DUSHANBE, July 19, 2013, Asia-Plus –The Government of Tajikistan is currently considering the draft decree on the list of jobs for persons under the age of 18, Navrouz Samadov, the head of the Labor and Employment Supervision Department, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection told reporters in Dushanbe on July 18.
“If the decree is passed, amendments will be made to country’s laws regarding child labor, including Tajikistan’s administrative and penal codes,” said Samadov. “The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has worked this draft decree on the basis of one of the points of the national labor development program designed for 2012-2016.”
According to him, the penalties for child exploitation will be toughened and both parents and employers may be brought to justice for use of child labor.
According to statistical data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, there are 56,000 unemployed in Tajikistan, with more than half of them being youth.
We will recall that the final version of the National Action Plan on Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor for 2014-2020 was discussed in Dushanbe on June 12. Such events that are aimed at drawing attention of the public to the problem of child labor have been held in Tajikistan annually since 2002. The national action plan (NAP) that will contribute to the progressive elimination of the worst forms of child labor (WFCL) in Tajikistan reflects the importance attached to child labor issue at national level and determination in fulfilling national and international commitments.
