DUSHANBE, November 14, 2012, Asia-Plus — The lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of the Tajik parliament has approved the national budget for 2013.
Finance Minister Safarali Najmiddinov said that the national budget for 2013 stood at 12.2 billion somoni, which is 2 billion more than the country’s budget for this year.
A regular sitting of the fourth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the fourth convocation, presided over by its chairman, Shukurjon Zuhurov, was held on November 14.
In his speech, finance minister noted that the national budget indicators reflected the economic and social development of the country. In 2013, social spending is expected to amount to 6.4 billion somoni, the minister said.
Najmididnov noted that the national budget for 2013 earmarks 67 million somoni for serving the country’s external debt.
The government expects the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to stand at 42.1 billion somoni and the year-end inflation for 2013 is forecasted at 9.0 percent. The USD exchange rate against the Tajik national currency, the somoni (TJS), is expected to rise to 1:5.00 in 2013. The 2013 budget deficit is projected at 210.5 million somoni.
Speaking at the meeting MP Shodi Shabdolov, who is also leader of the Communist Party (CPT), noted that taxes on the sale of cotton, aluminum and commodities subject to excise duty “have been lowered by 12 percent as compared to this year.”
Finance minister explained that some types of taxes were unified under the new edition of the tax code that was approved by the parliament last September. “Therefore, such a reduction has taken place,” Najmiddinov said.
MP Shabdolov also noted that “compared to 2006 expenditures on public management personnel have been increased nearly five times.” He offered to reduce expenditure on public management personnel several times.
After a two-hour discussion, the deputies of the Majlisi Namoyandagon unanimously approved the RT Law “On National Budget of Tajikistan for 2013.”
