DUSHANBE, November 17, 2009, Asia-Plus — A November 16 government session, presided over by President Emomali Rahmon, reviewed the results of the cotton-harvesting campaign, autumn sowing as well as the provision of the population with natural gas and electricity and implementation of this year’s national budget, according to presidential press service.
The meeting also considered issues related to the nationwide shift to energy-saving light bulbs.
Murodali Alimardon, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of agriculture, reported on the process of the cotton-harvesting campaign in the country. He noted that farms have yielded 280,000 tons of raw cotton by November 16.
President Rahmon ordered relevant ministries and organizations to complete the cotton-harvesting campaign within the next ten days. He noted that students should not be sent to cotton plantations.
We will recall that the 2010 cotton target has been determined at 350,000 tons of craw cotton.
The First Deputy Prime Minister Asadullo Ghulomov reported on the results of work to provide the population with natural gas and electricity and ensure the nationwide switch to energy-saving light bulbs.
During the meeting it was noted that in connection with Uzbekistan’s withdrawal from the unified Central Asian power grid the country”s electricity-distribution system has been operating in an autonomous regime over the last fifteen days.
Reporting on the process of implementation of the national budget for 2009, Minister of Finance Safarali Najmididnov noted that over the first ten months of this year, the revenue part of the budget has been fulfilled for 95 percent. According to him, there is enough reserve to fulfill the revenue part.
Speaking at the meeting, President Rahmon ordered to issue shares of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) urgently and put them into circulation at the beginning of 2010.
The president expressed confidence that everyone in Tajikistan will make contribution to the construction of that facility, which is of nationwide significance, the press service said.
