DUSHANBE, July 25, 2011, Asia-Plus — Over the first six months of this year, the budget’s revenue part has been overfulfilled by 3 percent, Minister of Finance Safarali Najmiddinov announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 25.
According to him, revenues for the first half-year of 2011 have amounted to 4 billion, which is 115.3 million somoni more than it was originally planned and 1.4 billion somoni more than in the same period last year.
However, not all financial resources have been properly used over the report period to replenish the public purse, the minister noted. “Targets on four types of taxes have not been fulfilled and as a result of that the budget has received 65 million somoni less,” Najmiddinov stressed.
The minister said that fulfillment of the revenue part has allowed covering “the state expenses in all directions.”
“Over the report period, the budget’s expenditure part, including social spending, investment projects and the government’s direct debt, has stood at 3.8 billion somoni, which is 1.3 billion somoni more than in the same period last year,” Najmiddinov said, noting that social spending for the report period has amounted to 1.5 billion somoni.
In January-June this year, the budget has earmarked 593.3 million for public education. Over the same six-month period, 512 million somoni have been spent on the social care and 166 million somoni have been spent on culture and sports.
We will recall that revenues of this year’s budget are projected to be 8.3 billion somoni and expenditures are estimated at 8.6 billion somoni. The budget deficit amounts to 300 million somoni.
The budget indicators reflect the economic and social development of the country. Social spending account for 48 percent of budget allocations, which is more than 4.1 billion somoni.
The budget projects expenditure of 593 million somoni on the health sector, which is 46.8 percent more than in 2010.
In 2011, 293 million somoni will be spent for development of culture and sports and 1.4 billion somoni will be spent for payment of wages and pensions. 40 million somoni will be spent on development of science.
The 2011 budget earmarks 1.02 billion somoni for energy sector, 1 billion somoni for transport and communications sector, and 300 million somoni for agrarian sector.
This year’s budget projects to increase expenditures on defense, public order and foreign policy by at least 25 percent.
