European Union awards Louis Berger EUR 5 million public finance management contract in Tajikistan

PARIS, Feb. 12, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Tajikistan has selected Louis Berger for a €5.1 million ($5.8 million USD) technical assistance contract for public finance management.

Strengthening public finance management is part of far-reaching political and economic reforms the Tajik government has implemented to support the country's National Development Strategy and Living Standards Improvement Strategy. Both aim to promote overall economic competitiveness and growth, which are in part predicated on Tajikistan's ability to make public services more effective, reliable, transparent, accountable, ethical and professional.

"Development practitioners have long known that a strong public finance system is a key contributor to strong development outcomes, such as improved living standards," said Daphnée Benayoun, director of institutional development at Louis Berger. "Based on our 16 years of experience in Tajikistan, this public finance management project is one of the most significant development interventions the country has undertaken."

As part of this contract, Louis Berger will help the Tajik Ministry of Finance and the Economic and Financial Institute improve how the country performs macroeconomic modelling, formulates revenue and tax policy and rolls out a medium-term expenditure framework for other governmental institutions. In addition, Louis Berger will help enhance the Ministry of Finance's ability to respond to changes in the economic environment, forecast macroeconomic indicators and make informed decisions on fiscal decentralization.

To ensure the sustainability of reforms that are introduced, Louis Berger also will partner with the Tajik Financial and Economic Institute to deliver high quality public financial management education services. Throughout the project implementation, the company will provide training, coaching and knowledge transfer to promote a sense of ownership and lasting project outcomes.

Louis Berger has been working in Tajikistan for more than 15 years. The company has supported both the government and the private sector in poverty reduction and in the development of strategic sectors, such as transport, energy, water supply and agriculture.

About Louis Berger
Louis Berger is a $1 billion global professional services corporation that helps infrastructure and development clients solve their most complex challenges. We are a trusted partner to national, state and local government agencies; multilateral institutions; and commercial industry clients worldwide. By focusing on client needs to deliver quality, safe, financially-successful projects with integrity, we are committed to deliver on our promise to provide Solutions for a better world. Louis Berger operates on every habitable continent. We have a long-standing presence in more than 50 nations, represented by the multidisciplinary expertise of 6,000 engineers, economists, scientists, managers and planners.