January 12, 2021 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Development Policy Institute (DPI) launched a new project to support the development of local government services in the Kyrgyz Republic. As part of “Successful Aimak 2”, municipalities in Issyk-Kul, Jalal-Abad, Naryn and Osh oblasts will work to improve key services, such as water supply, waste removal, maintenance of public spaces such as parks, and provision of recreational activities.
The project focuses on assisting the municipalities in improving their management practices by training staff, providing legal consultations, and encouraging the use of best practices from other municipalities. One of the key goals is to help municipalities make their services financially sustainable by introducing appropriate tariffs, increasing revenues, partnering with local entrepreneurs, and using IT solutions. In this way, the municipalities can expand their budgets and offer more services to improve the quality of life for local communities.
“Local governments play a critical role in improving the lives of Kyrgyzstanis. They are responsible for so many important services such as kindergartens, potable water, and trash collection. The quality of these services affects the lives of every Kyrgyz citizen. That is why USAID works with municipalities across the country to help them enhance these services” says Keith Simmons, USAID/Kyrgyz Republic Acting Mission Director.
Another key goal of the project is to strengthen the accountability of municipalities. The project will encourage citizens to provide feedback about the quality of the municipal services and be more active in overseeing the local budgets.
“We see that local governments need knowledge, advice and support to develop their capacity so that they can improve service delivery. Therefore, we welcome such cooperation aimed at increasing effective governance and improving people’s lives which, eventually, will contribute to broader development in the regions” said Elchibek Djantaev, Director of the State Agency for Public Service and Local Self-Government under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The project builds on the achievements of the previous project titled “Successful Aimak”. Since 2016, Successful Aimak has helped to improve local services in 50 rural and urban municipalities across the country. As a result, more than 31,000 residents in twenty-four municipalities have gained access to clean drinking water, around 23,000 citizens in nine municipalities benefit from improved garbage collection and five municipalities installed street lighting fixtures, thus, improving security for 6,000 citizens.
Successful Aimak 2 is funded by USAID and implemented by DPI. The total budget of this four-year initiative is $4.9 million.