DUSHANBE


, January 20, Asia-Plus – The revenue part of the 2005 national budget got 1.2999 billion Somonis, which is 2.2 percent or 43.9 million more than the stipulated target, Deputy Finance Minister, Qurbonali Azimov, told journalists.

Compared to the 2004 budget there was a 26.4 percent (271.4 million Somonis) increase in the revenue part of the last year’s budget, according to Azimov.  

At the same time the Tajik finance official noted that the tax bodies last year failed to fulfill the target on collection of the tax on purchase of cotton fiber (they received 3.6 million Somonis less than the stipulated target) and the tax on holders of transport means (408,000 Somonis less).    

The deputy finance minister also noted that the budget of the Social Security Fund was over-fulfilled by 0.9 percent and amounted to 206.9 million Somonis last year, which is 1.9 million more than the stipulated target.   

“In 2005, the organizations funded from budget remitted 52.6 million Somonis to the Social Security Fund, and the self-financing enterprises and organization remitted 154.3 million Somonis to the Social Security Fund,” Qurbonali Azimov said.

The official also noted that expenditures stipulated by the 2005 budget amounted to 1.318 billion Somonis or 99.7 percent of the stipulated budget.  “Of this amount, 252.5 million Somonis went to enhancing the education sector, 82.5 million Somonis were used for improvement of the health sector, 238.2 million were spent for social security of the population, and 96.1 million Somonis were spent on defense,” Azimov said.  

            DUSHANBE, January 20, Asia-Plus – As of December 1 2005 441,171 citizens of Tajikistan left the country filling in migration cards, the Minister of Labor of Social Security, Zokir Vazirov, remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 20. 

Of them, 412,123 people left Tajikistan in search of seasonal work, and more than 29,000 people left the republic for private businesses (tourism, studying, commercial activity), according to the minister.  

“The results of survey carried out by the ministry have shown that at present more than 400,000 Tajik labor migrants are staying in the Russian Federation, some 2,000 Tajik labor are currently in Kazakhstan and the same number of Tajiks are working in Kyrgyzstan,” Vazirov said, adding that more than 3,000 Tajik labor migrants are staying in other CIS states.  

According to the minister, economic entities engaged in recruiting manpower to



Tajikistan


from abroad last year placed 156 citizens of foreign countries, including 155 people from


China


and one from


India


, in jobs in the republic. 

DUSHANBE


, January 20, Asia-Plus – Based on current data, the gross domestic product (GDPT), which is 6.7 percent or 1.44 billion Somonis more over the previous year in comparable prices, Deputy Finance Minister, Qurbonali Azimov, announced at a news conference in


Dushanbe


on January 20.  

According of estimates of specialists from the Tajik Finance Minister, the rate of inflation in the republic will be 5.6 percent this year.  In 2005, index of consumer prices in


Tajikistan


was 7.1 percent against 6.5 percent, as it was predicted before.  

DUSHANBE


, January 20, Asia-Plus – A two-day training seminar on rational antibacterial microbe therapy is launched in


Dushanbe


today.    

Initiators and organizers of the seminar are the Tajik Ministry of Health, and the Zdrav-Plus Project and the U.S. charitable corporation City Hope International funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  

According to information from the Health Ministry’s press service, the main objective of the seminar is in instructing medical workers of primary link in algorithm of rational antibiotic therapy, which will enhance individual rational choice for each patient at the level of primary medical aid.    

The seminar is aiming to consider issues related to changing a practice of writing out frequently prescribed antibacterial medicines towards preparations included in clinical guides, as well as improvement of a practice of prescription of antibacterial means with regard to revealed typical errors at the primary level of healthcare.

“It will allow choosing safer and more effective preparations and giving up use of injecting forms,” the source in the Health Ministry said.  

The seminar participants are supposed to include some 120 specialists from the Ministry of Health,


Tajik


Health


University


, trainers from training centers for family medicine, microbiologists, therapists and other medical workers.  

DUSHANBE


, January 20, Asia-Plus – On Thursday January 19, the Ministry of Education gave a news conference on the results of work carried out in 2005.

The Education Minister, Abdujabbor Rahmonov, speaking to journalists noted that to date, the republic has needed more than 700 additional schools. 

The minister stressed that Tajik authorities would support entrepreneurs investing in construction of opening of private schools in the republic.  According to him, local authorities in Khujand (capital of


Sughd


Province


) have already received application asking to provide an area for the construction of private school.    

Asked about introduction in secondary schools of subjects on history of religions and Islam, the minister said that a subject entitled “History of Religions” had been introduced for seventh-form pupils and a subject entitled “History of Islam” had been introduced for eighth-form pupils.  

“However, textbooks on these subjects have not been worked out so far,” Abdujabbor Rahmonov said, adding that a special group comprising teachers and clerics is currently working on preparation of these textbooks.  

DUSHANBE


, January 20, Asia-Plus – A complex plan of measures to prevent spread of avian influenza (bird flu) in


Tajikistan


will be submitted for consideration to international in early February, Head Physician of Tajikistan’s Center for Sanitary-Epidemiological Supervision, Samariddin Aliyev, announced at a news conference in


Dushanbe


on January 19.  

He noted that estimated budget for the implementation of this was Euro 1.5 million.  

According to Aliyev, in connection with outbreak of bird flu in some countries in the world, including


Turkey


,


Tajikistan


’s Chief Sanitary Physician also Deputy Health Minister, Ziyovuddin Afghonov, on January 16 signed a resolution on measures to prevent spread of avian influenza in


Tajikistan


.  The resolution obligates all ministries and organizations in the country to take necessary measures  to prevent spread of bird flu on the


territory

of

Tajikistan


, Samariddin Aliyev told journalists.  

DUSHANBE, January 20, Asia-Plus — A total debt of cotton-growing farms in Tajikistan to investors that was formed since 1997 has amounted to US$227 million, First Deputy Agriculture Minister, Ismonqul Subhonov, remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 18.  

“To solve this problem a special commission led by Fayzullo Kholboboyev, State Adviser to the President for Economic Matters, has been set up,” Subhonov said, noting that the commission is studying contracts concluded between farming units and investors and fulfillment of obligations by investors themselves.  

On the preparations for new cotton sowing campaign, Subhonov noted that in Sughd and Khatlon provinces, meetings had been organized with participation of investors to discuss timely provision of farming units with fertilizers and fuel.   

“By government’s resolution investors this year remit funds to banking accounts of farming units and heads of farms will do with funds and purchase fuels and other supplies by themselves,” said the first deputy agriculture minister, “Financing will be carried out via local banks.” 

In 2005, 293,000 hectares of lands were sown with cotton and 447,000 tons of raw cotton were yielded, while the national cotton target has been determined at 610,000 tons.  This year it is decided to reduce the areas under cotton by 38,000 hectares and the national target for this year has been determined at 550,000 tons.