DUSHANBE, November 9, 2013, Asia-Plus –Although criteria for middle class in Tajikistan have not yet been determined precisely, specialists from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan (MoEDT) consider that Tajikistan’s middle class may constitute some 22 percent of households.
According to them, professional middle class consists of highly educated persons with stable middle and high income.
Middle class is reportedly stabilizer of society, economic donor (taxpayer), main employer and main provider of highly skilled personnel for the country’s economy.
Middle class is interested in economic and political stability in society, in implementing poverty reduction programs, in combating corruption, etc.
Tajikistan has reportedly designed, approved and developed the National Development Strategy up to 2015 and the series of mid-term Poverty Reduction Strategies. The country has completed the second and the third phases of the poverty reduction strategy (2007-2009 and 2010-2012) and has developed the Living Standards Improvement Strategy of Tajikistan for 2013−2015. The Living Standards Improvement Strategy of Tajikistan for 2013-2015 years is a concluding phase of a decade of implementation of the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan up to 2015; it considers many issues related to achievement of many strategic objectives, such as reform of public administration, maintaining rule of law, demographic projection and planning, regulation of labor migration, development of private sector, supporting middle class.
In a report released at a press conference in Dushanbe, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sharif Rahmzoda noted on January 29 this year that the poverty rate is on a sustainable downward trend in Tajikistan and in 2012, the country’s poverty rate decreased to 38.3 percent.
In 2013, the poverty rate should stand at 37 percent, the vulnerable population rate at 25.1 percent, the rate of middle class rate (domestic) at 15.1 percent, and the rte of middle class (international) at 22.8 percent, specialists from a MoEDT said.
The Living Standards Improvement Strategy of Tajikistan for 2013−2015 notes that requirements of partner countries in foreign manpower will decrease that will complicate employment of migrants. Unemployment is expected to rise up to 4.2 percent in 2014 and this indicator will fall to 3.6 percent in 2015 due to a certain improvement of global economy.
In 2013, the growth rate in remittances will fell to 11 percent and in 20015 this indicator will improve and amount to 20 percent.
