The President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon recently signed a decree on the transfer of two more local airports – in the districts of Muminabad and Jaloliddin Balkhi – from the jurisdiction of local authorities to the Ministry of Defense of the country.
The resolution was published on the legal information portal of the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan.
With the signing of this decree, the number of local airports placed at the disposal of the Ministry of Defense has reached 21.
In August last year, the government of the country adopted a decree according to which 18 airports, and in December 2021, in accordance with another decree, another local airport was transferred from municipal ownership of cities and districts to the jurisdiction of the defense department.
All airports, according to the documents, will be restored at the expense of funds collected from paid military service.
"The Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan must, at the expense of funds provided for military service as part of the mobilization draft reserve, ensure the restoration and constant readiness of airports," the resolution says.
Only in the decree of 2021, which concerns the airport in Murgab, it was stated that "the ministry must ensure its restoration within the funds allocated according to the cost estimates."
After the transfer of airports, the cost of military service increased
It should be noted that, simultaneously with the transfer of local airports to the Ministry of Defense last year, the cost of paid military service in Tajikistan almost doubled.
Since September 1 last year, the cost of service as part of the mobilization draft reserve has increased from 30 thousand somoni (420 indicators for calculations) to 54 thousand somoni (750 indicators). This coincided with a government decree on the allocation of funds from the paid service to improve local airports.
The cost of a paid service may change annually, as it is determined on the basis of an indicator for calculations, which is approved annually in the budget law. This year, one indicator for calculations is 72 somoni.
Recall that in 2021, the Parliament of Tajikistan adopted the law "On military duty and military service" in a new version, according to which, henceforth, citizens of military age, after paying a certain amount and serving a month, can be enrolled in the reserve of the Armed Forces of Tajikistan.
According to the Ministry, from 2021 to August 2023, at the expense of 4,150 young people who completed paid military service, the special budget of the Ministry of Defense received 113.3 million somoni.
Earlier it was reported that these funds will be used for logistics, food, fuel, ammunition and other supplies necessary for the passage of monthly field training.
In addition, it was reported that the money will be used for the construction of separate military units, the creation of logistical bases, the construction and repair of military buildings and structures, salaries of officers and instructors, administrative expenses, as well as to improve the social protection of other military personnel.
Which airports have been transferred to the Defense Department?
The list of airports transferred to the balance sheet of the Ministry of Defense of the country includes the following air harbors:
1. Murhab Airport
2. Airport of the Panj district
3. Shamsiddin Shokhin District Airport
4. Dashtjum Airport
5. Yol Airport
6. Airport of Aini district
7. Istaravshan Airport
8. Airport of the Asht district
9. Kanibadam Airport
10.Airport of Penjikent city
11. Ishkashim district Airport
12. Rushan district airport
13. Airport of the Vanj district
14. Kalai Humba Airport
15.Sagirdashta Airport
16. Lyakhshsky district Airport
17. Lyakhsh Airport
18. Tajikabad District Airport
19. Rasht district Airport
20. Muminabad District Airport
21. Jaloliddin Balkhi Airport.
Meanwhile, experts believe that the transfer of local airports to the Ministry of Defense means that the government of the country is striving to develop military aviation.
Civil flights are currently operated from only four airports in the country: Dushanbe, Khujand, Bokhtar and Kulyab.
After the restructuring of “Tajik Air” in 2008, these four harbors received the status of international airports and became independent business entities.
Other airports, in particular, Khorog Airport became a structural subdivision of Dushanbe International Airport, and 29 relatively small airports were transferred to the balance of local authorities and became inactive due to lack of money for their maintenance.
