President Emomali Rahmon on June 5 signed a decree on preventing impact of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) on socioeconomic spheres of Tajikistan.

The decree, in particular, provides for giving tax recesses to tourism and relevant industries (hotels, catering organizations), health and sports centers, international passenger services, and air navigation from May 1 to September 1, 2020 and prohibiting charging of interest for late payment of taxes during this period. 

President also decrees:

• to exempt small and media-sized enterprises, which completely suspended their activities due to the COVID-19 outbreak, from paying rent for state properties;  
• to prohibit application tax liability measures against economic entities failing to pay taxes on time from May to September 1, 2020; 
• to exempt individual entrepreneurs working at trade centers and consumer service points from paying taxes from May 1 to August 1, 2020;  
• to give tax recesses to physical entities on payment of taxes on real estate from May 1 to September 1, 2020.  
• to exempt import of all materials being used for production of disinfectants, medicines and medical protective clothing as well as equipment for medical labs for implementation of COVID-19 diagnostic test to implement from paying customs duties, value added tax (VAT) and excise tax from July 1 to September 1, 2020;
• to exempt medical facilities, hotels and resort centers freely placing citizens, being under medical supervision or undergoing treatment for COVID19, for an appropriate term;
• for the purpose of maintaining population income, to lower the rate of income tax rate for the percentage of deposits of individuals from 12 to 6 percent.    

Besides, the decree orders to regulate prices for consumer goods, including medicines, face masks, antiseptics, as well as wheat flour and bakery products, sugars, vegetable oil, potatoes, beans, soaps, and fuels in the country.   

The head of state also ordered not to raise utilities rates until the end of this year.