Members of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) have unanimously voted for ratification of the government-to-government agreement between Tajikistan and Russia on the pension provision cooperation.
A regular sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, presided over by its head, Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda, took place on April 13.
Presenting the agreement to lawmakers, Dilmurod Davlatzoda, the head of the Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions under the Government of Tajikistan, noted that the agreement was developed by Russia back in 2014-2015 and has been discussed by the authorities of the two countries for many years.
“Over this period, seven rounds of negotiations between relevant officials of Tajikistan and Russia, and the issue was finally solved in September last year,” Davlatzoda noted.
The government-to-government agreement on the pension provision cooperation between Tajikistan and Russia was signed in September 2021.
Under this agreement, a labor migrant having a patent, an agreement with an employer, an employment record book, an insurance number of an individual personal account (SNILS), and whose insurance fee is monthly paid by his/her employer to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation will be able to receive the Russian pension.
Besides, a Tajik labor migrant legally working in Russia can choose for himself / herself in which country he / she wants to receive a pension – in Russia or in Tajikistan.
According to official date from the Russian authorities, some 1.6 million Tajik citizens entered Russia to work last year. It’s a figure that many observers had suspected but had never before been reflected in official statistics, which usually record around 1 million.
Labor migrants are a critical component in the economy of Tajikistan and remittances keep many families at home above the poverty line.
