Members of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament have begun to discuss draft law on the national budget for 2021.
Yesterday, members of the Majisi Namoyandagon Committee on Economics and Finance discussed the draft budget for 2021, according to the Majlisi Namoyandagon press center.
Recall, the government endorsed the draft budget for the next year in later October and sent it for consideration to the parliament.
The revenue part of Tajikistan’s 2021 budget is projected to stand at 27.6 billion somoni, which is 1.6 billion somoni ore 6.1 percent more than the 2020 budget.
The expenditure part of the national budget for 2021 is projected to stand at 28.1 billion somoni, which is 1.7 billion somoni more than the approved budget of the current year.
2021 budget indicators reportedly reflect the economic and social development of the country. Social spending will account for 47% (13.2 billion somoni) of budget allocations of 14.2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
The budget, in particular, projects expenditure of more than 5.6 billion somoni in the education sector, 592 million somoni more compared to the 2020 budget, according to the Tajik president’s official website.
In 2021, 2.4 billion somoni is expected to be spent on the health sector, 509 million somoni more compared to the 2020 budget.
The 2021 budget earmarks 4.2 billion somoni for the social protection sphere, which is 262.7 million somoni more compared to this year’s budget.
The budget also projects expenditure 1 billion somoni in the culture and sports sphere, 69.8 million somoni more compared to the 2020 budget.
Tajik authorities plan to increase budget revenues to 32.2 billion somoni in 2023, which is 36.4 percent or 8.6 billion somoni more compared to the revised budget revenues target.
The 2022 budget projects the revenues to stand at more than 30.9 billion somoni, and the 2023 budget projects the revenues to stand at 32.2 billion somoni.
Recall, parameters of the budget for this year were revised in June due to the coronavirus pandemic. The total volume of the revised budget revenue part was projected to stand at 23.6 million somoni instead of previously planned 26.1 billion somoni. The revised budget expenditure part was projected to stand at 26 billion somoni, which is 400 million somoni fewer than it was originally planned.
Meanwhile, the government projects that the expenditure part of the budget will rise 26.1 percent or 6.8 billion in 2023 compared the revised expenditure part of the 2020 budget.
The expenditure part of Tajikistan’s budget is projected to stand at 31.5 billion somoni in 2022 and 32.8 billion somoni in 2023.
Over the first nine months of this year, Tajikistan’s budget has received 565 million somoni (equivalent to some 55 million U.S. dollars) less than it was originally planned due to reduction in the main taxes.
Over the reporting period, a total volume of the country’s budget has amounted to some 16.506 billion somoni, which was 565 million somoni fewer or 96.3 percent of the target, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
The national budget has received 565 million somoni less in January-September due to reduction in main taxes – income tax, corporate tax and value added tax.
The share of taxes in the country’s budget is some 68 percent.
Therefore, the expenditure part of the budget has not been fulfilled and practically all sectors have received funds less than it was originally planned.
Funding of public health, public management, education as well as culture and sports has been cut significantly.
