Economist in Tajikistan

What difference can an economist in the Resident Coordinator’s Office make in highly uncertain contexts? Meet Owais Parray, the economist in the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Tajikistan, who is working with a network of economists across the region to address the socio-economic impacts of the Ukraine war. Owais joined hands with his peers in Europe and Central Asia to undertake a joint regional economic analysis to examine the potential impact of the war in Ukraine. This enabled quick identification of key transmission channels such as finance, trade and investment through which the crisis could spread in the region, and the potential economic reversals and it could have on household welfare.  

Owais and the team also proposed a set of policy actions for countries in the region to minimize the fallout from the crisis, such as strengthening financial institutions, enacting prudent monetary and fiscal policies, and, importantly, targeted social protection for vulnerable people. This regional effort made it possible to recognise the close linkages and interdependencies among countries and cross-border dimensions of development and enriched the country-specific analysis that RCO economists conducted in their respective offices. The regional analysis guided  the UN country team in Tajikistan, for instance, to quickly support a national mitigation plan and consultations between Government and international development partners. Owais also supported the UN’s development of a joint programme response framework to help the Government  minimize disruptions in the financial sector and ensure service delivery for poor and food-insecure households in the country.