DUSHANBE , July 18, Asia-Plus - On Tuesday July 18, Deputy Dushanbe Mayor, Rustam Rahmatov, gave a news conference on Dushanbe ’s economic results. 

According to him, Dushanbe economy has improved in the first half-year of 2006.  “Compared to January-June 2005 economic growth in Dushanbe has made 20.4 percent over the first six months of this year,” said deputy mayor, “In January-June of this year, Dushanbe has produced industrial goods by 17.8 percent compared to the same period of the last, and the city budget’s revenue part has increased by 18 percent or almost 10 million Somonis.” 

Mr. Rahmatov noted that compared to January-June 2005 an average monthly wage in Dushanbe has increased over the first six months of this year by 34.5 percent and amounted to 203 Somonis.  “Compared to the republican average monthly wage the index of the average monthly wage in Dushanbe has amounted to 198 percent,” the Dushanbe official added.  

He stressed that a total volume of allowances provided for more than 34,000 pupils from vulnerable families over the same six-month period has amounted to 428,000 Somonis.  

On the prices on the city’s markets, the deputy mayor pointed to the significance of organizing fairs of farm produce in the Tajik capital, “which reduces prices on the markets by 25%-30%.” 

Asked about rising prices of the basic food products in Dushanbe, Mr. Rahmatov noted that production of potatoes in the country has increased by 15.4 percent this year, while prices have been higher by 90 percent compared to the last year.  According to him, this has resulted from rising prices of transportation.