ADB Approves $20.5 Million Grant to Modernize Tajikistan’s Social Services and Pension System

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on 2 October 2026 that it has approved a $20.5 million grant to modernize Tajikistan's social benefits delivery and expand pension coverage across the country.

The financing package consists of a $19.5 million grant from the ADB’s Asian Development Fund (ADF) and a $1 million grant from the High-Level Technology Fund, which is financed by the Government of Japan through the ADB. The ADF funding includes $12.32 million designated to assist countries dealing with the economic and financial fallout from conflict in the Middle East.

According to the ADB, pension benefits in Tajikistan are among the lowest in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. The institution noted that informal employment, seasonal work, self-employment, and labor migration have left many individuals outside the formal pension system, while rising food and fuel costs and supply disruptions linked to regional conflict have placed additional financial strain on vulnerable households.

“For people who have worked all their lives, retirement security should not depend on paperwork or distance from an office,” ADB President Masato Kanda said, adding that the project aims to extend protections to workers outside the current system.

The project will upgrade Tajikistan's Agency of Social Insurance and Pension by establishing secure data centers, a single digital platform for administration and client services, digitized records, enhanced cybersecurity, and improved inter-agency data sharing. Agency offices in Dushanbe and Bokhtar will also be upgraded, and staff will receive training on the new digital systems. The ADB expects the platform to serve at least 320,000 existing contributors and 250,000 pensioners.

Additionally, the initiative aims to expand pension access to informal and self-employed workers, migrant laborers, and their families. It is also designed to help women enroll in the pension system, connect them to maternal health care and protective services, and support resilience against natural hazards.

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