TI Knowledge Hub: Overview of Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Tajikistan

The Transparency International Knowledge Hub brief “Overview of Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Tajikistan”, dated 7 January 2013 and authored by Sofia Wickberg with Robin Hodess as reviewer, is an Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief produced in response to a U4 Partner Agency query. The report states that its purpose is to provide an overview of the nature and impact of corruption in Tajikistan and the legal and institutional framework available to address it, with a caveat that in-depth research and local studies on the impact of corruption in particular sectors is limited and that it is very early to assess the success or failure of recent anti-corruption initiatives. The report states that most evidence indicates corruption in Tajikistan is widespread and at all levels of society, that rule of law is weak and most institutions lack transparency and integrity structures. According to the report, Tajikistan experiences similar issues to other former Soviet states in Central Asia, with little political renewal and a small elite capturing political and economic life, and that the country performs poorly in all areas assessed by governance indicators. The report states that public administration and services as well as the judiciary are seen as particularly corrupt state institutions, and that although Dushanbe has taken steps forward to fight corruption, the country lacks some important anti-corruption mechanisms and the necessary political will to effectively counter corruption. The report’s contents, according to the brief, cover an overview of corruption in Tajikistan, the governance structure and anti-corruption efforts, and references. The brief is operated by Transparency International in collaboration with the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre based at the Chr. Michelsen Institute. Sources cited: Transparency International, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute, governance indicators.