DUSHANBE, July 25, 2009, Asia-Plus — Expanding the country’s production and export potential is one of key measures of Tajik government’s anti-crisis plan, Finance Minister Safarali Najmiddinov told reporters in Dushanbe on July 24.
Taking into consideration the fall in the international price of cotton and primary aluminum, which are the main items of Tajikistan’s exports, and in demand for them, the government now pays a special attention to diversification of export goods, the minister said. “The government has adopted a special program, under which farm producers will be given certain privileges,” he said.
Reminding that the government this year gives a 180 million somoni credit to farming units through a number of commercial banks, Najmiddinov said the Ministry of Finance had already allocated 131.5 million somoni to banks for provision of loans to farmer. “Besides, 15 million somoni have been allocated for supporting enterprises engaged in processing of farm produce,” the minister noted.
“Tajikistan has a good potential for exporting fruits and it is necessary to use this potential efficiently,” said the minister, “To extend the list and volumes of our export goods we have to modernize production, provide enterprises with state-of-the-art technologies and promote development of small and medium-sized enterprises.”
