DUSHANBE, November 27, 2009, Asia-Plus — Parliament hearings on targeted use of budgetary funds took place at the Majlsi Mamoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) today. Heads of a number ministries and organizations attended the parliament hearings.
Speaking at the meeting, Finance Minister Safarali Najmiddinov noted that gross domestic product (GDP) rose 2.9 percent in ten months to November 2009, and inflation for January-October this year stood at 4.5 percent.
“Over the report period, the country’s budget has received 2.96 billion somoni (TJS), which is 431 million somoni more than in the same period of last year and Tajikistan’s economy is becoming stable little by little, despite the global financial crisis” the minister said.
The country has reached 89.9 percent of the budget target for January-October and an external trade turnover of Tajikistan has decreased by nearly one billion somoni compared to January-October 2008. The tax collection target has been implemented for only 76 percent.
Tax arrears increased by 211 million somoni in the year to November 1, 2009, reaching 722.2 million somoni. “Before the end of this year, the government intends to write off tax debts, totaling some 288 million somoni, which had arisen over several years,” Najmiddinov said.
Since the beginning of this year, the government has allocated 463 million somoni for construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP), some 20 million somoni for completion of the construction of the Sangtuda-1 station and more than 19 million somoni for purchasing energy-saving light bulbs, he added.
On the targeted use of budgetary funds by ministries and organizations, the minister noted that inspections carried out by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) over the first nine months of this year has revealed violations for a total amount of 8 million somoni. 3.6 million somoni of that amount has already been reimbursed, according to him.
