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USAID Information:
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Turkmenistan
The Development Challenge
Over the past year, the Government of Turkmenistan has grown more repressive and less responsive to the developmental challenges faced by its people. Social indicators continue to be alarming. Government investments in health and education continue to decline. Less than 4,000 students out of a graduating class of about 100,000 were able to enter higher educational institutions last year. Of that, only 32% were women. Approximately 45% of the population is under the age of 25. Only 42% of rural families have access to potable drinking water. Only 2.3% of GDP is generated by the private sector (although this figure does not take into account the robust informal economy). Child and infant mortality are alarmingly high, and there is no political will to tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS. Unemployment continues to rise, with some estimates putting it as high as 70% in areas outside of the capital, Ashgabat. Brain drain continues to concern development agencies as educated workers seek employment opportunities abroad, mainly in Russia. There are only 0.24 internet users per 1,000 people in Turkmenistan. The only internet service provider is the government-owned telecom, which monitors use.
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The preponderance of U.S. assistance is directed to the needs of the Turkmen people, primarily through education, training, and exchanges. Investing in people is the foundation of USAID's assistance program in Turkmenistan. Giving them the tools to create an environment of change is essential to plan for the future in Turkmenistan. Assistance to the Government of Turkmenistan (GOT) is limited, and interaction with the government occurs only in cases where dividends are linked directly to reform. The U.S. national interest in Turkmenistan is substantial. Turkmenistan has been supportive of the Global War on Terrorism and provides critical support in Operation Enduring Freedom. Although Turkmenistan's economic, political, and social performance is poor, disengaging from the Turkmen people would serve only to further isolate them and lessen the likelihood of their achieving sustainable development.
The USAID Program: Meeting the challenges in Turkmenistan necessitates a long-term view with a focus on human capital development. Training and exchanges are necessary to continue people-to-people interactions and information exchange in Turkmenistan. The Program Data Sheets outline USAID's objectives in Turkmenistan. USAID is requesting funds for: democratic culture and citizen advocacy, primary health care, small enterprise development, water and energy management, and cross-cutting activities such as conflict mitigation, youth and education, gender equity, anti-corruption, and respect for the rule of law. The majority of FY 2005 funding is to continue support for multi-year initiatives that are ongoing.
Other Program Elements: The Farmer-to-Farmer Program, financed through P.L. 480 is active in Turkmenistan. In FY 2003, about 30 agricultural specialists interacted with Turkmen farmers to improve the lives of rural citizens. They also established the Future Farmers of Turkmenistan program mirrored on the Future Farmers of America model in the United States. This allows for investment in the future generation of rural leaders of the country. The Eurasia Foundation maintained a presence in Turkmenistan during FY 2003, providing grants to civil society development organizations. Other USG programs, such as International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance, and Defense Security Assistance, continue to collaborate with USAID.
Other Donors: Donor coordination has improved over the past year in Turkmenistan. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has taken a leadership role in donor coordination, especially in the areas of democracy and education. USAID fully participates and often adds supporting funds to other multilateral development programs. Overall development assistance to Turkmenistan continues to be relatively small. Bilateral and multilateral development agencies face the same challenges as USAID. The European Union Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States is facing programming cuts. World Bank lending has ceased; the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF)continues to support women and children through maternal and child health programming, educational reform projects, and other important initiatives. USAID funds or co-funds several projects with UNICEF in Turkmenistan. The U.N. Development Program is working on public management, economic reform, and environmental protection. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees works with the refugee communities and the International Organization for Migration works on migration issues. The United Nations Population Fund works on reproductive health issues. USAID is the leading bilateral assistance provider in Turkmenistan. Other bilaterals include the UK, Germany and Turkey. The Asian Development Bank has a limited presence in Turkmenistan. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development recently restarted its small/medium enterprise credit line that was suspended for three years due to lack of currency conversion.
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