DUSHANBE, January 9, Asia-Plus  -- A process of re-registration of public associations with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) ended in Tajikistan on January 1. 

As a result of the re-registration process the number of public associations in the country has declined nearly three times.    

Davlat Sulaymonov, head of the MoJ department for registration of political parties and public associations, told Asia-Plus that little more than 1,000 of 3,500 public associations registered in the country last year had to date been re-registered with the ministry.

“In accordance with Article 41 of the T Law “On the Public Associations”, all public associations, with the exception for political parties, religious organizations, trade unions and some other organizations procedure of establishment and activities of which is regulated by other laws, should have been re-registered with ministry by January 1,” Sulaymonov said. 

  “We cannot yet say what the exact number of public associations and international organizations has to date been re-registered with the ministry because counting is still under way,” Sulaymonov said.  

He further added that public associations that had failed to be reregistered within legally required time would lose a status of legal entity and “their registration certificates are subject to cancellation by resolution of the registering body,” the MoJ official said.