DUSHANBE, April 24, Asia-Plus  -- Since the beginning of the year, corruption has shown downward tendency in Tajikistan, Sherkhon Salimzoda, director of the Agency for the State Financial Control and Combating Corruption, remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe on April 24.  

According to him, 338 officials have been reprimanded over the first three months of this year; 13 of them have been sacked.

“Punishment is an extreme measure in our activity,” said the anticorruption agency chief.  “At present we are laying emphasis on preventing corruption among officials working with the land tenure and law enforcement agencies.”  

Salimzoda named increased responsibility of top managers of the federally funded enterprises and organizations as well as private companies as one of factors contributing to reduction of corruption in the country.