Kumtor and Transparency International – Kyrgyzstan to Launch a Joint Project

published: 27 June 2013

Kumtor Company and Transparency International – Kyrgyzstan are launching a joint project, “Development Pact: an accountability tool in the hands of communities.” The purpose of the Project is to unite the communities’ and authorities’ efforts in improving public access to public goods and municipal services, on the one hand, and the quality of services provided to Issyk-Kul communities, on the other. The Project will be implemented in Issyk-Kul province within the next 12 months.

A Development Pact is a public agreement regarding the region development to be concluded between local authorities and communities to enable rural residents to participate in decision-making on government and municipal services. Under the Project, the regional authorities and communities are supposed to make formal commitments to put in place regional development projects that will have clear deadlines.
The Project will include a series of training sessions to be held both for individuals and local self-government officials with a view to improving the authorities’ transparency and accountability. Public representatives will learn more about the importance of active civil initiatives as exemplified by Development Pacts effective in other countries. The training sessions will be followed by creation of a supervisory committee to be elected by community members.

“The action seeks to demonstrate how the mutually beneficial convergence of efforts of existing actors brought together in a ‘Development Pact’ can lead to improved access to public goods and services. Pacts allow constructive partnerships to emerge between multiple stakeholders – local authorities, companies, and community. Development Pacts will help to involve the Issyk-Kul communities to local level decision-making and implementation from planning and prioritization of tasks throughout summing up and thereby reduce the gap and lack of trust between the public and the authorities”, said Aigul Akhmatjanova, head of the TI-Kyrgyzstan office.

“We are really concerned about the future of the Issyk-Kul region. We are hopeful that the development pacts will facilitate a constructive dialogue between the local self-government bodies and communities. It is extremely important that the voice of the communities be heard by the authorities and they maintain mutually beneficial cooperation for the good of the Issyk-Kul region,” said Michael Fischer, President of Kumtor Operating Company.

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Transparency Internationa is a global international organization fighting corruption. It was founded in 1993 and has offices in more than 90 countries across the world. The TI head office is located in Berlin, Germany. TI-Kyrgyzstan’s mission is to promote effective practices in public politics and good governance to prevent corruption and strengthen democracy in the Kyrgyz Republic.