DUSHANBE, April 16, 2015, Asia-Plus -- On Thursday April 16, Oxfam in collaboration with its partner organization Consumer Union organized the third session of Working Group meeting on Improving Social Accountability Indicators in Tajikistan’s Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) sector at the Serena Hotel in Dushanbe on April 16.

According to Oxfam Tajikistan, key stakeholders in WSS sector that participated in the event included State Unitary Enterprise Khojagii Manziliyu Kommunali ((KMK - Tajikistan’s state-owned agency responsible for basic municipal services), Water User Associations, governmental sanitary and hygiene departments, international organizations, civil society organizations, as well as Ombudsman and media representatives.

“The aim of the Working Group meeting is to provide and create basis for constructive engagement processes between service users, providers and regulators to share information on service performance and benefit from direct access to information and improved cooperation in water sector”, - said Bojan Kolundzija, Country Director with Oxfam in Tajikistan.

“We believe that adding consumer voice, participation and legitimate integration of users, in particular women, will contribute to improved social accountability, as well as promote efficient, fair and sustainable management of drinking water and sanitation for people,” – said Muhammad Salohiddinov, representative of Ombudsman Office in Tajikistan.

The Working Group met within the framework of Oxfam project, Tajikistan Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Improving Social Accountability (TWISA), funded by Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) through the World Bank (WB).

Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations working together with partners and local communities in more than 90 countries.  In Tajikistan, Oxfam is working on economic justice, drinking water and sanitation, and disaster risk reduction.