DUSHANBE


, January 19, Asia-Plus – On Wednesday January 18, the BBC made a formal complaint to the Tajik Government.  It follows the suspension of the BBC’s services in


Tajikistan


on FM frequencies by the Tajik authorities since

January 10 2006

, press released issued by the BBC World Service says. 

BBS services on medium and short waves in


Tajikistan


remain unaffected.

Suhrob Ziyo, head of office of the BBC’s Persian Service in


Tajikistan


, has told Asia-Plus that the suspension follows a recently ratified Tajik media legislation requiring international broadcasters on FM to register with the Tajik Ministry of Justice and acquire a broadcasting license.  However, although the BBC has started the new process for registration, the 20-day deadline was unrealistic for a process, and the BBC has requested that services are resumed immediately while the registration process is completed, according to Suhrob Ziyo.  “The point is that we broadcast not like the local electronic media,” said he, “We send our reports to


London


and broadcasting is conducted from there.  As any other foreign media we are registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs annually getting accreditation.”  However, according to him, the issue of acquiring the broadcasting license has been repeatedly discussed during bilateral meetings of the BBC leadership with senior representatives from


Tajikistan


’s Ministry of Communications and Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting.   “They have promised to solve this issue at the level of intergovernmental agreement,” said Suhrob Ziyo, “But despite this, on December 10 the Communications Ministry and the Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting received a letter by deputy Prime Minister Khayrinisso Mavlonova obligating us to acquire a media license by

January 10, 2006

.  Of course, we failed to get the broadcasting license for such a short term, and on January 11, the BBC’s services in


Tajikistan


on FM frequencies were suspended.”  

Press release issued by the BBC World Service says that over the last week the BBC has made several representations to the Tajik authorities.  Since there has been no formal response from the authorities, the BBC yesterday made a formal complaint to the Government of Tajikistan.  The BBC has requested that services are resumed immediately while the registration process is completed.

BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman says: “The BBC has a legal contract and a license to broadcast on FM and we would like that to be honored.  The BBC is happy to comply with the new law but the process takes considerably more time than has been allowed by the Tajik authorities.”  “There is no reason why listeners in


Tajikistan


should be deprived of our services on FM while these bureaucratic hurdles are overcome.”

In the meantime, First Deputy Chairman of the Tajik Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting, Abdurrahmon Abdumannonov, has told Asia-Plus that the issue of providing broadcasting license to the BBC should be considered at the intergovernmental level.  “They have been given time, during which they had to pass through an official registration process,” said Abdumannonov, “Indeed, we did not sent them an official message because they knew that they are acting illegally.”  “At present a special commission is being set up to solve this problem.  Solution of this issue will take up a certain time,” the Tajik official said, stressing that the issue is not politically motivated.

Igor Sattarov, a spokesman with the Tajik MFA, commenting on this situation said: “Before the suspension the BBC broadcast in


Tajikistan


in accordance with technical agreement concluded with open joint-stock company “Teleradiocom” singed in


London


.  While according amendments made to the RT law “On Licensing Separate Types of Activities”, each of media should register with the Ministry of Justice and acquire a media license.”  “As soon as the BBC receives the services will be resumed.”    

Information of Asia-Plus:


The BBC has been broadcasting in


Tajikistan


since 1996 on medium wave.  In 2004, the BBC launched two 24-hour FM relays, in


Dushanbe


and Khujand, with programs in Tajik (Persian); as well broadcasts in Russian and English.  The BBC is currently the only international broadcaster available on FM in


Tajikistan


and has legal contract and license to broadcast.  

DUSHANBE


, January 19, Asia-Plus – No one of neighbors participated in pulling children the burning building of the “Chorbogh” orphanage and seven firefighting crews arrived in the site of the fire in 15 minutes after the fire broke out, Tajik Interior Minister, Khumdin Sharipov remarked at a news conference in


Dushanbe


on January 19.  

According to him, the orphanage’s employees, who were on duty that time, and servicemen of a convoy platoon who were near to the site of tragedy pulled children from the burning building.  

