure greater impact of the capacity building efforts. In addition, a TA grant will be provided to strengthen the Government’s capacity for developing and implementing credible public investment programs.

B. Strengthened Role of ADB’s Resident Mission

60. With the approval of the Resident Mission Policy by the Board in February 2000, ADB is strengthening the capacity of its Kazakhstan Resident Mission (KARM) to further develop the partnership with the country. KARM was moved from Almaty to Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan in August 1999. The number of KARM staff has been increased and the office facilities have improved significantly. During 2001-2003, KARM will be provided with sufficient qualified staff and infrastructure to achieve its expanded functions. These functions include (i) government, civil society, and private sector relations; (ii) policy dialogue and support; (iii) country reporting; (iv) aid coordination; and (v) external relations and information dissemination.

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