On December 3, the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) approved changes proposed to the "State Language Law" that regulate the use of the Tajik language in advertising, signage, and public communications by government bodies.
Under the new amendments, all announcements, advertisements, signs, price lists, and other visible informational materials must be written in Tajik. Any text in other languages must be placed below or to the right of the Tajik text, and both must be of equal size. While this rule existed before, the new law provides specific guidelines and conditions for how information should be displayed.
In addition, all signs and advertising materials, including price lists and labels, must be written in Tajik, even if the organization is foreign. Foreign companies are now required to display Tajik text first, and then provide a translation or transliteration into other languages if necessary.
The changes also include new rules for press conferences. Now, all press conferences organized by ministries and government departments must be conducted in the state language.
According to Saodatsho Matrobiyon, a member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Committee on Science, Education, Culture, and Youth Policy, this change aims to strengthen the regulation of language norms in public events.
Furthermore, a new provision has been added to the law addressing the use of sign language for the deaf and mute population. This article is expected to include measures that will create conditions for training specialists in sign language and improve communication for people with hearing impairments.
Government officials stressed that despite existing laws the use of Tajik on signs and in advertisements is often overlooked in practice. Linguists have also expressed concerns about the influence of foreign languages, warning that this could lead to the "transformation of the language" and its susceptibility to external political, economic, and commercial pressures.
It is also worth noting that the lack of qualified sign language interpreters remains a significant issue for deaf and mute citizens of Tajikistan. The National Union of the Deaf recently raised this issue, pointing out that many deaf people struggle to find interpreters, which creates considerable challenges in everyday life.
