Tajik president makes annual address to parliament

Esteemed members of the National Assembly [the parliament's upper house] and deputies of the Assembly of Representatives [lower house], and dear compatriots,

The address on the main areas of Tajikistan's domestic and foreign policies that is now presented to you is a logical continuation of the president's addresses of the previous years to the supreme legislative body of the country.

Because we are still on the way of implementing strategic tasks and goals, which we defined for ourselves in the past years.

[Passage omitted: remarks on national development and poverty reduction strategies]

In connection with work we have carried out, it should be said, above all, that as a result of implementing measures of programmes adopted on our country's socioeconomic development, there has been orderly and steady progress of the national economy in the past years.

The GDP has increased by 81 per cent in the past seven years, and it grew by 7.8 per cent last year alone as against that of 2006.

The implementation of measures envisaged in the field of the financial and tax policies have facilitated an increase in the revenue [part] of the state budget, and it amounted to 19 per cent of the GDP last year.

[Passage omitted: some remarks on effective use of land for cultivating crops]

This year's severe cold winter and lack of water have inflicted damage worth more than 2.9bn somoni [85.3m dollars] on our country's economy, and this is naturally causing certain difficulties to the fulfilment of macroeconomic indices at the level envisaged.

Therefore, the government and the heads of all bodies of executive power of the regions, towns and districts are obliged to take specific measures to maintain the growth of production indices at the level of the past years, improve further the country's economic and social situation, raise the national economy's capability to react to changes in world prices and reduce the level of its dependence on the negative influence of external factors, and ensure that they [measures] are carried out in practice.

The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade should reconsider and reassess prospects of the country's macroeconomic indices together with other ministries and departments in the condition and situation that have unfolded.

[Passage omitted: remarks on the tax and monetary and credit policies]

All-round facilitation of the implementation of important economic, transport, communications and energy projects, protection of economic interests, finding a way to new markets and creation of new jobs are the main issues of the country's foreign economic policy.

With the aim of resolving the aforementioned issues and speeding up economic reform, we will continue mutually beneficial cooperation with influential international financial organizations, in particular the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Islamic Development Bank.

[Passage omitted: two free economic zones will be set up in Tajikistan in 2008]

Esteemed attendees,

In connection with strengthening the country's energy potential, the last winter's energy crisis obliges us to take effective measures as soon as possible to repair, renovate and establish the capacity of the existing power stations, as well as establish the initial processing of coal resources and eliminate unjustified losses of electricity and gas.

This year over 850m somoni [250m dollars] will be channelled into the construction of energy facilities from all sources of investment.

In all, 95 small power stations have now been built and put into operation in our country, and the construction of another 21 facilities is under way, and according to investment projects, the construction of another 20 small power stations is planned.

The remaining three units of the Sangtuda-1 hydroelectric power station will be put into operation and a new impetus will be given the construction of the Sangtuda-2 power station until the end of this year.

To put into operation the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power station, we have continued talks on obtaining units with the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as industrial enterprises of our neighbour, China. And God willing, if work continues in this way, we intend to put also into operation the first unit of the Sangtuda-2 hydroelectric power station in late 2009.

[Passage omitted: power lines are being constructed in the country]

For the first time in the 17 years of independence, we have found an opportunity to give an impetus to the construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power station by means of funds from the state and national enterprises, which amount to 136m somoni [40m dollars].

Next year the amount of investments into it from the state budget will double and will reach 272m somoni.

[Passage omitted: background information on the Roghun power station]

The open joint-stock company Roghun hydroelectric power station has been set up and its charter and administrative structure have been approved so as to complete the construction of this great and momentous facility, and this company has started operating. In this regard the government is tasked with taking specific and practical measures to put into operation the first phase of the Roghun hydroelectric power station using and attracting all resources and potential. According to calculations by specialists and international experts, approximately from 500m to 600m dollars are necessary to put into operation two units, that is the first phase, of the Roghun hydroelectric power station. We intend to find a possibility to and will channel nearly 100m dollars from the state budget into the construction of this power station as from next year.

[Passage omitted: the president says that Tajikistan has potential for putting into operation the first phase of the Roghun power station in three or four years' time and urges people to take part in the construction of this power station; further remarks on some power stations and energy-related tasks]

To establish productive activities of all sectors of the national economy and satisfy consumers' needs in electricity and heating, the Ministry of Energy and Industry and the State Committee for Investment and the Management of State Property, together with other ministries and departments of the country, should draw up specific conclusions on broad use of sources of energy production, such as sun, wind and small rivers, as well as exploration of coal, oil and gas reserves.

