Tajikistan and the Asian Development Bank have signed grant agreements totaling $63.84 million for two projects focused on modernizing the social insurance system and integrating regional health security with primary health care services, Khovar reported, the Ministry of Finance.

The agreements were signed Oct. 21 in Dushanbe by Finance Minister Fayziddin Qahhorzoda and Ko Sakamoto, the ADB’s resident representative in Tajikistan.

The Modernization and Digitalization of the Social Insurance System project is valued at $20.57 million, while the Regional Health Security and Primary Health Care Services Integration project amounts to $43.27 million.

The social insurance project aims to strengthen the sustainability of the pension system, expand social coverage through digitalization, reinforce the Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions, and address demographic, economic, gender-related and climate change challenges.

The health care project aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to cross-border health threats, prevent emergencies and emerging infectious diseases, and improve the resilience and efficiency of the health care system.

Separately, Tajikistan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a $20.6 million grant agreement for the construction of a substation for Dushanbe’s main power grid.

The project aims to improve the reliability of the city’s electricity supply through the construction of a new 220-kilovolt substation, supporting the development of Tajikistan’s economy and industrial sector.