“No one of residents of this mahalla went out to help in saving children,” the minister stated, adding that 65 servicemen of the firefighting service and seven fire-engines arrived in the site of the fire in 15 minutes after the fire broke out.  

He confirmed that short circuit had caused the fire.  

“This building was not fit for dwelling,” said the minister, “Since the majority (60 percent) of children living in the orphanage were bed-ridden with intellectual disabilities, under the regulations nurses should be with them, but unfortunately no one nurse was in the dormitory, where 13 children were killed in the fire.”  

He noted that last year, the firefighting service four times prepared documents that the building was not fit for exploitation.   

DUSHANBE


, January 19, Asia-Plus – This year, areas under cotton in


Tajikistan


will have been reduced by 38,000 hectares and the national cotton target for this year has been determined at 550,000 tons, Deputy Agriculture Minister, Bahrom Abduhalimov, told journalists on January 18.  

According to him, due to reduction of the cotton fields it is planned to increase areas under cereals and vegetables as well as fodders.  “It will facilitate reduction of poverty as well as realization of the food program,” Mr. Abduhalimov noted.    

Speaking to journalists the deputy minister said that last year, they started working out the national strategy of development of


Tajikistan


’s economy and the Ministry of Agriculture was charged to work out a program on food security and development of the agrarian sector.  

“In the cotton-growing area, one of components of this program provides for settlement of the cotton debt,” said Abduhalimov, “There will be no results until we change the mechanism of financing the cotton-growing area.” 

 “It is to be noted that over the past several year, a fertile layer of lands has sharply deteriorated.  As a result, we have practically lost forage basis for cattle breeding.  If we had not reduced the areas under cotton, we would had not been able not only to yield 600,000 tons in coming two-three years but we would had also been forced to reduce number of cattle by halves,” said Abduhalimov, “Therefore experts from the Ministries of Agriculture and Economy have convinced the government of the necessity of making amendments to the prospects and plans that were adopted earlier.”

DUSHANBE


, January 19, Asia-Plus —


Tajikistan


and


Russia


have come to an agreement on organizing the twice-weekly service on the rail communication between Khujand and


Saratov


(


Russia


).    

Deputy head of the Tajik Railways, Nazrikhon Zaripov, has told Asia-Plus that they have already coordinated the issue of launching the second train on this route with their colleagues from the Saratov Railways, “but the exact date of departure of the second train is still unknown.”

Currently, the train on this rout is running once a week, on Wednesdays. 

DUSHANBE, January 19, Asia-Plus — Documentation for launch of joint Tajik-Iranian technical committee has already been submitted to the Tajik Ministry of Justice for license, Tajik Minister of Communications, Said Zuvaydov, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 18.    

He noted that the committee would be set up due to joint efforts of the Iranian company



Dadepardazi-e


Iran


” (DPI) and the Tajik Ministry of Communications.  

According to the minister, priorities and main directions of the committee’s activity would be organization and conduct refresher courses for employees of


Tajikistan


’s Ministry of Communications, as well as computerization of and introduction of new technologies in the communications system of


Tajikistan


.    

“In 2005, for the purpose of intensifying the investment project “Telecommunications Network of Tajikistan” the Tajik Ministry of Communications held a series of meetings with representatives from the companies such as “EuroManagement” (Switzerland), “AlcatelBellShanghai” (China), China’s Development Bank, “EXIMBANK” (China), as well as “Rosbank” (Russia) to negotiate allocation of preferential loans,” Zuvaydov said.  

According to him, the ministry also conducted negotiations and singed bilateral agreements with the Chinese companies “ZTE” and “Huawel” on extending cellular and mobile communications to the remote regions of the country; with Iranian company “ParsTel” on supply of the telecommunications equipment for development of cellular communication in the republic; with Malaysian company “InterGeo” on working out a draft concept “Establishment of Electronic Government in Tajikistan”; with Indonesia’s company “Data Ina” on development of satellite communication for extending Internet to the remote regions of Tajikistan, etc.