DUSHANBE, October 30, 2008, Asia-Plus — The board (Shuro) of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament together is holding a meeting today to consider a bill on the national budget for 2009.
Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, said that heads of economic bloc ministries, including the ministries of finance and economy, central bank, as well as tax and customs services, had been invited to attend the meeting.
The draft law on the national budget for 2009 will be considered at a regular sitting of the fifth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the third convocation on November 12, the spokesman said.
As it had been reported earlier, the government considered and approved the 2009 budget bill at a September 30 meeting.
Under the bill, the national budget for 2009 will stand at 6.008 billion somoni, which is 29 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 1.5 billion somoni more than the 2008 national budget. GDP is projected to rise 7.1 percent next year to 20.665 billion somoni, while Inflation rate is expected to be 13 percent.
Spending on development of real sector and construction of facilities of statewide importance, including power plants, power grids, industrial enterprises, as well as roads and tunnels, will account for more than 50 percent of budget allocations. The budget projects expenditure of 2.437 billion somoni in the social sector, including enhancement of education and health sectors and social protection of the population.
