DUSHANBE, December 13, 2012, Asia-Plus -- The OSCE Office in Tajikistan on December 8 handed over equipment and educational material for a training center to be set up to train officers of Tajikistan’s Agency for State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, press release issued by the OSCE Office on December 13 said.

                  “On 9 December we mark International Anti-Corruption Day,” said Hans Peter Larsen, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, during the handover ceremony.  “Corruption remains one of the main obstacles for good governance and economic development in Tajikistan.  Corruption raises the costs of public administration, distorts the allocation of state funds and undermines public trust in the authorities.  To effectively counter corruption, knowledgeable and experienced specialists are needed, and through supporting the training centre, we seek to contribute to successfully addressing the problem.”

                  In addition to the equipment, a comprehensive training curriculum was developed.  It covers basic corruption prevention, corruption criminalization measures and investigation and prosecution of corruption offences.

                  The OSCE Office in Tajikistan has been providing technical and expert support to the Agency since 2009, focusing on anti-corruption policy development, prevention of corruption and anti-corruption education and awareness-raising.  The OSCE Office in Tajikistan will continue assisting the Agency in 2013.