DUSHANBE, March 1, Asia-Plus — The government considered more than 60 socioeconomic issues at a February 29 meeting, presided over by President Emomali Rahmon.
During the meeting, it was noted that 10 projects for a total amount of 1.6 billion somonis are not implemented in the energy sector. These projects are aimed at rehabilitation of power systems in the country, modernization of electric systems in Dushanbe, construction of the Pamir-1 hydroelectric power plant and 8 small power plants in the mountain areas, as well as power grids South-North and Lolazor-Khatlon, etc.
Speaking at the meeting, the head of state ordered project managers to speed up work and take adequate measures to reduce commercial energy losses. Heads of relevant enterprises and organizations were charged to complete rehabilitation of the Dushanbe and Yovon heat and power stations before October and construction of the Sangtuda-1 hydropower plant by the end of this year.
Chairman of the Nourobod district noted that tree small power plants totaling 225 megawatts would be finished in the district by the end of this year.
The president also ordered to intensify work on increasing amounts of small loans provided by banks to rural entrepreneurs, developing fallow land, potato growing, animal husbandry and bee keeping in the country. He also underlined the importance of drawing young women into social work.
The government session endorsed the school computerization programs for 2008-2010 as well as a list of organizations being exempted from paying VAT for sanatorium-and-spa treatment.
The 2008-2010 school computerization program provides for providing additional 14,200 computers to schools in order to reach the level of one computer available per 20 pupils by 2010.
The government members also considered amendments to the laws on protection of consumer rights, industrial safety, courts, commercial secret and right of access to information and submitted them for consideration to the parliament.
The session also considered and approved a number documents on cooperation of Tajikistan with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, as well as draft agreements of the Tajik government with Russia’s federal migration service and the Moscow government on enlisting the services of labor migrants and an agreement between Tajik government and the government of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic on labor and protection of rights of labor migrants.
The session also endorsed the labor remuneration reform concept and the job creation concept designed for 2008-2015, as well as a plan of actions on speeding up a process of Tajikistan’s joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) as well as general plans for development of Vahdat and Kulob.
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT and local authorities of the city of Khujand and Danghara, Qumsangir and Ishkashim districts are to prepare feasibility studies and plans of actions on creation of free economic zones (FEZs) and submit them for consideration to the government.
To strengthen material-and-technical basis and promote further development of adult vocational education in the country the government endorsed the establishment of the Vocational Training Center for Adults. The center will have its branches in Qurghon Teppa, Kulob and Konibodom.
