DUSHANBE, February 16, 2010, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan’s tax collection system is very complicated and first of all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are suffering from this, Sarvar Kholiqov, head of the department for protection of entrepreneurs’ rights within the State Committee for Investment and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest), said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, farming units have suffered the most from the complicated tax collection systems. “Farmers complain that to pay their taxes they have to spend many time,” said the expert, “Farmers should work in the field and not go through channels and do paperwork. Therefore, they submitted their proposals on paying taxes; they are ready to pay taxes once a year.”

After the last president’s meeting with local entrepreneurs, GosKomInvest has prepared a number of proposals and submitted them for consideration to the government, Kholiqov said. A special commission made up of representatives from relevant ministries and business associations will be established in the near future to study the country’s tax collection system and by the end of this year, the commission will submit for consideration its options on easing the tax collection system and abolishing unnecessary types of taxes, he added.

“If we do not ease the tax collection system, SMEs will not develop in the country and it will be very difficult to attract investors,” the expert said.