Every autumn, President Emomali Rahmon urges the government to store fuel and food reserves and calls on Tajik citizens to take measures to thoroughly prepare for the upcoming winter. We have decided to know is it possible at our salaries?
Recall, President Emomali Rahmon on September 28 held a meeting to review measures taken by the government to ensure the regular work of the country's economy during autumn-winter 2017-2018.
According to the Tajik president’s official website, he ordered government bodies to make preparations for the upcoming winter. Rahmon, in particular, ordered to store fuel and food reserves in all cities and districts and take measures to provide the population, economic, social and cultural facilities with electricity and fuel.
The president also urged the country’s citizens to take measures to thoroughly prepare for the upcoming winter.
Reserves reportedly exist but it is known how much.
Mr. S. Ziyodulloyev, the deputy head of the Agency for State Material Reserves under the Government of Tajikistan says the Agency has worked out the plan of actions for cities and districts on storing a certain amount of foods, fuels and building materials.
“Besides, the agency has its shops in all regions of the country for selling basic food products. The Agency’s offices in the region provide the population with these products at relatively low prices (compared to market prices),” Tajik official said.
Besides, on the instruction of the government the Agency has purchased a certain volume of agricultural products, Ziyodulloyev noted, adding that under Article 11 of the RT Law “On the Material Reserves” information about volumes of accumulation, placement and supply of goods, renovation of reserves is clandestine.
How to store and what for to buy?
Meanwhile, the majority of the population are not capable to reserve food products for the future use.
Thus, Zarif Qurbonaliyev from the Shahrinav district, who has private house and land plot, says, “Our land plots are not so large, there are no places to pasture cattle, and we do not have enough money for seeds, mineral fertilizers and pesticides.” According to him, their reserves are enough for only several weeks.
As far as residents of cities are concerned, they do not have places to store food reserves, not to mention salaries.
“I do not have enough place for storing food reserves in my small three-room apartment,” Murodbek Shokirov, who has family of six members, told Asia-Plus in an interview. “Moreover, it is unreal to store four or five months’ worth of food reserves when salaries of many people do not exceed 200 U.S. dollars. I, for example is capable to store only one month’s worth of food reserves (flour, vegetable oil, sugar, potatoes),” Shokirov said.
One and a half tons per family
Based on data from the Institute of Nutrition of Tajikistan which prescribes the recommended norms of food consumption, Asia-Plus reporters have calculated how many kilograms of basic food products the family of five needs for the five-month period. It turned out that they need nearly one and a half tons!
