KHUJAND, February 16, 2011, Asia-Plus — Labor migrants remitted more than 40 million U.S. dollars to banks in Sughd province last month, which is 38.4 percent more than in January 2010, the source at the branch of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) in Khujand told Asia-Plus Wednesday afternoon.
In January 2010, labor migrants remitted 29.048 million U.S. dollars to local banks.
The source noted that funds were remitted primarily from the Russian Federation.
Labor migrants remain a critical component in the economy of Tajikistan as remittances keep many families in the country above the poverty line.
According to official figures, an estimated 600,000 Tajik seasonal workers travel abroad each year, primarily to Russia. Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Migration Service (FMS) reports that more than 1 million Tajik labor migrants are working in the Russian Federation.
