DUSHANBE, April 8, 2009, Asia-Plus — Deputies of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) have endorsed amendments to the country’s law “On Other Compulsory Payments to the Budget” that helped solve the problem of funding the national environmental protection programs and paying wages to the ecology police officers and employees of the committee for environmental.
A regular sitting of the fifth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the third convocation, presided over by its chairman, Saydullo Khairulloyev, was held on April 8.
Speaking at the session, the head of the Committee for Environmental Protection Khursandqul Zikirov noted that nine national environmental protection support programs were currently implemented in the country. “In the meantime, no one of them is funded by the government, while it is mentioned in these programs that funds for implementation of them are provided by the government from other sources,” said Zikirov, “We now do not have money to pay wages to 65 officers of the ecology police, not to speak of implementation of the national programs. All fines and compulsory payments come to the national budget and go to paying wages to our employees, while the national budget for this year has not earmarked funds for us.”
According to him, they need some 11-13 million somoni per year to cover expenses of the committee and ensure adequate implementation of the national environmental protection programs. “We propose to make changes and addenda to the present country’s law “On Other Compulsory Payments to the Budget,” under which some of payments for violation of the environmental protection requirements will be sent to a special account of the Ministry of finance for further financing of our sector,” Zikirov said.
Parliamentarians approved amendments to the law on other compulsory payments to the budget unanimously.