Furthermore, it is of great importance to exactly study uranium resources in the country and draw up specific proposals on their use, and I give an instruction to the heads of the ministries and departments concerned to draw up a blueprint for using this product or, to be more precise, strategic mineral, as from tomorrow and submit it to the government. And we also should develop this field in our country with attraction of foreign investments. According to preliminary information, 13 to 14 per cent of the world's uranium reserves are believed to be in Tajikistan and it is necessary that we study and determine this and put forward a proposal [in this regard].

[Passage omitted: some remarks on the Shurob power station, the law regulating national traditions and ceremonies]

In connection with the issue of using the country's hydro-energy resources, I would like to stress that construction of reservoirs in the countries in the upper reaches [of the rivers of Amu Darya and Syr Darya] is not only in the interests of these countries. Reservoirs do not reduce water resources. On the contrary, they preserve them.

[Passage omitted: Tajikistan uses only 7 to 8 per cent of its water resources]

From this point of view, we are building reservoirs in the basins of the rivers of Vakhsh, Panj and Zarafshon not for our irrigation interest, but for, above all, producing electricity and at the same time in the interests of the downstream countries.

Tajikistan does not have great oil and gas reserves. What should it use for development and progress?

[Passage omitted: remarks on the benefits of the Norak and Qayroqqum reservoirs to the downstream countries]

I once again stress that in no circumstances will Tajikistan ever be the initiator of implementation of water and energy projects to the detriment of its neighbours and will not support them.

[Passage omitted: the president cites a Koranic sura and recalls his remarks from his address last year that Tajikistan is ready to implement a project of supplying drinking water from the Sarez Lake to all Central Asian countries]

They [Tajikistan's neighbours] should not fear that Tajikistan will close water. Nobody can close water now.

Furthermore, in the process of implementing our state's energy policy, we, the people of the country, should always bear in mind one vitally important principle that building hydroelectric power stations and ensuring the country's energy independence has turned into the matter of life and death for the Tajik state today. Therefore, we are obliged to certainly achieve this strategic goal in the coming years by using all resources and potential.

[Passage omitted: remarks on development of agriculture, mining, transport]

In today's situation, the development of the country's national economy directly depends on the level and quality of the activities of the private sector. Taking into account great importance of this sector, in future the government will also take necessary measures to improve the mechanisms of the free economy, simplify the taxation system, reform the financial, banking and insurance bodies, which facilitate support for and development of the private sector.

Today the number of people who work in the field of small and medium business is over 700,000, or account for 35 per cent of the country's working population.

[Passage omitted: more on the private sector's importance]

Furthermore, with the aim of supporting and developing further small and medium businesses, it is proposed that a moratorium on all types of inspections of them be declared for two years.

However, the ban on inspections does not mean that entrepreneurs [can] commit criminal actions or conceal their profits and evade paying taxes and other obligatory payments.

[Passage omitted: remarks on development of education, science, health care, culture, plans to increase salaries and pensions, judicial reform]

Tajikistan has a principled position on [its] domestic and foreign policies. Therefore, in future we will also expand our political and economic cooperation with the countries in the region, our distant and close neighbours, and reliable partners, such as Russia, China, Central Asian countries, the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Community, on the bilateral and multilateral bases. There is a wide arena for carrying out joint mutually beneficial work in this field. Tajikistan stresses its readiness to expand further relations of cooperation with countries of the West and the East, as well as those of the Islamic world, from the point of view of its open-door foreign policy. It should be stressed that the all-round expansion of constructive relations and beneficial cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan becomes more significant than ever in this process. Tajikistan has been and will remain an active partner of the international coalition in the fight against terrorism. In this regard, we will expand constructive collaboration with the USA, the European Union and other countries of this coalition not only in this important field, but will also pay more attention to expanding beneficial economic cooperation. At the same time, we will continue activities within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and other regional and international institutions.

[Passage omitted: good wishes; celebrations this year]

Source: Tajik Television First Channel, Dushanbe, in Tajik 0500 gmt 25 Apr 08

BBC Mon CAU 260408 ad/bma