DUSHANBE, January 23, 2015, Asia-Plus — On Friday January 23, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon addressed a joint meeting of both chambers of the parliament.
Usually, in an address to the parliament, the president discusses the country’s priorities in domestic politics and foreign policy as well as the main economic challenges.
In his address, President Rahmon, in particular, noted on January 23 that the people of Tajikistan has assigned the tasks of protecting the national independence and territorial integrity, providing security and creating conditions for decent life to the government, and “we must deserve the people’s confidence.”
Rahmon said the government completed the past year with “notable achievements.” The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year rose 6.7 percent, reaching 45.6 billion somoni.
Population’s money incomes last year amounted to 23.8 billion somoni and individual bank deposits rose 21 percent in 2014, President Rahmon noted.
He stressed that 250,000 permanent, temporary and seasonal jobs were created in Tajikistan last year.
In 2014, population growth rate stood at 2.5 percent and the average life expectancy in the country last year was 73.4 years, five years longer than in 2000, the president noted.
“The 2014 national budget’s parameters were overfulfilled by 2.0 percent and the country’s external debt shows downward trend; last year, the external debt made up 22.8 percent of the country’s GDP,” Rahmon said.
The president also noted that the public sector minimum wage rate will be raised by 60 percent from September 1, 2015 – from 250.00 to 400.00 somoni.
The wage of public servants, law enforcement officers and military servicemen will be raised by 15 percent, the wage of employees of educational, cultural, medical and sports facilities will be raised by 20 percent, and the wage of employees of social facilities as well as the pension of the veterans and invalids of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 will be increased by 25 percent. The current allowances [scholarships] for students are to be increased by 30 percent from September 1, 2015.
The president noted that the 2015 national budget earmarked more than 6 billion somoni for payment of wages, pensions, allowances and other types of aid as well as reimbursement of damages.
Over the past five years, the public sector wage has been raised three times, Rahmon said.
