KHOROG, March 13, 2009, Asia-Plus — Over the first two months of this year, labor migrants remitted little more than 2.997 million US dollars to banks in Gorno Badakhshan, which is 898,000 dollars fewer than in the same period of last year, deputy GBAO governor, Aziz Giyoyev, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
“Last month, labor migrants remitted some 1.439 million US dollars to the region, which is 119,000 dollars fewer than in February 2007,” said the deputy governor, “Many labor migrants from Gorno Badakhshan working in the Russian Federation have been left without jobs, while others have not received wages for several months.”
According to the GBAO regional administration, labor migrants remitted $36.6 million to banks in Gorno Badakhshan last year, which was $13.2 million more than in 2007.
The GBAO agency for employment, migration and social protection of the population said that more than 24,000 residents of Gorno Badakhshan, or 12 percent of the region’s population, have left the country to other CIS states, primarily Russia (23,000), seeking better employment opportunities.
Labor migrants are a critical component in Tajikistan’s economy. Remittances keep many struggling families at home above the poverty line.
