DUSHANBE, November 2, Asia-Plus — The cost of the set of food products included in the consumer basket for actual consumption (based on figures from households studied during January-August 2007) in prices as of the end of August 2007 was 116.79 somonis per one family member per month, and with the norm for a balanced diet it was 137.03 somonis, Deputy Labor and Social Security Minister, Emin Sanginov, said.
Actual income of the population rose 11.9 percent in the year to September 1, 2007 averaging 77.36 somonis (equivalent to $22.48) per one family member per month, the deputy minister said.
“Subsistence level has not yet been defined as the RT Law “On Subsistence Level” is still under consideration of the Government,” Sanginov said.
An average monthly for the first eight months of this year amounted to 147.5 somonis (equivalent to $42.92), while in 2006, it was 116.81 and in 2005, the average monthly wage amounted to 85.99, which means that over the past two years, the average monthly wage has increased 1.7 times.
Sanginov noted that a minimal wage is expected to annually rise 20 percent in the coming two years.
“Besides, specialists expect the average monthly wage to increase to 195 somonis (equivalent to $56.85) next year and to 270 somonis ($78.72) in 2009,” Sanginov said.
