A meeting was held at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT) on January 4 to discuss economic aspects of President Emomali Rahmon’s address to a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament.  President Emomali Rahmon addressed the joint meeting of both chambers of parliament on December 21. 

The MoEDT press center says the head of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Committee for Economics and Finance and representatives of the National Patent Information Center also attended the meeting.  

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade Zavqi Zavqizoda reportedly focused on president’s instructions regarding the county development program designed for the next five years.  

He, in particular, drew attention of those present the president’s instruction to provide the country’s economic growth rate 7.0 percent, create 500,000 new jobs, increase the population’s cash incomes two times, increase the share of middle class in the country to 45 percent within the next five years , and thus to reduce the poverty rate to 15 percent. 

In his address, Emomali Rahmon noted that over the years of independence, an average monthly wage in Tajikistan has increased 87 times, a pension rate – 80 times, and the population’s cash incomes – 75 times.