AKIPRESS.COM - An independent expert team led by Mr Peter Tasker presented its conclusions on the review of the Government's fulfilment of conditions for a 5 million euro budget support disbursement last week. The conclusions were presented at a Steering Committee Meeting at the Ministry of Finance in Bishkek, the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic said.

The disbursement is part of a 13 million euro budget support programme supporting the Government's implementation of the social protection strategy 2012-2014, which is aimed at improving the standard of living of the most vulnerable part of the country's population.

The conditions for the disbursement address some of the greatest social policy challenges faced by the Kyrgyzstan Government, including the reform of its child care institutions and strengthening of its public financial management system. In addition to disbursements of non-earmarked funds to the Government's treasury, the European Union has provided expert advice and training and has contributed to a Multi-Donor Trust Fund for public financial management reform.

The decision on whether or not the 5 million euro disbursement should be made in full will eventually be taken in the European Union's headquarters in Brussels on the basis of the EU Delegation's recommendation and will be announced before the end of the year.

The European Union is planning to offer a new 30 million euro sector budget support programme to support the Government's reforms, which will be laid down in a new social protection strategy for 2015-2017.